Tracking Parcels Online: Check Delivery Status
Track a Parcel Online
Have the tracking number ready before you start. Open {site} and look for a section labeled Track, Tracking, Track a Shipment, or Check Delivery Status.
- Enter the tracking number exactly as it appears in your shipping notice or receipt.
- Remove accidental spaces before or after the number. Keep any letters that are part of it.
- Select the Track, Search, or Submit button.
- Review the latest scan, current status, and shipment history shown on the results page.
You normally do not need to sign in to track parcels online. If the page asks for an account, look for a guest tracking option or return to the main tracking section.
Check that you have entered a shipment tracking number, not an order number, receipt number, or payment reference. These identifiers may look similar, but an order number usually works only in the retailer’s order history.
Where to Find Your Tracking Number
The sender or retailer usually provides the tracking number after preparing the shipment. It may appear in one or more of these places:
- The shipment confirmation message sent by email or text.
- The order details or shipment history in your online account.
- A dispatch notice from the sender or retailer.
- A mailing receipt provided when the parcel was accepted.
- A printed label, collection receipt, or drop-off confirmation.
- A message from a marketplace seller or another person sending the parcel.
A tracking number may contain letters, numbers, or both. Copy the full sequence without adding punctuation. If a message shows several reference numbers, look for one specifically labeled tracking number, shipment number, or parcel number.
If you cannot find it, contact the sender or retailer. The recipient may be unable to recover a tracking number directly because the shipping record was created under the sender’s details.
Understand Parcel Tracking Statuses
Tracking parcels involves reading scan updates recorded as the shipment moves through the delivery network. The exact wording varies, but these common categories have similar meanings:
Label created: The sender created shipment information, but the parcel may not yet have received its first physical scan.
Accepted: A postal service or carrier has received the parcel and entered it into its network.
In transit: The parcel is moving between facilities or waiting for the next processing scan. The status may remain unchanged between locations.
Out for delivery: The parcel has been assigned for delivery. Check the tracking page for any instructions or later updates.
Delivered: The system records the shipment as delivered. Review any location note, then check the usual delivery area and ask other household members.
Exception: An issue has interrupted normal processing. The details may mention an address problem, access issue, weather event, damaged label, customs review, or another reason requiring attention.
A status is based on recorded scans. It may not show the parcel’s exact physical position at every moment.
If Tracking Does Not Update
Start by copying the number again from the original shipment notice. Check easily confused characters, missing digits, and extra spaces. If the number is unrecognized, confirm that you are using the tracking page for the postal service or carrier named in the shipment notice.
A new number may not display a scan immediately after the sender creates a label. Try again later and ask the sender whether the parcel has been handed over if the status remains at label created.
If tracking is unchanged, review the full history rather than only the headline status. A parcel can travel between scans, and a later scan may add several updates at once. Refresh the page or reopen the tracking tool if the displayed information appears stale.
If the tracking page is unavailable, check your connection, close and reopen the page, or use another browser. Enter the number manually if a copied link or button does not work. Do not repeatedly change the tracking number unless you find a clear typing error.
For a delivered status when no parcel is present, inspect the stated delivery location, mailbox, parcel locker, building desk, side entrance, and other protected areas. Ask household members or staff who may have accepted it. Contact the responsible service if it still cannot be found.
Track International Parcels
International shipments may pass through several postal services or carriers. The organization that accepted the parcel can transfer it to another service for transport, customs processing, or final delivery in the United States.
The same tracking number may work with more than one tracking system, although the wording and timing of updates can differ. Start with the service identified by the sender. If the history shows a handoff, look for the name of the next service or a second tracking number.
International tracking may pause while the parcel is between networks or under customs review. A lack of a new scan does not by itself explain the cause. Use the latest tracking details and contact the sender or listed service if action is requested or the status remains unclear.
Get Help With a Parcel
Before requesting help, collect the tracking number, sender’s name, recipient’s name, delivery address, mailing or dispatch date, latest status, and the time and location of the last scan. Keep the order reference and shipment confirmation available, but do not substitute them for the tracking number.
Contact the sender or retailer when no tracking number was provided, the number is invalid, the parcel appears not to have entered the network, or the contents do not match the shipment. The sender may have access to the original mailing record and may need to open a shipment inquiry.
Contact the postal service or carrier shown in the latest tracking event when the parcel is already in its network, an exception requests action, or a delivered parcel cannot be located after checking nearby areas. For an international handoff, contact the service currently shown as handling the parcel rather than relying only on the first service.
When explaining the problem, state the exact status message and what you have already checked. Avoid sharing payment details or account passwords. Keep any case reference you receive so you can follow up without starting the explanation again.