DHgate tracking status

DHgate “Pending delivery confirmation”: what it means

The short answer

Normal

The seller has marked your order as shipped, and DHgate is waiting for you to confirm that it arrived. On its own it does not show where the package is, so read the line under it. Do not tap 'Item Received' before you have it.

When to act: If the package has not arrived by the estimated time of arrival on your order, or DHgate emails you that the payment will be released to the seller before you have it, file a complaint and we send it to DHgate.

What to do now

Read the line under the status and the 'Estimated Time of Arrival' on the order, not only the status.
Tap 'Track Items' for the full history, and note the date of the last line.
Do not tap 'Item Received' until the package is in your hands: it releases your payment to the seller.
Watch your inbox for 'The Payment of Your DHgate Order will be Released to Seller' or a notice that the order was delivered: the payment email starts a 5 day count.
Keep screenshots of the order page and the tracking history with their dates, and your order number.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to DHgate, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

What does “Pending delivery confirmation” mean?

This is DHgate's order status from the moment the seller marks an order as shipped and adds a tracking number until the order is completed. The app shows it as 'Order Status: Pending delivery confirmation' on the order and as the heading of the order detail page, with the latest tracking line and an 'Estimated Time of Arrival' under it, or a date under 'Order will be shipped before'. The status covers the whole trip, so on its own it says nothing about where the package is: in a screenshot a customer shared in November, the order said 'Pending delivery confirmation' while the line under it said 'The item is currently awaiting pickup by the carrier'. DHgate's help pages do not define the label.

By DHgate's own rules, the status ends in one of three ways. You tap 'Item Received' (the help pages call it 'Order has been received'), which releases your payment to the seller. Or the package shows as delivered, the seller asks for payment, DHgate emails you 'The Payment of Your DHgate Order will be Released to Seller', and it releases the payment 5 days later unless a problem has been raised. Or nothing happens, and DHgate releases the payment by itself 120 days after the order was shipped, or 60 days after a re-shipment. DHgate does not publish a single length for its Buyer Protection.

Why does DHgate show it?

The seller has added a tracking number and marked the order as shipped
The package is with the carrier and on its way
The carrier has not scanned the package yet, though the order counts as shipped
The package has arrived and nobody has confirmed it yet

How long does it last?

The line under the status should move from 'The item is currently awaiting pickup by the carrier' to carrier scans, while the estimated time of arrival holds or moves. The status itself stays until the order is completed: when you confirm receipt, 5 days after DHgate's email that the payment will be released to the seller, or 120 days after the order shipped. Customers report this status for ten days while the package waited for the carrier, for three weeks, and on one order about six weeks after it was placed, with nothing received.

Other DHgate statuses

The item is currently awaiting pickup by the carrierKeep an eye on it
Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
Delivered but not receivedTake action

All DHgate statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing package from DHgate?

If you bought on DHgate, DHgate's own rules decide refunds, whichever seller you bought from. DHgate holds your payment and passes it to the seller when you confirm that the order has been received; or, once the seller asks for payment on a delivered order, 5 days after DHgate emails you about it, unless a problem has been raised by then; or by itself 120 days after the order is shipped. Its Buyer Protection page says you are eligible for a refund if an order is not shipped or not received by the estimated delivery date, and that most items can be reported within 21 days of receipt. For a UK order from a seller who is a trader, the Consumer Rights Act, section 29, keeps the goods at the seller's risk until you have them.

If you sent a parcel yourself, DHgate was not your carrier: it is a marketplace, not a delivery service you book, so the carrier you chose and its terms apply. For a return sent back to a seller after an agreement on DHgate, its help pages say the refund follows once the seller has the parcel, or 30 days after you add the return's tracking number if the seller does not confirm it.

Questions about “Pending delivery confirmation”

What does pending delivery confirmation mean on DHgate?

The seller has marked your order as shipped and DHgate is waiting for you to confirm receipt. It does not mean the package is with a carrier or near you; the tracking line under the status says where it is.

How long does pending delivery confirmation last on DHgate?

Until the order is completed. DHgate's help pages say that happens when you confirm receipt, 5 days after its email that the payment will be released to the seller, or by itself 120 days after the order shipped.

Should I confirm delivery on DHgate before the package arrives?

No. Tapping 'Item Received' tells DHgate the order arrived and releases your payment to the seller. Wait until you have the package and have checked it.

Why does my DHgate order say pending delivery confirmation but awaiting pickup by the carrier?

The order counts as shipped once the seller adds a tracking number, even if the carrier has not scanned the package yet. If there is still no carrier scan 8 days after it was marked shipped, file a complaint and we send it to DHgate.

Will DHgate confirm my order automatically?

Yes. DHgate's help pages say it releases the payment to the seller by itself 120 days after the order ships, and 5 days after its payment email once the seller has asked for payment on a delivered order. A re-shipped order is confirmed 60 days after the seller ships it again.

Based on

DHgate Help Center: Release Payment Policy (the buyer confirms, the seller requests payment on a delivered item, or 120 days after the order is shipped)
DHgate Help Center: How do I complete an order to release the payment? ('Order Has Been Received', 120 days after the order is shipped)
DHgate Help Center: When DHgate releases the payment, will I be notified? (the email and the 5 days)
DHgate Help Center: What should I pay attention to when complete an order? (confirming receipt releases payment to the seller)
DHgate Help Center: What should I do if the seller agrees to re-ship? (a re-shipped parcel is confirmed as delivered 60 days after the seller ships it again)
DHgate: Buyer Protection (refund if an order is not shipped or not received by the estimated delivery date; most items reported within 21 days of receipt)
Reddit r/DHGateJerseys: an order page with 'Order Status: Pending delivery confirmation', 'The item is currently awaiting pickup by the carrier' and an estimated time of arrival, and 'Ship Via: Seller-Defined STD Logitstics'
Reddit r/DHgateRepSquad: the order detail heading 'Pending delivery confirmation' with 'Order will be shipped before', and 'No tracking can be found now' on Track Items
Reddit r/DHgateRepSquad: pending delivery confirmation for ten days while the package waited for collection by the carrier
Reddit r/DHgateRepSquad: still pending delivery confirmation three weeks later
Reddit r/ChinaTime: a DHgate buyer asking whether tracking updates after the change to 'pending delivery confirmation'
Reddit r/DHGateJerseys: a shipped order shows pending delivery confirmation
Reddit r/DHGateJerseys: still 'pending delivery confirmation' about six weeks after ordering, with nothing received
Reddit r/DHgate: 'Delivered. (Recipient's front door)' in the app, and DHgate's email asking to confirm delivery so the seller is paid within 5 days
DHgate Help Center: What should I do if it is returned and refunded? (refund when the seller receives the return, or 30 days after the tracking number is uploaded)
legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act, section 29 (goods stay at the seller's risk until they reach you)