USPS tracking
USPS tracking statuses explained
USPS tracks your package with barcode scans at acceptance, at each processing plant, at your local post office and at your door. Some packages start with a shipping partner, a contractor that collects packages from large shippers and hands them to USPS. When there is no fresh scan, USPS fills the gap with system messages such as In Transit to Next Facility.
Every USPS tracking status explained
| Status | What it means | Should you worry? |
|---|---|---|
| Label created, USPS awaiting item | USPS has the label details but not your package yet. | Keep an eye on it |
| Moving through network | Your package is in the middle of its trip: USPS has it and is moving it between processing plants toward your local… | Normal |
| Tracking not updating | USPS tracking only shows where your package is when it gets scanned, and gaps of a day or two between scans are normal. | Keep an eye on it |
| In transit, arriving late | USPS predicts your package will miss its date but is still moving. | Keep an eye on it |
| Alert: delivery exception | USPS has flagged a problem, and the line under Alert names it. | Keep an eye on it |
| Origin Post is Preparing Shipment | USPS has been told a post office abroad is preparing your package, but USPS has not scanned it yet. | Keep an eye on it |
| Arrived at Post Office | Your package has reached your local post office and should be delivered today or the next postal business day. | Normal |
| Out for Delivery | USPS expects a carrier to deliver your package today, possibly later than your regular mail. | Normal |
| Awaiting delivery scan | Your package went out for delivery, but no delivery scan was recorded by the evening. | Keep an eye on it |
| No access to delivery location | The carrier says they could not reach your door, mailbox or building, so the package was not delivered. | Keep an eye on it |
| Notice left | The carrier tried to deliver but left a notice instead, because a signature was needed or there was no safe place or… | Take action |
| Held at post office | Your package is waiting at your local post office. | Take action |
| Insufficient address | USPS could not deliver your package because the address is incomplete or wrong, for example a missing apartment… | Take action |
| Forwarded | USPS is sending your package on, either to a new address from a change of address request or to the right post office… | Keep an eye on it |
| Delivered, but not received | USPS recorded the package as delivered, with a date, time and location, but you cannot find it. | Take action |
USPS delays
Delays usually build up in the weeks before Christmas, during severe weather and when a regional processing plant falls behind. A package that reaches your local post office after about 9:30 am usually goes out for delivery the next business day, according to USPS's own scan definitions.
Is your package from USPS late or missing?
Who is responsible for a late or missing package from USPS?
Bought it online from a business? Then the seller is usually responsible until the package is delivered. The seller chose USPS, bought the label and holds the mailing record that USPS needs for a lost package, so a late, lost or damaged order is in most cases the seller's to put right with a replacement or a refund.
Sent it yourself? Then your contract is with USPS, under the mailing rules in its Domestic Mail Manual. Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and USPS Ground Advantage include insurance of up to $100 for merchandise on most shipments; without insurance USPS pays nothing for loss or damage. Insurance does not cover delay, or a package lost or taken after delivery.
Questions about USPS tracking
How long can a package stay on Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item?
There is no USPS limit: the status stays until USPS scans the package. It often changes within a day or two of printing. If nothing changes after several days, the package has most likely not been handed over.
How long does Moving Through Network take?
Usually a few days, depending on distance and mail class. Within the contiguous US, USPS's standards are 2 to 3 business days for Priority Mail and 2 to 5 for USPS Ground Advantage, neither guaranteed; Alaska, Hawaii and the territories take longer.
Why is my USPS tracking not updating?
Because nothing has been scanned since the last update. USPS scans packages at plants and post offices, not while they are on a truck, and shows only the first and last processing scan at each facility per day. Gaps of a day or two are common; longer ones happen in peak season, after storms or when a scan is missed.
What does In Transit, Arriving Late mean on USPS?
USPS predicts the package will arrive after the delivery date it first showed. The package is still in the network; the message is a prediction, not a new scan.
What does Alert mean on USPS tracking?
USPS has flagged a problem or change with the package. The text under Alert tells you what it is, for example a delivery exception, Awaiting Delivery Scan, Forwarded or Insufficient Address. Each has a different next step.
Based on
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 609: Filing Indemnity Claims for Loss or Damage
- USPS FAQ: Domestic Claims, The Basics