Every year, Girl Scout Cookie season brings excitement, energy, and plenty of new terminology—words like Smart Cookies, Care to Share, Juliette, and Cupboard. This Girl Scout Cookie Lingo article cuts through the confusion with clear, accessible definitions that empower both new and experienced cookie volunteers. Whether you’re a troop leader, caregiver, or entrepreneur, this handy glossary ensures you speak the same cookie “language” and stay in sync with program systems.
| ABC Bakers | This is the baker we partner with to bake all of our delicious Girl Scout Cookies. |
| ACH (Automated Clearing House) | An electronic fund transfer made between banks and credit unions across what is called the Automated Clearing House network. With cookies, we use ACH to withdraw funds from your troop bank account at various intervals to pay for the cookies you’ve sold. |
| Adventure Points (AP) | After the 400+ package level, Girl Scouts earn the number of Adventure Points at their final earning level, but after 3AP they can mix and match from multiple AP levels when selecting their reward. |
| Booth | A location where entrepreneurs can sell cookies to the public (example: in front of a store). |
| Council Credit | Credit that a Girl Scout can use toward participating in council programs, camps, at the Girl Scout retail shop, or have sent to her troop to be added to troop funds. |
| CTS (Care to Share) | An acronym used for Care to Share, our cookie donation program. |
| Cupboard | Cupboards are temporary distribution centers where troops can replenish their cookie stock as needed. They are typically operated by volunteers and are strategically located to be accessible to multiple troops. |
| Delivery | Refers to the delivery of troops’ starting inventory orders. It happens once during cookie program. |
| Digital Cookie | The online platform that helps entrepreneur’s superpower their cookie sales as they go beyond the booth with mobile and online channels. The platform is a fun, educational tool that helps Girl Scouts run and manage their cookie business online. |
| Direct Ship | Online order shipped directly to the customer for a shipping fee. |
| Early Bird Renewal Cookie Proceed | Early Bird Renewal is a cookie program proceed opportunity. To earn the early bird cookie program, proceed troops had to retain 70% or more youth members through renewal or new memberships for the upcoming Girl Scout year by June 30 of the current year. Troops that qualified for the Early Bird Cookie Proceed and will receive an additional 10 cents per package of cookies sold during the Girl Sout Cookie Program. |
| Girl-delivered | Online order delivered by the Girl Scout. This feature is turned off or on by each individual Girl Scout. |
| In-hand | Credit card payment run through Digital Cookie. |
| Entrepreneur | A Girl Scout participating in the Cookie Program. |
| gsLearn | Girl Scouts’ official online and on-demand training forum. It empowers users (“learners”) to complete training at their own pace. Learners have access to Girl Scout–specific content that supports accuracy and consistency across the Girl Scout Movement. In order to have a gsLearn account you must be a registered volunteer member with a clear background check on file the council, and hold an active volunteer role like, troop helper. |
| Initial Order | The first, and usually largest, order a troop orders. This order is placed through the initial order tab in Smart Cookies in mid-January and picked up at delivery in early-February. |
| Juliette (IRM, IRG) | An individually registered Girl Scout who is not part of a troop. Sometime referred to as an individually registered member (IRM) or individually registered girl (IRG). |
| Opt-Out Individual Rewards | Troops who decide to not receive (opt-out of) individual rewards can earn an additional .15 cents on each package of cookies sold. The entire troop would need to agree to opt-out of individual rewards. Girl Scout Juliettes will receive proceeds via a council credit card that they can redeem in a variety of ways that we will cover in just a moment. |
| PGA | “Per Girl Scout average.” It is the total number of packages sold divided by the number of entrepreneurs selling cookies. |
| Proceeds | Monies provided by Girl Scouts of Northern California to troops participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. |
| Program Launch Day | The first day of the Cookie Program when Digital Cookie launches! Girl Scouts can begin taking orders via their order card and Digital Cookie. |
| Public Cookie Sales | Cookie sales that are made to the public, those people you do not consider friends or family. This includes door-to-door, wagon pulling, and booth sales. These sales can begin once you have your physical cookies in hand. |
| Rewards | Benefits received by or for Girl Scouts participating in the program and based on program activity. |
| Service Unit Cookie Program Advisor (SUCPA) | A volunteer who supports troops in their service unit throughout the cookie program. |
| Smart Cookies | A cookie volunteer’s best friend! Here’s where you’ll order cookies, track deliveries, and more. |
| Troop Cookie Chair (TCC) | A volunteer who supports the Girl Scouts in their troop throughout the cookie program. |
If you have any questions about the Girl Scout Cookie Program or its lingo, please contact the Entrepreneurship Program team at info@gsnorcal.org.
Last updated on January 19, 2026