USPS tracking status

USPS “Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item”: what it means

The short answer

Keep an eye on it

USPS has the label details but not your package yet. The sender has printed a label, or a shipping partner is still carrying the package toward USPS. USPS starts scanning, and gives a delivery date, once it receives the package.

When to act: If there is still no USPS scan after about 3 business days, file a complaint and we send it to the seller, or to USPS if you dropped the package off yourself.

Also shown as: “Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item” · “Label Created, not yet in system” · “Pre-Shipment, USPS Awaiting Item” · “Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS, USPS Awaiting Item” · “Picked Up by Shipping Partner, USPS Awaiting Item” · “Arrived Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item” · “Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item”

What to do now

Check the tracking again after the next business day; new labels often take a day to get their first USPS scan.
Read the exact line: Shipping Label Created and Pre-Shipment mean USPS only has the package details, while the shipping partner lines mean a contractor is still carrying it to USPS.
Compare the date the label was created with the shipping date the seller gave you; a label several days old with no USPS scan usually means the package has not been handed over.
Keep evidence for your complaint: a screenshot of the tracking with the label date, your order number and the delivery date you were promised, or your drop-off receipt if you sent it.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to the seller, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

What does “Label created, USPS awaiting item” mean?

A tracking number exists as soon as a label is created, so this status often appears before anyone has handed the package over. USPS's own definition is clear: the package has not been given to USPS yet, and a delivery date will be shown once it is. Pre-Shipment means the same thing: the shipper has sent the package details electronically, which USPS says does not prove the package was mailed. Label Created, not yet in system is an older wording of the same status.

The shipping partner versions are different. Large shippers often hand packages to a contractor that takes them to a USPS facility. While that happens you see Picked Up by, Arrived or Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item. The package is moving, just not in the USPS network yet. USPS shows the updates the partner sends, but it does not have the package yet.

Why does USPS show it?

The seller printed the label before packing the order
The package is waiting for a pickup or drop-off
It was left in a collection box or lobby drop and has not reached a processing plant yet
It was dropped off in a batch that has not been opened and scanned yet
A shipping partner is still carrying it to a USPS facility
The order was delayed or never sent, and the label was not used

How long does it last?

The status changes when USPS scans the package, for example USPS in Possession of Item or Accepted at USPS Origin Facility, and a delivery date appears. A label is often handed over within a day or two of being printed. The shipping partner leg can add several days, because partners move packages in bulk before USPS receives them.

Other USPS statuses

Moving through networkNormal
Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
In transit, arriving lateKeep 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 “Label created, USPS awaiting item”

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.

I dropped my package off days ago. Why does it still say USPS Awaiting Item?

It probably skipped the acceptance scan. A package left in a collection box or lobby drop, or taken at a counter without a scan, is often scanned for the first time at the processing plant, and USPS then records acceptance from that scan. Keep your receipt; next time, ask the clerk for an acceptance scan or use a Rapid Dropoff Station kiosk.

Does Pre-Shipment mean my package has been shipped?

No. Pre-Shipment means the shipper sent USPS the package details electronically. USPS says this only shows the shipper intends to hand the package over; it does not mean USPS has received it.

What is a USPS shipping partner?

A contractor that collects packages from large shippers and delivers them to a USPS facility, where USPS takes over. Until then USPS only shows the updates the partner sends and does not have the package yet.

What does Shipment Received, Package Acceptance Pending mean?

A USPS facility has received a container or pallet with your package in it but has not opened it yet. Each package gets its own acceptance scan once the container is processed.

Based on

USPS FAQ: Where is my package? Tracking Status Help
USPS PostalPro: Domestic Tracking Scan Events (event codes and tracking texts)
USPS FAQ: USPS Tracking, The Basics
Pirate Ship Support: What does my USPS tracking status mean?
USPS FAQ: Rapid Dropoff Station (prepaid acceptance scans and receipts)
USPS FAQ: Click-N-Ship, The Basics (SCAN Form for shipments with multiple packages)
USPS: How to Prepare and Send a Package (drop-off options)
USPS FAQ: Missing Mail, The Basics
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 609: Filing Indemnity Claims for Loss or Damage
USPS FAQ: Domestic Claims, The Basics