Tracking numbers are numbers assigned to packages when they are shipped. Tracking numbers are useful for knowing the location of time sensitive deliveries. It is a unique ID number or code assigned to a package or parcel. The tracking number is typically printed on the shipping label as a
bar code
A barcode or bar code is a method of representing data in a visual, machine-readable form. Initially, barcodes represented data by varying the widths, spacings and sizes of parallel lines. These barcodes, now commonly referred to as linear or o ...
that can be scanned by anyone with a bar code reader or smartphone.
In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
, some of the carriers using tracking numbers include
UPS,
FedEx, and the
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...
. Most postal services use the
S10 (UPU standard)
The UPU S10 standard defines a system for assigning 13-character identifiers to international postal items for the purpose of tracking and tracing them during shipping.
With increased liberalization and the possibility of multiple postal services ...
(format AA 00000000 9 BB) for international mailings, including the United States Postal Service and most European Postal Services.
Formats
Tracking numbers consist of letters and numbers typically between 8 and 40 characters long sometimes with spaces or hyphens between groupings of characters. When shown on a receipt after shipping a package the tracking number is usually close to the barcode.
FedEx Ground and Express tracking numbers are 12 digits (with the ability to expand to 14 characters in the future), while overall barcode length is 34 digits.
A UPS tracking number, for domestic packages within the United States, will usually start with "1Z" followed by a 6 character shipper number (numbers and letters), a 2 digit service level indicator, and finally 8 digits identifying the package (the last digit being a
check digit
A check digit is a form of redundancy check used for error detection on identification numbers, such as bank account numbers, which are used in an application where they will at least sometimes be input manually. It is analogous to a binary parity ...
), for a total of 18 characters.
DHL Express supports the carrier-independent ISO standard 15459-1