Guides
Parcel tracking, explained
Plain answers about tracking numbers, statuses and customs, and what to do when a parcel goes quiet.
- Tracking number formats: which carrier is it?Tracking number formats for USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Royal Mail, Evri and more, and how to tell which carrier a number belongs to from its letters and length.
- Tracking status meanings: from label created to deliveredWhat each tracking status means, in the order your parcel meets it, with USPS, Royal Mail and Australia Post wording, and the few that need you to act.
- Tracking not updating? Why, and when to worryWhy parcel tracking stops updating, how long a gap is normal at each stage, when a parcel counts as lost, and whether to contact the seller or the carrier.
- Tracking says delivered but not received? What to doTracking says delivered but there's no parcel? What to check first, how long to wait, who owes you a refund, and the deadlines at Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Vinted.
- Parcel held at customs: how long and what you payWhat "held at customs" means, how long it can last, what you pay in the UK, Ireland, US, Canada or Australia, and how to spot a fake customs charge text.
- Tracking a parcel from China: AliExpress, Temu and SheinWhy tracking from China goes quiet or changes number, who delivers in your country, how long AliExpress, Temu and Shein take, and what customs may cost.
- How to find your tracking number, or track without oneWhere to find your tracking number in a shipping email, order page or post office receipt, what to do if you lost it, and how to track a parcel without one.
- Universal parcel tracking: all your parcels in one placeHow universal parcel tracking works, what no tracker can see, and how 17TRACK, ParcelsApp, AfterShip and others compare on ads, accounts, alerts and price.