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Payload is a term used in several fields:

In cargo transport, the payload is the valuable contents of the cargo vehicle.

In military aircraft or space exploration, the payload is the carrying capacity of an aircraft or space ship, including as cargo, munitions, scientific instruments or experiments, or external fuel, although internal fuel is usually not included.^{[citation needed]}

Also, with aircraft carrying payload, a trade-off has to be made whether to increase payload or whether to increase the range of the aircraft. This trade-off is done according to a so called payload range diagram. The upper horizontal line represents the aircraft maximum take-off weight (MTOW). This MTOW consists of three components: aircraft empty weight, fuel and payload. Up 'til the vertical line, the aircraft can take its maximum payload for its maximum range.^{[citation needed]}

If the range is increased beyond that point, payload has to be sacrificed for fuel, until it reaches the point of payload at maximum range. Flying further than that point means that the payload has to be reduced further, and only for a slight increase in range. The absolute range is thus the range at which an aircraft can fly without carrying any payload. See Tsiolkovsky rocket equation.

In communication, telecommunications and information science, the payload or mission bit stream is the data, such as a data field, block, or stream, being processed or transported — the part that represents user information and user overhead information. It may include user-requested additional information, such as network management and accounting information. Note that the payload does not include system overhead information for the processing or transportation system.^{[citation needed]}

In computer jargon, the payload is the useful data. It's the data beside header or other transport or structural information. Payload = whole data - overhead. It's mainly used as a computer exploit. The term payload doesn't define if the information makes any sense.