USPS tracking status

USPS “In transit, arriving late”: what it means

The short answer

Keep an eye on it

USPS predicts your package will miss its date but is still moving. Within the contiguous US, USPS's standards are 2 to 3 business days for Priority Mail and 2 to 5 for USPS Ground Advantage; a week with no new scan is when to act.

When to act: If there is still no new scan after about a week, and at least 7 days have passed since mailing, file a complaint and we send it to USPS.

Also shown as: “In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving Late” · “Arriving Late”

What to do now

Look at the last real scan below the Arriving Late line to see where the package was last handled.
Turn on text or email updates so you see the next scan as soon as it happens.
Count the business days since mailing and compare them with the standard for the mail class shown under Product Information.
Take a screenshot of the tracking with the mailing date, the Arriving Late line and the last real scan, and note your order number, for your complaint.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to USPS, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

Running late with another courier

What does “In transit, arriving late” mean?

How late is late? USPS's delivery standards within the contiguous US 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. USPS counts mail as missing once it has not arrived by its expected delivery date.

Arriving Late itself is a system message. USPS added two versions of its In-transit to the next facility message: Arriving On Time when a package should meet the date on the tracking page, and Arriving Late when it will not. The tracking text reads: your package will arrive later than expected, but is still on its way.

The line is generated by the tracking system to fill a gap between physical scans. It tells you USPS's prediction has slipped, not where the package is. The last real scan below it, such as Departed USPS Facility, is the best clue to its location. A package can show Arriving Late for several days if it is waiting in a busy plant.

Why does USPS show it?

A missed connection between plants, so the package waits for the next truck
A backlog at a regional processing plant
Severe weather or transport problems on the route
Missorting, which sends the package on an extra leg
High volume in the weeks before Christmas

How long does it last?

In most cases the package keeps moving and gets a new scan within a few days, then Arrived at Post Office and Out for Delivery. The tracking may not show a new date, so the delivery standard for the mail class is the best guide.

Other USPS statuses

Label created, USPS awaiting itemKeep an eye on it
Moving through networkNormal
Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
Alert: delivery exceptionKeep an eye on it
Origin Post is Preparing ShipmentKeep an eye on it
Arrived at Post OfficeNormal
Out for DeliveryNormal
Awaiting delivery scanKeep an eye on it
No access to delivery locationKeep an eye on it
Notice leftTake action
Held at post officeTake action
Insufficient addressTake action
ForwardedKeep an eye on it
Delivered, but not receivedTake action

All USPS statuses →

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 “In transit, arriving late”

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.

How long does In Transit, Arriving Late last?

Often a few days, until the next real scan. It can last longer when a plant is backed up. If it lasts about a week with no new scan, file a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to USPS.

Does Arriving Late mean my package is lost?

No. USPS uses it when a package is likely to miss its date and still describes the package as on its way. It only becomes a concern when the status stays for many days with no new scan.

Will USPS refund my postage if the package is late?

Only Priority Mail Express has a money-back guarantee, and only the sender can ask for that postage refund; some destinations and delays outside USPS's control are excluded. Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail standards are not guaranteed, and USPS insurance does not cover delay.

Based on

USPS Link: In-transit package messaging improved
USPS PostalPro: Domestic Tracking Scan Events (event codes and tracking texts)
USPS FAQ: Delayed mail and packages? (delivery standards)
USPS FAQ: Missing Mail, The Basics
USPS FAQ: Domestic Claims, The Basics
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 609: Filing Indemnity Claims for Loss or Damage