"Shipment information received", "Processed through facility", "Arrived at destination country", "Held by customs", "Out for delivery". Tracking statuses are written in a special logistics language, and every carrier has its own version of it. As a result, the same event can be described in five different ways, and a perfectly normal status can look alarming.
This guide is a plain-language dictionary of tracking statuses. We have grouped them by the stages of a parcel's journey, explained what each one means, how long it usually lasts and whether you need to do anything. At the end you will find an example of a full tracking history and tips on how to read it.
Whatever the carrier and whatever the wording, almost every shipment goes through the same stages. Domestic parcels skip the export and customs stages, while international ones go through all six.
The seller has created a shipping label and sent the parcel data to the carrier. The parcel itself is most likely still in the seller's warehouse. This is the stage where many people think the parcel is "stuck", but in reality it has not started its journey yet.
How long: from a few hours to several days. For marketplace orders, up to a week. Action: none in the first days. If nothing changes for more than 7 days, ask the seller whether the parcel has actually been handed over.
The parcel is packed and waiting for the courier to pick it up from the sender. Action: none.
The carrier has physically received the parcel. This is the first "real" event: from now on, the parcel is in the carrier's network and will be scanned at each facility. Action: none – from this moment, delivery deadlines start to count.
The parcel has arrived at a sorting center, has been scanned and sorted in the right direction. You can see several such statuses in a row in different cities – this is normal routing. Action: none.
The parcel has left the facility and is on its way to the next point. A pause until the next scan is normal here. Action: none.
The parcel goes through export customs in the sender's country. Usually it is a formality that takes 1–3 days. Action: none.
"Office of exchange" is the official name for the international mail processing center of a postal service. This status means that the parcel has left the origin country. Important: after this status, the longest pause in the whole tracking history is common – from several days to two weeks for economy shipments. The parcel is waiting for a flight, flying or passing through a transit hub. Read more in our guide Package Stuck in Transit.
The parcel has landed and has been received by the postal service or carrier in your country. This is a good sign: the longest part of the journey is over. Action: none.
The parcel is being checked by customs. Most small parcels are released within a few days without any action from the recipient. Action: usually none, but check your email and SMS.
This status needs your attention. Customs may need a document, a confirmation of the item's value or payment of duties and taxes. Action: look for a notification from the carrier or customs with instructions. Do not ignore it: parcels that are not cleared within the storage period are sent back to the sender.
Customs is done. The parcel goes on to the delivery network. Action: none.
The parcel has been handed over to the company that will deliver it to you – the national post or a courier service. This often means a new tracking number. If the original number stops updating after this status, look for the new one in the event details or ask the seller. Our tracker tries to find such linked numbers automatically.
The parcel is in your city or region and is being prepared for delivery. Usually the next step happens within 1–2 days. Action: none.
The courier has taken the parcel and will try to deliver it today. Action: stay available by phone and make sure someone can receive the parcel.
The parcel has been handed over. Check the details: it may have been delivered to you personally, to a neighbour, to a mailbox, to a parcel locker or left at the door. If the status says "delivered" but you do not have the parcel, contact the carrier as soon as possible – the sooner you report it, the easier it is to investigate.
The parcel is waiting for you at a post office, branch or parcel locker. This is common for Nova Poshta, Ukrposhta, Meest and many European carriers. Action: pick it up. Remember that storage is limited – after the free storage period some carriers charge a fee, and after the maximum period the parcel is returned to the sender.
The courier could not deliver the parcel. Action: arrange a new delivery date or pick the parcel up yourself according to the notice.
The parcel is going back. Common reasons: the parcel was not picked up in time, the address was wrong, customs were not cleared or the recipient refused the parcel. Action: contact the sender or the carrier immediately. Sometimes the return can still be stopped.
A general status for unexpected situations: damaged packaging, unreadable label, address problems, missing documents. Action: read the details. If there are none, contact the carrier – an exception rarely resolves itself without anyone noticing it.
The parcel was sent to the wrong facility by mistake. It will be redirected, which usually adds a few days. You may see the parcel "going backwards" on the map. Action: none, unless the parcel stays in the wrong place for more than a week.
The carrier cannot find the recipient at the given address. Action: contact the carrier quickly with the full address and phone number, otherwise the parcel will be returned.
Someone at the address refused to accept the parcel, or it was refused at a branch. If it was not you, contact the carrier immediately.
The carrier is waiting for data or documents from the sender, another carrier or customs. If the status does not change for several days, ask the sender what is missing.
| Status | What it means | Do you need to act? |
|---|---|---|
| Label created | The seller has prepared the parcel | No, wait for the first scan |
| Accepted | The carrier has the parcel | No |
| Processed at sorting center | Normal routing | No |
| Departed from origin country | Long pause ahead | No, be patient |
| Arrived in destination country | The parcel is in your country | No |
| Held by customs | Customs needs something | Yes, check notifications |
| Handed over to local carrier | A new number is possible | Check for a new number |
| Out for delivery | Delivery today | Be available |
| Ready for pickup | Waiting at a branch or locker | Yes, pick it up in time |
| Delivery attempted | The courier missed you | Yes, rearrange delivery |
| Returned to sender | The parcel is going back | Yes, contact the sender |
| Exception | Something went wrong | Yes, read details or contact the carrier |
A tracking history is a list of events, usually with the newest at the top. To follow the journey, read it from the bottom up. Here is an example of a typical international parcel:
A few tips that make reading easier:
The seller's website often shows simplified statuses or updates them with a delay. The carrier's data is usually more detailed and more up to date.
"Departed" is a specific event: the parcel left a certain facility. "In transit" is a general state: the parcel is somewhere between acceptance and delivery.
Events in the origin country are often recorded in that country's language. A good tracker shows the original text so that no detail is lost.
Paste your tracking number into the search field at the top of this page. We detect the carrier automatically, check more than 30 delivery services and show the whole history of your parcel on one page. If your number is not found, read Tracking Number Not Found or Not Working: 10 Reasons and What to Do.
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