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Canada Post tracking status

Canada Post “Item processed”: what it means

The short answer

Normal

Your parcel was scanned at a Canada Post sorting site and is moving on through its network. The bar in Track usually says 'In transit' at this stage. It is a normal step, and the next scan may be days away.

When to act: If your parcel has not arrived 5 business days after its expected delivery date, file a complaint and we send it to Canada Post.

Bizzy online

Tell me what happened. I write your complaint with you and we send it to Canada Post.

Also shown as: “Item processed at postal facility” · “Item processed at local delivery facility” · “In transit” · “Item in transit” · “Item picked up by Canada Post” · “Shipment picked up by Canada Post” · “Item accepted at the Post Office” · “Item arrived” · “Item departed”

What to do now

  1. Open Track and read the date, time and city of the latest scan.

  2. Find the expected delivery date in Track. Until it has passed, a few quiet days are normal.

  3. Turn on notifications in the Canada Post app so you see the next scan straight away.

  4. If you will be out, set a delivery preference in Track or the app before the parcel goes out for delivery, if your parcel is eligible.

  5. Keep a screenshot of the history and note your tracking number.

  6. Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to Canada Post, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

    Start my complaint

What does “Item processed” mean?

Canada Post's help pages do not define 'Item processed' by name. Its parcel guide lists the matching tracking event as sorting the item in a major Canada Post facility. The city shown is where the scan happened, which can be a large sorting centre far from you. It can appear more than once. 'In transit' is the status Canada Post does define: it has received the parcel and it is on its way to its destination.

This does not mean the parcel is in your city or will come today. Canada Post says it typically scans a parcel when it is first mailed and again when it goes out for delivery, and that there may be no updates for several days in between. One history people share reads, in order: 'Item departed', 'Item arrived', 'Item processed', 'Item out for delivery'.

Why does Canada Post show it?

  • Canada Post has picked the parcel up or accepted it at a post office
  • A sorting scan at a major facility
  • A scan at the local delivery facility, near the end of the journey
  • The parcel is passing through more than one facility
  • The parcel was re-sorted after going to the wrong route, in histories people share

How long does it last?

Usually more sorting scans, then 'Item out for delivery' and a delivery scan. Track shows an expected delivery date, which can change. Canada Post says most delayed parcels arrive within 5 business days of that date.

Other Canada Post statuses

All Canada Post statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from Canada Post?

If you bought online from a business, the seller chose Canada Post and is its customer, so a late, lost or missing order is in most cases for the seller to put right, with a replacement or a refund. Canada Post also says that only the sender can receive compensation for a missing parcel.

For a parcel you sent yourself, Canada Post's General Terms and Conditions are the contract between you. Most Priority, Xpresspost and Expedited Parcel shipments include cover of up to $100, the first $100 must be bought for Regular Parcel, and you can add more when you mail it, up to $5,000 within Canada and $1,000 for most US and international shipments. Compensation is the lowest of the item's value, the cover you bought or the cover included, plus postage where it applies. A claim for a missing parcel has to start within 90 days of the shipping date within Canada, or 6 months for the US and abroad. A late parcel on a guaranteed service may earn the sender a postage refund, but the terms excuse causes beyond Canada Post's control, including labour disruptions and customs.

Questions about “Item processed”

What does 'Item processed' mean on Canada Post?

Your parcel was scanned at a Canada Post facility and is moving on. Canada Post does not define the line by name, but its parcel guide lists sorting at a major facility as a tracking event. It is a normal step.

What does 'In transit' mean on Canada Post?

Canada Post says it has received the parcel and it is on its way to its destination. It is the short status at the top of Track, and the lines below it, such as 'Item processed', give the detail.

Does 'Item processed' mean my package is in my city?

Not always. Check the city on the scan, because it is often a large sorting centre. In histories people share, a scan in your own city overnight or early in the morning often comes just before 'Item out for delivery'.

How long after 'Item processed' will my package arrive?

Canada Post gives no fixed time. Go by the expected delivery date in Track. In histories people share, delivery has come the same day as a scan in the local city, but several days with no update can also be normal.

Why did 'Item processed' come after 'Item out for delivery'?

Canada Post does not explain this. People who share histories put it down to a parcel going back to a facility to be sorted again, so delivery can slip by a day or so.

Based on

  • Canada Post: Tracking statuses
  • Canada Post: Tracking Events and Services (parcel guide)
  • Canada Post: Why is my tracking status not updating?
  • Canada Post: My package hasn't arrived (5 business days)
  • Canada Post: How to set your delivery preference location
  • Canada Post developer documentation: Get Tracking Details (sample event wordings)
  • RedFlagDeals forum: Item processed at local delivery facility (shared tracking history)
  • RedFlagDeals forum: Item picked up by Canada Post then no updates (shared tracking history)
  • RedFlagDeals forum: Item arrived at postal facility, item on hold (wrong route)
  • eBay Canada community: Delivery may be delayed due to public authority (shared tracking history)
  • Reddit r/CanadaPost: shared history (Item departed, Item arrived, Item processed, Item out for delivery)
  • Reddit r/CanadaPost: shared history (Item in transit, Item processed, Item out for delivery, Delivered)
  • Reddit r/CanadaPost: shared history (Shipment picked up by Canada Post)
  • Canada Post: My package hasn't arrived (who can be paid, time limits, $100 base cover)
  • Canada Post: My package was delivered late (postage refund for the sender, guaranteed services)
  • Canada Post: Coverage options, parcel guide ($100 included, first $100 bought for Regular Parcel, up to $5,000)
  • Canada Post: General Terms and Conditions, customers without a Standing Offer Agreement (liability cover, excusable delay)

Parcel still not here?
File a complaint about Canada Post.

Start my complaint