In today’s digital world, we enjoy the convenience of online shopping, gifts, and shipments. However, the question of “Where is my package?” tends to lurk in the back of our minds. This is where package tracking comes in, especially if you’re using the United States Postal Service (USPS). Tracking your USPS package is key to ensuring your package makes it to its intended destination.
In this article, we guide you on how to track a USPS package, with a particular focus on the tools provided by USPS, including their tracking feature and the USPS postage calculator.
Find Your Tracking Number
Your tracking journey starts with finding your tracking number. This unique identifier is provided when you purchase postage. It could be in your email receipt, on the peel-off portion of a label, or on the receipt from the post office.
Use the USPS Tracking Tool
Once you have your tracking number, the next step is to head over to the USPS website. On the landing page, you’ll find the ‘Track & Manage’ option in the page’s tool bar. This will drop down a menu where ‘Tracking’ will be your first option.
After clicking ‘Tracking’, a new page will open where you can input your tracking number. It allows you to input up to 35 tracking numbers at once if you have multiple packages to trace.
Once your tracking number(s) is input, click on ‘Track’ to view the status of your package. If you have entered the number correctly, detailed information about your package—its current location, past locations, estimated arrival date, and the time of each step within its journey—will appear.
Interpreting USPS Tracking Information
The tracking information may contain some standards terms used by USPS. ‘In-Transit’ means your package is on the way to its destination, ‘Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility’ tells you where the package was first processed, and ‘Delivered’ means your package has reached its final destination.
Where is My Package? – Explaining Delays
While USPS aims for timely deliveries, there are occasional delays. If your package is marked as ‘In Transit, Arriving Late’, this means there has been a delay, but your package is still on its way.
Using the USPS postage calculator
The USPS doesn’t only offer a package tracking tool, it also provides a USPS postage calculator. This tool allows you to calculate the cost of sending your package. You just need to input the ZIP codes of your package’s starting point and destination, the package’s weight, and choose the type of mail service you want to use.
Using the USPS postage calculator, you can compare prices for different services, allowing you to choose the most cost-effective or fastest option depending on your needs.
Conclusion
Whether you’re an eCommerce business owner, an online shopper, or a friend sending a gift across states, the ability to track a USPS package provides peace of mind. By using USPS’s tracking tools and utilising the USPS postage calculator, you can ensure that your package is on the right track and arrive on time, and also, you can make the best, most cost-effective decisions when sending your items.