See how to track a package with UPS, FedEx, USPS and Amazon!
Find your tracking number, read each status and act when tracking stops.
How to track a package step by step
To track a package, copy the tracking number from your shipping confirmation, paste it into the carrier website that issued it, and read the last scan line. That line, not the estimated date, tells you where the box really is right now.
Before you start, have the confirmation open and check which company is carrying the box. One order can ship with two carriers, so the number has to match the site.
- 1Open the shipping confirmation from the store or the person who mailed the box and find the number.
- 2Identify the carrier by the shape of the number, by the logo on the email, or by the name on the label.
- 3Type the carrier address yourself in the browser, ups.com, fedex.com, usps.com or amazon.com, never a link from a text.
- 4Paste the full number with no extra spaces, then read the last scan, the city and the time.
- 5Turn on alerts in the carrier app or by text, so the next scan reaches you without another search.
The most common mistake is pasting only part of the number, which returns a not found message and an hour of worry. The second is checking a brand new label: the number exists from the moment it is printed, but nothing moves until the first physical scan.
Where to find your tracking number
Your tracking number sits in one of four places: the shipping confirmation email or text, the order page of the store, the mailing receipt from the counter, or the label stuck on the box itself. The United States Postal Service says the tracking or label number appears on the online label record, the package label, the mailing receipt or the sales receipt.
If a friend or a marketplace seller mailed the box, ask for a photo of the receipt instead of guessing. When nothing turns up, the store support chat can resend the confirmation. With the number in hand, the next question is which company it belongs to.
What each carrier tracking number looks like
You can name the carrier by the shape of the number alone: UPS uses a 1Z code of 18 characters, FedEx uses a long run of digits, and postal label numbers are longer still. UPS states that valid formats include the 1Z code with 18 characters, plus shorter reference formats between seven and 20 characters for freight and air waybills.
| Carrier | Usual number shape |
|---|---|
| UPS | Starts with 1Z, 18 characters |
| FedEx | Digits only, commonly 12 or 15 |
| USPS | Label number of 13 to 34 characters |
| Amazon | Own code inside the order page |
The USPS help pages describe label numbers of 13 to 34 characters, which is why a postal code looks longer than a FedEx one. Amazon orders are a case apart, since the same order can move with a partner carrier or with the Amazon network, and the code shown in the account is the one that works.
How to track a package with UPS, FedEx, USPS and Amazon
All four carriers track the same way: paste the number on the official site or app, or call the support line printed on that site. What changes is the extra tool each one gives you, from text alerts to delivery instructions.
Tracking a UPS package
Open ups.com, paste the 1Z number, and read the activity list. The UPS help center lists 1-800-742-5877, the same as 1-800-PICK-UPS, for general customer service. Signing in adds delivery alerts and the option to redirect the box.
Tracking a FedEx package
Open fedex.com and use the tracking field, which also accepts a reference number or a door tag number. FedEx prints the support line 1-800-GoFedEx, which is 1-800-463-3339, on its tracking page, and FedEx Delivery Manager lets you leave instructions for the driver.
Tracking a USPS package
Open usps.com and paste the label number, or send that number by text to 28777, which spells 2USPS, to get the latest status as a reply. The Postal Service notes that standard message and data rates may apply, and that keywords such as date or delivery return more detail. General customer care is 1-800-ASK-USPS, which is 1-800-275-8777.
Tracking an Amazon order
Sign in to your Amazon account and open the orders section, listed as returns and orders, then choose the order and select the tracking option. That page shows the carrier chosen for your box and the live map when the delivery is close.
What each tracking status means
A tracking status describes the last thing that happened to the box, not a promise about tomorrow. Label created means the sender printed the label and the carrier has not touched the parcel yet, which is normal for a day or two after an order.
In transit means the box is moving between facilities, and it can sit on that line for days on a long route without anything being wrong. Arrived at facility and departed facility are the same movement seen from two sides, and several in a row is a good sign.
Out for delivery means the parcel is on the truck today, the only status that promises a date. Delivery attempted, or a door tag, means the driver came and could not leave the box, so the next step is on the notice. Delivered with no box at the door usually means a neighbor, a leasing office or a spot the driver chose, and the carrier photo shows which. Exception is the word that hides a problem.
What to do when tracking stops updating
When tracking stops updating, give it one more business day, then contact the carrier with the number in hand, and tell the sender at the same time. Parcels are scanned at points along the route, so a quiet stretch between two cities is silence, not loss.
Start by confirming you pasted the full number on the right site. Then check the shipping address on the order, since a bad apartment number stalls a box quietly. If nothing moves, open a case with the carrier, which UPS and FedEx call a trace and the Postal Service handles through a help request. Keep the store in the conversation, because the shipper is usually the one who can file a claim.
⚠️ Watch out: the United States Postal Inspection Service warns that scam texts pose as package alerts. The Postal Service does not send tracking texts you did not request, and a real one never contains a link, so never pay a delivery fee by text.
If you are chasing several boxes, a tracking aggregator saves time, since it reads numbers from many carriers in one list. Deliveries by Junecloud, AfterShip, Parcels and 17TRACK work that way, and all of them pull data from the carriers, so a status is only as fresh as the last scan.
Frequently asked questions about package tracking
These are the questions people ask most when a box is late or a number does not work.
How can I track a package without a tracking number?
Use the order page of the store where you bought it, since the seller can see the shipment even when you cannot. For a parcel someone mailed you, ask the sender for the mailing receipt, because the number is printed there.
Why does my tracking number say not found?
Either the label is too new to have a first scan, or the number was pasted into the wrong carrier site, or a character is missing. Check the format against the carrier, paste it again with no spaces, and try once more later in the day.
Can I track a package by phone instead of online?
Yes. UPS answers general questions at 1-800-742-5877, FedEx at 1-800-463-3339, and the Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777. Have the tracking number and the delivery address ready before you call.
Can I get tracking updates by text message?
The Postal Service accepts a tracking number sent by text to 28777, which spells 2USPS, and replies with the status. Carrier apps and account alerts do the same job, and standard message and data rates may apply.
The status says delivered but there is no package. What now?
Look at the delivery photo when the carrier provides one, check with neighbors, the mail room and the back door, then contact the carrier and the seller on the same day. Reporting quickly keeps the claim window open.
Who files the claim for a lost package, me or the seller?
In most cases the shipper does, because the contract for carriage is theirs and the receipts are in their name. Tell the seller as soon as the tracking stalls, and keep the order number, the label number and any photos.
Your next step with a package that is still missing
Open the carrier site right now, paste the number, and write down the date of the last scan, because that single line decides whether you wait or call. If the scan is from today or yesterday, the box is simply moving, and alerts will do the waiting for you.
If the last scan is older, call the carrier line, open the trace, and message the seller in the same hour, so both sides count from the same day. Keep the receipt until the box is in your hands, and keep reading our delivery guides to stay ahead of the next late parcel.
ℹ️ Important: pdnionline.com is an independent publisher. We have no relationship, sponsorship or control over UPS, FedEx, USPS, Amazon or any other carrier. Delivery windows, policies and phone hours change, so always confirm the details on the official carrier channels.
