Purolator tracking status
Purolator “Shipment available for pickup”: what it means
The short answer
Take actionYour parcel is waiting at a Purolator location or shipping agent, and you have up to 5 business days to collect it. Go soon and bring government-issued photo ID with your name and address. After that, Purolator may send it back to the sender.
When to act: If the location cannot find your parcel after 2 business days, file a complaint and we send it to Purolator.
Also shown as: “Available for pickup for 5 business days from arrival date at the counter” · “Hold for pickup” · “Transferring to shipping centre”
What to do now
- 1
Note the date on the line, then count 5 business days from the arrival date at the counter.
- 2
Bring valid government-issued photo ID that matches the name and address on the parcel, plus the delivery notice or digital doorknocker.
- 3
If someone else is going for you, give them a signed letter with the tracking number, and make sure they bring their own photo ID. Someone who lives at your address only needs ID showing that.
- 4
Check the opening hours of the location before you go, especially if it is a partner store.
- 5
Keep your tracking number and a photo of the notice, in case the parcel is not there when you arrive.
- 6
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to Purolator, so you do not have to chase it yourself.
Waiting at a post office, shop or locker with another courier
- USPS: Held at post office
- DHL: Awaiting Collection by Consignee
- UniUni: Failed delivery attempt, returning to the warehouse
- Cainiao: Waiting for Pick Up
- Evri: Ready for collection
- DPD: Being held at the depot
- InPost: Ready to collect
- Parcelforce: Available for Redelivery or Collection
- Canada Post: Available for pickup
- Canpar: Held for pickup
- Intelcom: Ready for pickup
- Australia Post: Awaiting collection
- StarTrack: At Delivery Depot
- Aramex: Ready for collection
- CouriersPlease: Ready for collection
- Team Global Express: Awaiting collection
- NZ Post: Ready to collect
- An Post: Your delivery is in D.S.U.
- DPD Ireland: Your parcel is held at the DPD depot
What does “Shipment available for pickup” mean?
The parcel is at a Purolator Shipping Centre or an Authorized Shipping Agent. It got there after a failed delivery attempt, or because someone chose Hold for Pick Up instead of delivery. Purolator's terms and FAQ give a hold of up to 5 business days, and its FAQ adds that some exceptions may apply. The tracking line counts from the arrival date at the counter, and only business days count.
The line can repeat: one shared history shows it three times over two days. In tracking histories people share, it appears within a day of the failed attempt, and if 'On vehicle for delivery' follows it, the parcel has left the counter for a new delivery, so check before you travel. 'Transferring to shipping centre', which one poster quotes, comes before this: the parcel is on its way there and not ready yet.
Why does Purolator show it?
- A delivery attempt failed and a notice was left
- You or the sender chose Hold for Pick Up instead of delivery
- The driver could not get to your door or building
- A required signature or proof of age could not be obtained at the door
- Your area is one Purolator serves through a pickup location
How long does it last?
If nobody collects it in 5 business days, Purolator's terms say it may go back to the sender at the sender's expense, and the next line may be 'Item being returned to sender, determined as undeliverable'. Purolator gives no time for how quickly a return starts, and one person in a shared history arrived the day after it reached the counter to be told it was already going back.
Other Purolator statuses
- Delayed in transit due to disruptionKeep an eye on it
- Delayed in transit due to rail delayKeep an eye on it
- Delayed in transit due to missed connectionKeep an eye on it
- Weather delay - service will resume weather permittingKeep an eye on it
- Mechanical delayKeep an eye on it
- Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
- Shipper created a labelKeep an eye on it
- Attempted delivery - receiver unavailableTake action
- Delivered but not receivedTake action
- Item being returned to sender, determined as undeliverableTake action
Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from Purolator?
If you bought online from a business, the seller chose Purolator 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. Purolator's terms also say that only the party obliged to pay it for the shipment can file a claim, which for an online order is normally the seller.
If you sent the parcel yourself, your contract is with Purolator, under its Terms and Conditions of Service. Its liability is limited to C$2.00 per pound (C$4.41 per kg) of the shipment's weight unless you declared a higher value and paid the surcharge, up to C$5,000 for a courier shipment. A guaranteed service that arrives late may earn the payer a refund or credit of half the service rate. Standard Ground has no guarantee. No refund applies when the delay comes from events beyond Purolator's control, such as weather or mechanical delays, or when Purolator has suspended the guarantee.
Questions about “Shipment available for pickup”
How long will Purolator hold my package for pickup?
Up to 5 business days from the arrival date at the counter. Purolator says some exceptions may apply, so do not leave it to the last day. After that it may go back to the sender at the sender's expense.
What ID do I need to pick up a Purolator package?
A valid government-issued photo ID that matches the name and address on the package. If Purolator texted you, the digital doorknocker code on your screen works in place of the card.
Can someone else pick up my Purolator package?
Yes. Purolator says a shipment can be released to another person with acceptable identification and authorization. Its terms ask for a signed letter with the tracking number, or ID showing they live at your address. Age-restricted parcels have stricter rules.
What happens if I do not pick up my Purolator package?
Purolator's terms say it may return the parcel to the sender at the sender's expense. For an online order, the seller then decides on a refund or new delivery under its own rules.
Based on
- Purolator: FAQs for receiving shipments (tracking updates, missed delivery line, 5 business day hold, ID, proof of delivery)
- Purolator: FAQs for shipping and delivery (delivery attempts, doorknocker card, leaving parcels at the door)
- Purolator Terms and Conditions of Service
- Purolator Your Way: delivery preferences for receivers (photo proof of delivery, Hold for Pick Up)
- Purolator: FAQ on Purolator Your Way (text message link, address change, hold for pick-up, delivery spots)
- RedFlagDeals forum, Purolator Shipping Support Thread, page 24 (shared tracking history: full history with both pickup lines)
- Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): Available for pickup for 5 business days, then On vehicle for delivery
- Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): status still available for pickup after someone collected it
- Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): Transferring to shipping centre
- Reddit r/purolator (shared tracking history): at the counter for 5 days, then told the driver had taken it back the next morning
- Amendment #1 to the Purolator Terms and Conditions of Service (guarantee refunds, undeliverable shipments, events beyond its control, who may claim)
- Purolator: Terms and Conditions of Service page (current terms and amendments in force)