Parcelforce tracking status

Parcelforce tracking not updating: why, and what to do

The short answer

Keep an eye on it

No new scan has come in, which can be a quiet stretch between sites or a parcel that has gone astray. Parcelforce has no separate Delayed line: a late parcel just stays on its last scan, and any date shown is an aim.

When to act: If there is no new line 2 working days after the due date, file a complaint and we send it to Parcelforce.

Also shown as: “We expect to deliver it on [date].” · “We expect to deliver your item today”

What to do now

Check Royal Mail's Track your item page or the Royal Mail app, where Parcelforce tracking now runs.
Check the number against your order or dispatch email. Parcelforce numbers have 9, 11, 13, 14, 16 or 21 characters, with letters and numbers.
Work out the due date. express10 aims for 10am the next working day, expressAM for the afternoon, express24 for close of business, and express48 for within two working days. Count working days only, and also check the date the seller gave you.
Look around the house and ask your neighbours, because a parcel can arrive before the tracking catches up.
Keep a screenshot of the last line, with its date and place, and your order number.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to Parcelforce, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

No update for days with another courier

What is going on

Parcelforce's tracking only changes when a parcel is scanned. For a UK parcel that means the local depot, a hub, the delivery depot, the van and delivery, so a gap of a day between lines can be normal. There is no Delayed line, and a date such as We expect to deliver it on 10 July can stay on the page after it has passed.

In histories people share, gaps of days or weeks are most often at the Coventry hubs on parcels from abroad, and also at Hatfield and at depots. Most give no reason. Parcelforce says traffic and bad weather can cause slight delays, it does not usually deliver on bank, public and local holidays, and remote areas such as the Highlands and Islands of Scotland take longer.

Why it happens

The parcel is between scans
A customs check on a parcel from abroad
An address that was incomplete or could not be read
A handover between Royal Mail and Parcelforce sites
A missed scan, which the next scan corrects
Traffic, bad weather or a holiday
The parcel has gone missing in the network

What usually happens next

Most stalled parcels show a new line at the next depot or hub. Parcelforce publishes no number of days after which it treats a parcel as lost. If you bought from a business, you do not need to wait for that: the goods stay at the seller's risk until they reach you (Consumer Rights Act, section 29).

Other Parcelforce statuses

Held as Customs fee to payTake action
Item ReceivedNormal
Due to be delivered todayNormal
Delivery AttemptedTake action
Available for Redelivery or CollectionTake action
Item RetentionKeep an eye on it
Returned to senderTake action
We're expecting itKeep an eye on it
Delivered but not receivedTake action

All Parcelforce statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from Parcelforce?

Buy online from a business and the seller usually has to sort it out until the parcel reaches you. Under UK consumer law (the Consumer Rights Act, section 29) the goods stay at the seller's risk until they are in your hands, or with someone you named to take them, unless you booked the courier yourself and the seller did not offer it as an option. Parcelforce's own help also says the retailer has a legal responsibility to make sure you get what you paid for.

If you sent the parcel yourself, your contract is under the joint Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide terms for the service you bought. UK express services include cover of up to £150 per item for loss or damage, and you can add more, up to £2,500 per item. A refund for late delivery depends on the service: 100% of the delivery cost for express10 and expressAM, 50% for express24 and nothing for express48 or express48large.

Questions about “Tracking not updating or parcel late”

Why is my Parcelforce tracking not updating?

It only changes at each scan, so a parcel between sites shows nothing new. A missed scan, a handover between sites or a customs check can make the gap longer. Check Royal Mail's Track your item page, because Parcelforce tracking now runs there.

How long does Parcelforce take to deliver?

express10, expressAM and express24 aim for the next working day and express48 for within two working days. Some postcodes take longer. Times for parcels going abroad depend on the service and the country.

How long before Parcelforce treats a parcel as lost?

It publishes no number of days. In one account people share, a parcel last scanned on 23 July was declared lost about a month later. If you bought from a business, you need not wait: the goods stay at the seller's risk until they reach you.

Why doesn't the tracking recognise my Parcelforce number?

It may be typed wrongly, it may belong to another service, or the sender may have created it before Parcelforce received the parcel. Parcelforce cannot track by name or address, so check the number against your order and try again a day later.

Can I get a refund for a late Parcelforce delivery?

A buyer looks to the seller, who stays responsible until the parcel arrives. A sender who paid for delivery can get 100% of the delivery cost back on express10 and expressAM, 50% on express24 and nothing on express48, unless an exception applies, such as an attempt made in service times.

Based on

Parcelforce: Track your parcel (single network with Royal Mail, tracking numbers)
Parcelforce: How can I track my parcel?
Parcelforce Worldwide: UK parcel services user guide (journey, notifications, Safeplace, photo on delivery)
Parcelforce: Delivery times
Parcelforce: UK parcel delivery services (delivery aims and cover)
Parcelforce: Delivery options and speed exceptions
Parcelforce: Refunds for late delivery
Parcelforce: Service updates
Parcelforce: Buying items online, who you should contact
legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act, section 29 (goods stay at the seller's risk until they reach you)
Reddit r/royalmail (shared tracking history): date passed with no new line at Hatfield (screenshot)
Reddit r/royalmail (shared tracking history): 12 days with no new line at Hatfield PFW National Hub (screenshot)
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): weeks with no new line at Coventry
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): two weeks with no new line at Coventry
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): expected delivery repeating for six days at Coventry
Reddit r/royalmail (shared tracking history): last line 23 July, declared lost about a month later
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): six weeks at Coventry, address reported incomplete
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): address label could not be scanned
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): Parcelforce parcel not passed on from Royal Mail
Reddit r/royalmail (shared account): international parcel moving between Parcelforce and Royal Mail sites
Reddit r/royalmail (shared tracking history): parcels collected with no scan for days (screenshots)
Parcelforce: Enhanced and inclusive compensation
Royal Mail: Terms and conditions (Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide)