Carrier API and third-party tracking tools

The tracking information available through a vendor's built-in tracker is often a subset of what the actual carrier can show. Accessing carrier tracking data directly provides more detail and more timely updates. Here is how to get better tracking data.

Direct carrier tracking

USPS tracking at usps.com updates faster than third-party aggregators. If you have a USPS tracking number, checking directly on usps.com rather than through the vendor portal gives you the most current status. USPS tracking also shows more detailed facility-level scan events that third-party trackers sometimes aggregate or drop.

For international packages, the tracking number provided by the vendor may be the origin carrier's number (China Post, Deutsche Post, Royal Mail, etc.) rather than a USPS number. These need to be tracked on the origin carrier's site or on a global aggregator until the package enters the US postal system, after which a USPS tracking number is usually assigned.

Best third-party aggregators

17track.net handles the widest variety of international carrier tracking numbers and is particularly good for China Post and other Asian carriers. It shows events from both the origin carrier and the destination carrier in a single timeline. Parcelsapp.com is an alternative with similar coverage. Both are free.

PackageRadar and Aftership are more polished interfaces with notification options but have similar coverage to 17track for the carriers relevant to ID vendors. If you want email or mobile notifications when tracking events occur, these services are worth using.

Using tracking numbers proactively

Add your tracking number to 17track or your preferred aggregator immediately when you receive it. Some tracking gaps in vendor portals are not actually tracking gaps — the carrier has scan events that the vendor's tracker is not showing because the vendor's system does not pull from the carrier API in real time. Direct tracking often shows movement that the vendor portal shows as stale.