Amazon Tracking
Amazon offers a robust tracking system that works equally well with worldwide couriers and Amazon Prime deliveries.
About Amazon
Amazon is the largest eCommerce company in the world by volume. Amazon tracking works with different couriers for virtually every location in the world.
Jeff Bezos started Amazon in 1995 in Washington state as a humble website that only bought and sold books. In 2015 Amazon made the landmark achievement of surpassing Walmart as a retailer and now has the highest revenue in the world.
How Amazon tracking works
Amazon package tracking has similarities to tracking with standard couriers, but with some differences. The most notable difference is that another courier handles the package, so Amazon works like a service to help with tracking.
The exception is Amazon Prime, which usually boasts a 2-day delivery time. For tracking purposes, whether a package is with Amazon Prime or another courier makes no difference.
The fast alternative option for accurately tracking your Amazon package is to download the Circuit Package Tracker app for free. Then all you have to do is enter your tracking number into the app and you'll find your Amazon package instantly.
How to find your Amazon tracking number
Since Amazon is a site where you usually work with a seller, that person should send a tracking number to your Amazon email address.
Amazon is a site you log into that shows the status of all orders. Since you are in your account, you do not enter a tracking number.
All of your orders are on display. All orders will show the tracking number so you can match the numbers.
How to track your Amazon package location
Once you have the number, the track Amazon order option is on the website or in the app.
On the website, go to the upper right and find the “Returns and Orders” button next to the shopping cart. Find your order, and a yellow button should say “Track Your Package".
If you choose any status, a box should come up that shows your tracking number. If you cannot find any information, check in the Amazon Missing Packages section.
In the app, go to your user icon that resembles a person from the waist up. On the top-left, find the “Your Orders" button. Choose the order you want to track. All pending orders will display an estimated arrival time.
Since your order is pending, tracking information displays automatically. There is one more button that reads, “See all updates.” After pressing that button, every tracking detail should display.
Lost Amazon tracking number
The track my Amazon package option works without a number. Some people have many orders coming and going, even similar items, so matching tracking numbers might be necessary.
How to track an Amazon package without a tracking number
Amazon order tracking without a tracking number is the same as the tracking section above. The only problem that will arise without a tracking number is if there are so many orders that you need confirmation by matching the tracking number.
Some merchants use a third-party delivery service. With such a service, you will get a tracking number in your email and track using the delivery service.
The service will use a courier, so the tracking tool on the courier’s website will be the easiest solution. Either that, or Circuit Package Tracker app as mentioned above.
You will almost always have the tracking number in an email and on your phone as an SMS message. Never delete anything about your order. Contact the sender if you cannot find the number in the message.
Some international orders do not have a tracking number because senders pay extra for tracking. These are not common deliveries, and the item is usually very cheap.
Solving Amazon tracking issues
While some tracking issues can be serious, most of the time there is a human error with a simple explanation. The problem usually resolves itself, and the package still arrives on time.
Why you can't track your Amazon package
Sometimes people who get a tracking number expect to find a status too soon after creating an order. The misunderstanding centers around the fact that most tracking statuses only update after a person scans the barcode.
The first barcode scan can happen in a few different ways. A courier might pick up a package at a location, or the sender might take the package to an office. The package might arrive at a facility or hub and get scanned.
The other misunderstanding related to when a package gets scanned is that a sender may need time to get orders, create packages, and get everything sent off.
Many senders run solo or small companies where the orders from the previous business day get sent. A new day brings new orders that get sent the following business day.
If you place an order on a Friday or Saturday, sending will probably happen the following Monday. Nothing has gone wrong, but you will not find any activity in your tracking status for 1-3 days.
Sometimes you cannot track a package because there is no tracking for the order. These kinds of orders are not common. They usually only happen on standard international orders when the item is very cheap.
Why your Amazon package is not updating or moving
Sometimes a package starts moving and creating tracking statuses that suddenly stop somewhere. The reason bears many similarities to the above explanation of not being able to track a package.
Usually, the reason a package stops moving is that a worker has not scanned the barcode. The reason is the same, but the way the delay happens is different.
This problem often happens at busy facilities and hubs, and the delay can start outside while the package is still in a truck. Imagine that a package completes the longest transit of the journey and arrives at a big facility in a city.
Outside the facility are many trucks in the process of getting unloaded and waiting to unload. The driver has to wait in line. Inside, people unload packages and sort them into stacks. No scan has happened yet.
As stacks get sorted, the packages in the stacks finally get barcode scans and their tracking status updates. The truck could sit outside for an hour or more. Unloading and sorting could take another hour or more.
The person monitoring the tracking status may know that the drive between two cities takes 4-5 hours and finds that the tracking status has not changed for almost a day.
The standard advice is always to wait another 1-2 working days and check again. More than likely, the package will get scanned, the status will update, and the package will complete its journey in good time.
Everyone waiting to get a package, especially an international order, should be aware that a package may stop moving due to security concerns. Mail screeners have to treat any and everything as suspicious.
Amazon tracking status explained
Amazon has a unique system of displaying tracking statuses. They get the tracking statuses of other couriers and change the wording to an Amazon status with the same meaning.
For example, the USPS uses “Notice left,” and Amazon changes the status to “Delivery Attempted.” The status means that a delivery attempt happened but failed.
In transit
Most couriers do not use the word “transit” because they prefer to use words like “departed” and “arrived,” usually followed by the location, such as a hub or facility. Regardless of the status a courier uses, Amazon changes the words.
Amazon changes transit-related statuses to show that a package has left the facility and is in transit. In addition to “facility,” Amazon may say “transit to carrier” or “...to carrier facility.”
Why your Amazon package is still in transit
Amazon orders can take many forms. An order may immediately get passed off to one courier, like FedEx, that handles the entire delivery, or several couriers may handle the package.
There are two things to be sure about: the package has not stopped due to security concerns, like customs, and no delivery attempt happened.
Take your estimated sending time range into account too. Usually, packages arrive on the lower end of time ranges, such as 10-20 days. However, the time frame allows 20 days because delays might happen.
If a package gets lost, Amazon should update the status to say something like “lost by carrier.” If you eliminate all of these possibilities, the first thing to do is wait for two business days and check for an update.
If nothing happens, contact the sender. You can also contact Amazon support, but the sender should get faster results. The sender paid for the order and has the receipt, which grants more investigative power.
Plus, the sender is probably an entrepreneur whose business relies on good ratings and positive comments. Angry customers leave negative feedback, so the sender will work hard to solve problems.
In the event of any problems with an order, always take advantage of the fact that the seller or sender has to help you. Getting business in the future relies on good customer service.
How long an Amazon package can stay in transit
There is a wide gap in how long Amazon packages can stay in transit based on the sending method and distance traveled. In short, the transit time can take between 1-42 days and sometimes up to 12 weeks.
Even standard US domestic sending has a window of 4-14 days with an allowance for up to 21 days. As stated above, normal deliveries in a 4-14 day timeframe should take close to four days.
The 14-day allowance exists because delays happen. Amazon wants to safely tell customers the delivery will be on time in case multiple delays happen at once.
Pending
Amazon refers to “pending” as a delay. Many situations cause delays. The most common is a customs hold on international orders.
Why your Amazon package may be pending
Many factors can cause delays, such as customs. Other possibilities are a wrong address and missing apartment information, such as a floor or building number. Severe weather conditions also can cause delays.
You can also infer a delayed or pending status by scrutinizing arrivals and departures. You may find that your package arrives at a hub, but more than a day passes without a departure. If one more day passes, you should investigate.
There may not be a new status that lets you know something went wrong, but taking too long at a stop is a red flag.
Amazon delivery times
Amazon works with many couriers, domestic and international, and cannot control which times or days couriers deliver. In Asia, some couriers deliver as late as 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Many other countries stop at 5 pm.
Amazon delivery times: What time will your package arrive
With Amazon tracking, you can usually figure out the day your package will arrive, but the time depends on your local courier. The tracking status shows each departure and arrival. You should know when the package is near.
The slowest delivery schedule is the standard US option, which has a delivery window of 4-14 days. This window means you should get your package within four days to a week.
Expedited US is the next fastest category. The delivery window is 2-6 business days. Remember that your package can start Friday morning and arrive on Monday evening, which equals two business days.
The last two categories are 2-day and 1-day options that must arrive by the number of business days listed.
How late Amazon delivers
The latest delivery time changes according to the area and the policies for different couriers. Always monitor the tracking status.
You will notice when the package reaches your area or city. Finally, you will find a delivery status. The safe assumption, domestically or internationally, is to expect delivery from the morning to 4-6 pm.
Unless you know later delivery times are common in your area or with a specific courier, most deliveries arrive during normal business hours.
International Amazon delivery times
The same rule applies to specific delivery times. There are hundreds of couriers around the world with different delivery times. Furthermore, packages get passed off sometimes from an international to a local courier.
The international courier might deliver no later than 5 pm, but the local courier that gets the package delivers until 7 pm. Always check for what to expect once your order reaches your country.
In terms of the days, International Standard takes 21-42 days, sometimes longer. Longer delays are probably due to a stop in customs or something similar.
International Expedited is the other option, which arrives within 3-7 business days. When in doubt about delivery times, if 4-7 pm passes, the package is probably not coming until the next working day.
Lost and missed Amazon deliveries
Lost deliveries are always serious, but the good news is that successful couriers did not become profitable by losing deliveries. Deliveries get lost, but they are seldom with any couriers who take themselves seriously.
Missed deliveries are usually nothing to worry about as long as the package has the correct address.
What happens if you miss an Amazon delivery
Amazon uses the status “Delivery Attempted.” Relying on the Amazon status is a bit tricky because different couriers have varying missed delivery policies.
Every courier should leave a missed delivery card, so you can follow the rules given. Some couriers hold packages, and others attempt a few redeliveries.
How long Amazon will hold a package
Amazon will not be holding your package. The courier that delivers will have the package. Sometimes, you do nothing and wait for redelivery; other times, you have to pick up the package from the courier depot.
What to do if you haven't received your Amazon package
Usually, not receiving a package means you tracked the order into your area or country, but nothing arrived. The problem with relying on Amazon is that another courier is responsible for the package.
The best thing to do is contact the courier and the package sender. Amazon will try to help. If the local courier misplaced the package, only they can find out if the package is recoverable.
Amazon tracking FAQs
There are far too many questions for a company the size of Amazon, so supplement these FAQs with customer service solutions.
Is Amazon delivery fast?
Yes, Prime is extremely fast, usually only two days. With other couriers, you can usually get any type of delivery within 1-7 working days anywhere in the world.
Can I track an Amazon package by address?
Yes and no, you use Amazon tracking by searching for the information in your account. You do not enter any information. The address may be helpful because you may have items with different addresses.
How do I know if my Amazon package is stuck in customs?
Customs should notify you, but they can be slow. The other way is to use your tracking status to find that your package has been in Customs too long or that the package is not moving to the next hub.
Depending on the situation, you may need to deal with customs directly or get the sender to help you. The sender should be more efficient than using customer service.
Amazon tracking final thoughts
Track your Amazon package from the store to your door and download the Circuit Package Tracker app for free now.
Circuit Package Tracker allows senders and receivers to track their package across over 2000+ carriers, including USPS, UPS, DHL, JT Express, Yun Express, China EMS, and Amazon, of course!