Amazon Tracking: How to Track Your Amazon Order Every Step of the Way
CARRIAGE TRACKING – All IN ONE COURIER TRACKING SERVICE
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Tracking
If you’ve ever refreshed your Amazon orders page a dozen times waiting for a package to move, you’re not alone. Amazon tracking is usually simple, but every once in a while, a tracking number goes quiet, a status doesn’t update, or you’re just not sure which carrier actually has your box. This guide walks through everything you need to know about Amazon tracking in the US, from finding your tracking number to figuring out what to do when tracking isn’t working the way it should.
How Amazon Tracking Works
When Amazon picks, packs, and ships your order, it gets a unique tracking number tied to that shipment. As the package moves through each stop, a sorting facility, a regional hub, and a delivery truck, that number gets scanned, and the status updates in your account. That tracking number is usually emailed to you and also shows up right on your order page.
The catch is that Amazon doesn’t use just one shipping company. Depending on the order, your package might travel with USPS, UPS, FedEx, or Amazon’s own delivery network, Amazon Logistics. Each of these has its own tracking format, which is why tracking numbers can look completely different from one order to the next.
How to Track Your Amazon Order
Tracking an order is straightforward if you know where to look.
How to Track Your Amazon Order
If your tracking number starts with TBA, your package is being handled by Amazon Logistics, Amazon’s own delivery network, not a third-party carrier. You might also see numbers starting with TBM or TBC, which work the same way. The catch here is that TBA-style numbers are internal to Amazon, so they can’t be tracked on the USPS or UPS websites, only through your Amazon account.
How to Track Your Amazon Order
There was a time when you could track a package without signing in, but Amazon closed that off back in April 2021 as a security measure to protect order details. So if you’re trying to check a package’s status, you’ll need to be logged into the account the order was placed under.
Tracking an Order Someone Else Placed for You
If a friend or family member ordered something for you, ask them for either the tracking number or the Amazon order number (it looks like 123-0000000-0000000). Either one will let you pull up the tracking details; you don’t need to be signed into their account to do it.
Understanding Your Tracking Number Format
Not all Amazon tracking numbers look the same, and the format actually tells you something about how your package is traveling:
If your order is coming from an overseas seller, there’s a decent chance it’s moving through one of the international freight forwarders Amazon partners with. Companies like SF Express, ECMS Express, WinIt, or JCEX often show up when a package originates in China before switching to USPS or FedEx for the final leg in the US. If you spot a tracking number you don’t recognize, it’s usually one of these.
What to Do If Your Amazon Package Isn’t Showing Up
Even with Amazon’s scale, things occasionally slip. Here’s a practical order of operations if your package hasn’t arrived:
Why Amazon Tracking Isn’t Updating
This is one of the most common frustrations, and usually it comes down to one of these:
If tracking hasn’t moved in several days and the estimated delivery date has already passed, it’s worth reaching out to Amazon support directly rather than continuing to wait.
Is a Weird Tracking Number a Sign of Fake Tracking?
Occasionally, a tracking number will show a status like “delivered” well before it should be possible, or it won’t match any known carrier format at all. This happens more often with third-party marketplace sellers than with items shipped directly by Amazon. If a tracking number looks suspicious, in the wrong format, delivered days too early, or tied to a carrier you’ve never heard of, it’s reasonable to contact the seller or Amazon support and ask them to confirm it.
Tracking Packages From Overseas Sellers
A lot of Amazon marketplace sellers ship directly from China, and these orders typically move through freight partners before landing with a US carrier for final delivery.
Common China-Origin Carriers
If a tracking number doesn’t update for a few days after your order ships from overseas, that’s usually normal; international handoffs between carriers create gaps where nothing scans for a while.
Amazon and USPS Tracking
If your order was shipped via USPS, here’s how to find that number: go to “Your Orders,” click “Track Package,” and scroll to the bottom of the shipment details page. The USPS tracking number will be listed there.
If USPS doesn’t recognize the number, it’s often because the package is still with a mail-forwarding company (such as DHL eCommerce) before it’s handed off to USPS. Give it up to 48 hours for the number to show up in the USPS system.
Amazon and UPS Tracking
UPS tracking numbers for domestic US shipments follow the “1Z” format, followed by 16 digits. If the number isn’t working:
If a delivery attempt was missed, UPS leaves an InfoNotice, a 12-digit number found above the barcode, which can be entered into most tracking tools to check the next attempted delivery date or whether a signature is required.
Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
Arriving | Your package is en route, with an expected delivery date attached |
Out for delivery | It’s on a truck and expected today |
Delivered | It’s arrived. Check the listed drop-off location if you don’t see it right away |
Delivery attempted | A driver tried to deliver but couldn’t because no one was available, or there wasn’t a safe spot to leave it |
Undeliverable | The package couldn’t be delivered and is being returned; Amazon typically issues a refund once it’s received back |
Why a Package Gets Marked Undeliverable
A few common reasons a package bounces back to Amazon instead of reaching you:
Other Carriers at Carriage Tracking
Carriage Tracking supports FedEx tracking as well as USPS, UMAC, and dozens of other carrier tracking services, making it easy to track all your shipments from one platform
Solving Common Delivery Problems
Problem | What to Do |
|---|---|
The order hasn’t shipped yet | Normal on the first day, some items ship the same day as delivery, so a delay in status isn’t unusual |
Delivery is running late | Weather and regional traffic cause most delays; most late packages arrive within 48 hours of the estimated date |
The package shows as delivered, but it isn’t there | Check the delivery photo if available, look around the property, and ask neighbors before contacting support |
Item missing from an order | Some orders ship in multiple boxes. Check “Your Orders” to see if a separate shipment is still in transit |
How to Share Amazon Tracking With Someone Else
If you want to let someone else follow a delivery, a roommate, a gift recipient, or someone helping you keep an eye on things, the easiest way is to send them the tracking number or Amazon order number directly. They can then paste it into a tracking tool without needing access to your Amazon account. Amazon tracking doesn’t have a built-in “share tracking” button, so this manual method is the standard workaround.
A Quick Note on Amazon
Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos on July 5, 1994, in Bellevue, Washington, and is now headquartered in Seattle. What started as an online bookstore has grown into the largest e-commerce platform in the US, shipping everything from electronics to groceries, which is exactly why its shipping network has grown to include so many different carriers, from USPS and UPS to its own Amazon Logistics fleet.