USPS Tracking

USPS Carrier Info & Tips

The USPS (United States Postal Service) is the official and the most wide-spread postal service of the USA. It is run by the federal government as an independent entity.

USPS manages a wide network of processing centers all over the country, through which every piece of mail handled by USPS goes. There are over 250 of such centers countrywide, and each of them handles sorting and distributing mail at their respective regions, which are about 200 mi (320 km) in radius. An automatical mail sorting and distributing system is widely employed there, which also assigns a special bar code for each item, helping to determine their destination, as they move from one center to another. This automation raises productivity by a great deal.

USPS tracking system allows you to get information about your package by a tracking number. It is available for the vast majority of their service classes and provides tracking of your item from the starting point to the ending point. Besides the current status of your package, it also shows various delivery information, such as transit locations of the item, dates of arrival to each location, etc. USPS tracking is free since the postal service charges customers only for items' shipment. However, this is not the case if you ship a package with USPS Marketing Mail. In this case, you have to pay a fee to be able to track your package.

Also, a special label is added to every item with its current status. Different classes of service provide different kinds of information about your parcel at those labels. Priority Mail Express gives you the most detailed report of your package moving, but other types of service may tell you only when your parcel was set for delivery. But you can track USPS by number and get full information at our website with any type of service. Another way of tracking USPS shipments is to send a text with your tracking number to 28777. It's less convenient, but if you don't have internet access for the moment and have an urgent need to check the status of your parcel, that's the way to go.

When a package gets shipped by USPS, the sender receives a 16-digit receipt number, which should be kept until the delivery gets done.

Details of the USPS tracking automation system

The previously mentioned label of an item gets scanned at each processing center it goes through. This information gets electronically sent to the central tracking system and becomes available to you by your tracking number.

USPS Priority Mail Express International tracking

The lightning-fast service class, which delivers items overnight to the next morning in the majority of the states. It's most commonly used for urgent delivery of documents, papers, etc.

USPS Priority Mail International tracking

Less quick, but still convenient service class. Delivery takes from 1 to 3 business days for domestic shipments, and from 6 to 10 business days for international shipments. It's an affordable service for quick shipments of different items worldwide. You may also purchase insurance for packages worth up to $5000 to protect them. This service class has a limitation of 70 lbs in weight for shipped items.

USPS Global Express Guaranteed tracking

This is the fastest solution USPS offers for international shipping, which takes from 1 to 3 business days. This is made possible by a partnership with FedEx Express. This is also one of the most expensive service classes. The rates begin at $51.50, but you also receive $100 insurance for your package. You can get additional coverage if you want, of course.

USPS Business Solutions

There is a wide range of services that USPS offers to businesses. Most of them come at discounted prices, which depend on how much a company spends on shipments per year.

My package hasn't been delivered yet. What do I do?

The delivery time of your package depends on the service class, with which your item was shipped. The more expensive the service is the faster the delivery goes, and vice versa. So, if you use a cheaper option, your delivery may take longer. If it still takes longer, than it should, feel free to contact customer service with your issue. Also, sometimes the deliveries may be postponed due to weather conditions or some natural disasters. In this case, your parcel will have an "Alert" status. There's nothing to be worried about, you will still get your parcel, just a little later.

There is also a thing called the expected delivery window. It is a 2-hour timeframe when your parcel may be delivered to you, but if not, you will be able to recover your package at the end of the day.

Rates for delivery by different service classes

The rates depend on where the package is heading: is it a domestic delivery, or an international one, and how big your item is. Here are some rates for domestic shipments:

If your item is meant for international shipment, then delivery outside the USA will be handled by local couriers, and their respective rates apply. The service classes used for international shipping are Priority Mail International, Express Mail International, Global Express Guaranteed. Those are to ship items to almost every possible destination in the world. Please note, that customs forms may be needed.

What does the USPS tracking number look like?

Where may I find my tracking number?

• Shipping receipt
• Insurance sales receipt (if you got one)
• E-mail shipment confirmation letter
• E-mail order confirmation letter from an online store
• USPS Tracking label (the bottom peel-off portion)

USPS tracking statuses

USPS Contact Information

The headquarters address is 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC, 20260-0004, United States.

If you want to find your local USPS post office, go to USPS locator service.