Tracking guides
Seven topics covering the whole journey of a parcel — from the number on the label to the claim you file when it never arrives. Each guide answers one question directly and tells you what to do next.
Topics
Tracking numbers
What a tracking number is, where to find it, how to tell which carrier issued it, and why a valid number sometimes returns nothing at all.
5 guides
Tracking and delivery
Reading a tracking page correctly: what each status means, how long a silence is normal, and who to contact when a parcel stalls, goes missing or comes back.
9 guides
Marketplace orders
Tracking orders from AliExpress, Shein, Temu, Amazon and eBay, where the number appears late, changes carrier mid-route, or is not the one the shop showed you.
5 guides
Customs and duties
Why cross-border parcels go quiet, what customs actually checks, which documents matter, and who pays the duty when a bill arrives.
7 guides
Courier comparisons
How the major carriers differ on speed, price, tracking depth and claim handling — and which one suits a given kind of shipment.
5 guides
Packing and sending
Getting a parcel ready so it survives the network: measuring, packing by item type, and the restrictions that catch senders out.
13 guides
Shipping costs
What drives a shipping quote, where the surcharges hide, and the levers that actually reduce a bill.
4 guides
E-commerce shipping
Shipping from the seller side: choosing carriers, setting delivery expectations, handling claims, and cutting where-is-my-order tickets.
3 guides
Latest guides
What Is an HS Code?
Six digits that every country agrees on, plus national digits that set your duty rate. How to read one, how to find the right one, and what a wrong one costs.
9 min read
Tracking Number Formats by Carrier — Reference Table
A reference table of tracking number formats for the major carriers, with real examples, so you can match an unlabelled number to its operator fast.
9 min read
How to Track a Temu Order
Temu batches parcels before shipping, so the first scan lands late. Learn what each status means, when a delay is real, and how the refund promise works.
9 min read
How to Track a Shein Order
Shein orders split, ship from several warehouses and change carrier at the border. Here is how to read the tracking and when a delay is real.
9 min read
How to Track a Parcel Without a Tracking Number
No tracking number does not mean no options. Seven ways to locate a parcel using the order reference, the sender, or the carrier's own tools.
9 min read
How to Track an eBay Order
eBay does not carry parcels. The seller uploads a carrier number, and international orders carry two. How to find both and what to do when neither works.
10 min read
How to Track an Amazon Order
TBA numbers only work on Amazon. Third-party seller numbers work anywhere. How to tell which one you have and where each can actually be tracked.
9 min read
Countries with the Strictest Customs Rules
Strict means five different things — identity checks, biosecurity, paperwork, low thresholds, banned categories. Which countries apply which, and what to do.
9 min read
Signature Required vs No Signature Delivery
Four delivery tiers, from driver release to adult signature. What each one proves, what it costs, and the order value where paying for a signature starts to pay.
9 min read
Shopify Shipping Integration Guide
Set up shipping profiles, zones and rates in the right order, connect carrier-calculated pricing, and make tracking numbers reach the buyer automatically.
9 min read
Shipping Luggage Internationally
Door to door in 3 to 10 days, often cheaper than excess baggage. What you cannot pack, how unaccompanied personal effects clear customs, and the lead time.
9 min read
How to Ship Food Items Internationally
Commercially packaged and shelf-stable usually clears. Meat, dairy, fresh produce and seeds usually do not. What crosses borders, and how to pack what does.
9 min read