When you buy something online, track your package along every step of its journey to make sure it gets to your front door. No other shipper moves as many packages in the US as the US Postal Service. USPS offers several options to track your package to your doorsteps. Whether you bought an Android phone, tablet, laptop, earbuds, or a smartwatch, here’s how to track a package or letter on USPS while in it’s transit.
How to set up Gmail package tracking
Eliminate the headache of tracking down your tracking numbers
Using a tracking number to find your package
Using a tracking number is a common way to find a package in transit. The USPS automatically generates tracking numbers for most non-commercial domestic parcel services except First-Class Mail (envelopes and postcards). You’ll find your tracking number in the following places:
- At the bottom of the receipt you received from the Post Office when you paid for your shipping.
- Your sales receipt if you bought insurance at the Post Office.
- In your email inbox, if you shipped from USPS.com.
- From a shipping confirmation email you received from an online retailer.
- At the bottom of the peel-off portion of your USPS Tracking label.
Your USPS tracking number looks like 9400 1000 0000 0000 0000 00 (sample). The tracking number changes based on your selected service. USPS offers multiple services such as Priority Mail, Certified Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail Express International, and more. The tracking number differs based on the service you select. Visit the USPS official website to learn more.
If you’re prone to losing things, take a snapshot of the package and tracking label before sending your package on its way.
You can use this number to track your package in several ways.
- Online: Go to the USPS website and enter up to 35 comma-separated tracking numbers at one time.
- Text: Send your tracking number as a message to 2USPS (28777). The Post Office responds with your package’s latest tracking information.
- App: The USPS has mobile apps for Android and iOS that help with tracking packages.
Sign up for Informed Delivery to keep track of your mail
Tracking numbers are the perfect solution for keeping track of boxes and other larger parcels you have moving through the postal system. Tracking numbers aren’t available for regular mail (the kind with a stamp and envelope). To be kept abreast of what will be put in your mailbox, sign up for Informed Delivery.
This free service from USPS sends daily email updates about your incoming mail, including gray-scale images of the exterior of the letter or package. You can also use Informed Delivery as a hub to track your incoming and outgoing packages. Informed Delivery is a free service, and signing up is easy.
- Navigate to the USPS Informed Delivery website and click Sign Up for Free.
- Fill out your street address and select Continue.
- Confirm your address (not all addresses are eligible for Informed Delivery) and click Continue.
- Select your username, password, security questions, and contact information on the next page.
- Select Continue.
The initial process is a bit different if you have a USPS account.
- Navigate to the USPS Informed Delivery website and click Sign In to go to your profile page.
- Click Preferences from the menu on the left.
- From the My Preferences page, scroll down and select Informed Delivery.
- Scroll down again and check the box to accept the Terms and Conditions.
- Select to verify your identity online or send a verification code to your mailbox.
How long does it take for a USPS package to arrive?
USPS offers multiple services based on your requirements. The estimated delivery time and charges differ from one service to another. Let’s quickly glance over them.
- Priority Mail Express: The price starts at $30.45. This service is preferable if you want to send a package the next day or in a couple of days.
- Priority Mail: The Mailing Box rate starts at $10.40. It usually delivers the parcel in one to three business days.
- USPS Ground Advantage: An affordable and reliable service from USPS. The price starts at $5, and delivery speeds hover between two and five business days.
- First-Class Mail: Ideal for postcards, letters, and envelopes. The price ranges from $0.53 to $1.39. Delivery takes one to five business days.
- Media Mail: Preferred for heavier products like books and educational materials. The price starts at $4.13. It gets the job done in two to eight business days.
To learn more about the differences between these services, visit the USPS official website. You can check insurance charges, the maximum weight limit in each mail service, and more.
What to do if your USPS package is lost
If you can’t locate your package using the tracking number on USPS or feel USPS lost your package, there are several steps you can take.
- Check current status: Before you take drastic steps, check the package’s current status using the tracking number (refer to the steps above).
- Submit a help request form: USPS recommends filling out its online help request form. The company forwards your request to the local Post Office to find missing items.
- Submit a missing mail search request: If you still can’t locate the lost item, submit a Missing Mail search request with relevant details like the sender’s mailing address, recipient’s mailing address, size and type of container or envelope, description of the item, pictures, and more.
If you opted for a money-back guarantee service like Priority Mail Express, you may be able to claim a refund.
Track your USPS package in no time
If you don’t have a tracking number and your package is lost in transit, your only recourse is to submit a Missing Mail search request with USPS. Give the Post Office as much information as possible, such as when it was mailed, to whom it was sent, and where it was sent from. There’s no guarantee your package will be recovered. If you have trouble with your Amazon package, you might be better off contacting its customer service.
