You find a great deal online, order it in a second, and then start waiting for it to arrive. The package can arrive in a few days, but it can also take months to arrive. It’s logical for you to get impatient waiting for your purchase or the next best thing – to get info about where it currently is during its shipping process. Tracking services can help you with this. Here are a few services that allow you to track a package online from multiple providers.
1. Google Answer Box
Google’s always coming up with ways to make searching for things easier. With Google Answer Box, all you have to do is enter your tracking number, and Google helps you track it.
If you know the carrier, go to Google and type “track carrier name package.” This brings up the answer box for you to enter your tracking number. Alternatively, search for “track a package” and enter your tracking number in the box for Google to help you find the carrier too. It’s a simple and easy way to track a package online without using a service you’re not familiar with. Plus, with a few tricks, you can even search almost completely anonymously.
2. Check the Carrier’s Site
If you know the carrier (e.g. your national postal service), you can check directly on their site, if they provide this service. This may be the easiest way to track your package, and you may not need any other services. But if the carrier doesn’t provide this information to end users, only to tracking services, you are out of luck. However, the carrier’s site should have the most up-to-date data, which is one more advantage.
It’s also a good idea to check the site you ordered from. Many sites now offer a way for you to track a package online without leaving their site. For instance, Amazon and Wish both offer tracking details, if available, when you click on your order number. At the very least, you should be able to see the carrier details.
3. 17Track
17Track is one of the most popular package tracking services. It includes data for over 300 carriers – the postal carriers of about 200 countries worldwide plus about 100 other private commercial carriers. With 17Track, you can track packages from thousands of online stores, but unfortunately, AliExpress isn’t among them because of incompatibilities between AliExpress’s tracking system (Cainiao) and the tracking systems of the majority of other shippers 17Track follows.
When you enter a tracking number, you get info about the origin and destination carrier, as well as the dates when the package was received at each of the intermediary post stations/carrier offices. One of the really great features of 17Track is its extensive help documentation, so if you have any questions about the system, chances are you will find the answer there.
4. AfterShip
In terms of popularity and number of shippers and carriers, AfterShip is way behind 17Track, but they are still among the best package tracking services online. The service comes in both a free (up to 100 packages a month) and paid form.
It’s targeted more toward online stores and shippers than end users. If you are a site owner, you can take advantage of the integration of AfterShip with WooCommerce and Shopify and use it to add package tracking functionality to your site. AfterShip also offers notifications – i.e. you don’t have to check all the time; you get notified when there is a change in the status of the package.
5. Parcel Monitor
Parcel Monitor helps you track a package online from over 700 carriers. You can also track from dozens of countries or even perform a global search. While the basic search is designed for individuals, Parcel Perform is made for businesses to help track numerous packages at once.
Only four carriers are listed at the top (DHL, FedEx, USPS, and China Post). However, others are listed further down the page. All you have to do, though, is enter your tracking number in the universal search box.
6. PackageRadar
PackageRadar is another service where you can track a package online with 190 carriers. If you register, you will be getting notifications about the progress of your shipment. What’s unique about PackageRadar is that it tracks packages from AliExpress as well. It also has a separate service to track packages from China – this could be because the lion’s share of shipping originates in China.
7. track-trace
If the services listed so far are not helpful in telling you the whereabouts of your package, you could try track-trace. They don’t offer as many carriers as the other tracking services, but they offer the main ones – DHL, UPS, Fedex, USPS, TNT, etc. You can also simply enter the number from your Bill of Lading and see if the system can trace the delivery route.
What’s impressive about this service is the huge list of carriers with links to their sites. This list won’t be of much help with your present package that has already been shipped, but it’s a great resource for locating other carriers if you need them in the future. It can also take you directly to the carrier’s site for your present shipment (if you know who the carrier is).
8. Postal Ninja’s All-in-One Parcel Tracking
All-in-One Parcel Tracking is an international tool to help you track a package online. It’s a free solution provided by Postal Ninja. Currently, it offers tracking from over 540 international providers. You can even sign up to keep track of your packages without having to constantly re-enter your tracking numbers.
It covers most major retailers, including AliExpress, so you don’t have to simply wonder where your packages are. For international tracking, this is a great option.
While these aren’t the only options to track a package online, these are some of the most popular options. They include a wide variety of carriers, including international. Odds are, at least one of these services should be able to track your package as long as you have a valid tracking number. You can also use these sites to track packages on your smartphone.
Also read: 6 of the Best Alternatives to Amazon
Keep in mind that these services only allow you to track a package online. They can’t help you if the retailer or courier hasn’t provided tracking details or updates. You’ll need to contact the retailer or courier if your package isn’t delivered on time or tracking information isn’t being updated.
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Crystal Crowder –
Staff Writer
Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.
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