Tracking not updating? Why, and when to worry

Why has my tracking not updated in 3 days?

Tracking shows scans, not movement, and a parcel is scanned only at certain points:

• No scan between hubs. UPS says a parcel going a long way likely won't be scanned again until its destination hub. Canada Post typically scans a parcel when it's mailed and when it goes out for delivery, and says several days can pass in between.
• Weekends and holidays. USPS delivers Monday to Saturday; on Sunday, only Priority Mail Express and Amazon parcels. Royal Mail counts Saturday as a working day for 1st and 2nd Class, but not Sunday or public holidays.
• Weather and busy seasons. Amazon's common reasons for late deliveries include bad weather, heavy traffic, holiday demand and customs.
• A label the machines can't read. DHL names postcode typos, missing house numbers, hard-to-read handwriting, labels that came off and damaged packaging. The parcel may then be misrouted or sorted by hand, delaying it several days.

How long can a parcel be stuck in transit?

No carrier gives one figure for how long tracking can stay quiet. Before the delivery estimate, quiet stretches are normal, and they fall in the same places:

1. Label createdA label exists; the carrier may not have the parcel for days.
2. Between hubsOften no scan until the next hub.
3. Long haulNothing to scan on a plane or a ship.
4. CustomsSeveral working days, depending on the paperwork.
5. Local carrierIts scans may show only on its own site.
6. Last mileOut for delivery, then delivered: scans come quickly again.

How long does a new tracking number take to update?

Hours to days. If yours is stuck on Label Created, the carrier may not have the parcel yet: that first line usually comes from the seller's label software, not a scan.

• DHL: scans usually appear 24 to 48 hours after you get the number (up to 24 hours in Germany).
• USPS: Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item means the parcel "has not yet been given to USPS".
• UPS: Label Created changes once UPS has the parcel.
• Royal Mail: a number it doesn't recognise may be for an item not handed in yet. Try again later.
• Evri: after the sender's dispatch notice, it can take a few days for Evri to receive the parcel.
• Australia Post: a number it doesn't recognise may not be scanned yet: try again in 24 hours. After more than a week on Pending, ask the sender whether it was really sent.
• Vinted: tracking can take up to 48 hours to first appear.

For other statuses, see what tracking statuses mean.

Flights, customs and a change of carrier

DHL says it's completely normal, depending on the destination country, for a parcel it sends abroad to show no change for a while. Past the standard transit time, it helps with a search.

• Customs: several working days, depending on the paperwork, says DHL. For items coming into Australia, Australia Post says it may take up to 15 days, longer if duties are payable. More in parcels held at customs.
• A local carrier takes over: DHL warns of gaps in tracking and suggests trying the same number on the destination country's tracker.
• UPS hands it to the post: after Transferred to Post Office for Delivery, allow an extra day or two.

Ordered from AliExpress, Temu or Shein? See tracking a parcel from China.

Out for delivery, then nothing

USPS's Delivery Status Not Updated (or Awaiting Delivery Scan) means no delivery was recorded by 9 pm on the out-for-delivery day; expect it the next business day. Still nothing more than one full postal business day later? Submit a service request to your local Post Office. If it says delivered and nothing is there, see delivered but not received.

When is a parcel considered lost?

There's no single day. Most carriers say when they'll start looking, counted from the due date, the posting date or the day they got the parcel, not the last scan. Most late parcels turn up before that: within 5 business days of the expected date, say Canada Post and Australia Post.

Royal Mail doesn't process early claims, and wants 1st Class, 2nd Class and Special Delivery claims within 80 calendar days of posting.

Should I contact the seller or the carrier?

The seller. It booked the carrier, so it's the carrier's customer.

The law agrees when you bought from a business. In the UK and the EU, Ireland included, goods stay at the seller's risk until they reach you or someone you named, unless you booked a carrier the shop didn't offer: see your rights, country by country. In the US, the FTC's mail order rule expects a seller to ship within the time it stated, or within 30 days if it stated none. If it can't, it must ask your consent to the delay or cancel and refund you. The rule covers shipping, not arrival.

Bought from a private person on Vinted or eBay? The platform's protection is what counts.

What to do, in order:

1. 1Check the dateBefore the delivery estimate, silence is normal. Count as the carrier does, from the due or posting date, not the last scan.
2. 2Check the carrierIts tracking and service alerts, plus the local carrier's site if the parcel changed hands.
3. 3Ask the sellerTo confirm it sent the parcel, to the right address, and when it should arrive.
4. 4Past the waiting timeThe seller opens a search or claim. USPS and Canada Post let you start a search too.
5. 5Mind the platform's clockOpen a case on Amazon, eBay or Vinted before its window closes.

When can you claim a late parcel on Amazon, eBay or Vinted?

A marketplace can refund you, but only inside its window:

Etsy lets you open a case up to 30 days after the estimated delivery date; AliExpress, a dispute up to 15 days after the delivery time ends.

Quick answers

Is it normal for a package to be in transit for 7 days?

Within one country, it's slow: USPS gives Ground Advantage 2 to 5 business days, not guaranteed, and Evri typically 1 to 3 days once it has the parcel. From abroad, a week can be part of the plan: Royal Mail's International Tracked aims at 5 to 7 working days outside Europe.

Can I make tracking update sooner?

No, and nor can a tracker: it only shows what the carrier publishes. Peek keeps checking with the carrier and can ping you when a new scan lands, so you can stop refreshing.

My tracking number isn't working

The parcel may not be scanned yet, the number may belong to another carrier, or a character may be wrong. Check which carrier it belongs to or find the right number.