UPS tracking status

UPS “Warehouse scan”: what it means

The short answer

Keep an eye on it

UPS is holding your package in a storage area at one of its facilities instead of moving it on. The reason is usually in an earlier tracking line: a customs step, an address problem, a requested hold or a later delivery date.

When to act: If the warehouse scan is more than 2 business days old and no earlier line explains it, file a complaint and we send it to UPS.

What to do now

Read the tracking lines just before the Warehouse Scan. They usually explain the hold.
If an earlier line mentions customs or a payment, pay any duties shown on the tracking page. If it mentions your address, check it against your order confirmation.
If you asked for a hold or a later delivery date, you do not need to do anything.
Save a screenshot of the tracking with the Warehouse Scan and its date.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to UPS, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

What does “Warehouse scan” mean?

UPS does not publish a definition of 'Warehouse Scan'. In practice it is recorded when a package is put aside in a holding area of a UPS facility rather than sent on to the next stop. Tracking explainers that follow UPS messages note that the reason is usually visible in the lines just before it.

After an 'Import Scan' it often means the package is waiting for customs, or for the next truck after clearance. After an address or delivery-change message it means the package is held until that is sorted out. A warehouse scan that lasts less than a day is rarely a concern. Several days with no explanation is.

Why does UPS show it?

Waiting for customs clearance, or for the next truck after an import scan
An incorrect or incomplete address being checked
A hold for a later delivery date requested by you or the shipper
A hold for pickup at a UPS location
Unpaid duties or taxes on an international package
A backlog at a busy facility, especially before holidays

How long does it last?

Most packages leave the holding area within a day or so once the reason is cleared, and the next scan is a departure or 'Out for Delivery'. If the package is waiting for an address, a payment or documents, it stays until those arrive.

Other UPS statuses

Label createdNormal
DelayKeep an eye on it
Delivered but not receivedTake action
Out for deliveryNormal
On the wayNormal
ExceptionKeep an eye on it
Delivery attemptedTake action
Address information requiredTake action
Clearance in progressKeep an eye on it

All UPS statuses →

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

If you bought it online from a business, the seller is usually responsible until the package is delivered to you. The seller chose UPS, paid for the shipping and is the one UPS pays on a claim, so a late, lost or damaged order is in most cases for the seller to put right, with a replacement or a refund.

If you sent the package yourself, your contract is with UPS, under the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service. UPS's liability is limited to $100 per package unless you declared a higher value and paid for it when shipping, and UPS is not liable for late delivery except on services sold with its service guarantee.

Questions about “Warehouse scan”

What does Warehouse Scan mean on UPS?

UPS has put the package in a holding area at one of its facilities. It is not moving until the reason, such as customs, an address problem, a hold or a later date, is cleared.

Why did my UPS package get a warehouse scan after an import scan?

Usually because it is waiting for customs clearance, or for the next truck once cleared. Check for a customs message or a yellow banner asking for a payment or documents.

How long can a package stay in a UPS warehouse?

Waiting for the next truck often takes under a day. A hold for an address or a payment lasts until resolved; imports kept over 2 days in a UPS warehouse can incur a storage fee. If it lasts over 2 business days with no reason shown, file a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to UPS.

Is a UPS warehouse scan bad?

Not by itself. It only means the package is being held. It becomes a problem if it lasts for days with no reason shown.

Based on

Paketda: UPS status 'Warehouse Scan' (German)
UPS: My package is being held in customs
UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service, United States (PDF)
UPS: Understanding import fees
UPS: File a claim