Canada Post tracking numbers are 13 to 16 digits. Enter one at canadapost.ca/track and you get the current status and delivery history.
Most tracking questions are not about how to check, though — they are about what a status means, or why nothing has updated for days. Both are covered below.
Checked August 2026. Status wording occasionally changes; the meanings below are stable.
Where to find your tracking number
- Shipping confirmation email from the retailer — the usual place.
- The receipt, if you posted it yourself.
- The delivery notice card left if you were out.
- Your order page on the retailer’s site.
Formats vary by service: 16 digits for most domestic parcels, and letter-and-digit combinations such as RA123456789CA for registered international items.
How to track
- Website: canadapost.ca/track — up to 10 numbers at once, one per line.
- App: the Canada Post app for iOS and Android, which pushes notifications as the status changes.
- Phone: the automated line reads the status back to you.
Get notified instead of checking
Worth doing once rather than refreshing repeatedly. Register for a free account and use FlexDelivery or delivery notifications, which email or push each update. FlexDelivery also lets you redirect a parcel to a post office for collection, which is the practical answer if you are rarely home.
What the statuses mean
| Status | What is happening |
|---|---|
| Electronic information submitted | A label exists. The parcel has not been handed over yet. |
| Item accepted / picked up | Canada Post now has it. |
| In transit | Moving between facilities. May sit here for days on a long route. |
| Out for delivery | On a vehicle today. |
| Delivered | Left at the address or in a community mailbox. |
| Attempted delivery | Nobody available. A card should have been left. |
| Available for pickup | At a post office. Collect within 15 days or it is returned. |
| Held at customs | An international item awaiting clearance. Duties may be owed. |
Tracking has not updated for days
Usually normal. Scans happen at facilities, not continuously, so a parcel crossing the country can show nothing for several days while it is genuinely moving.
Reasonable points to worry:
- Domestic: no update for more than 5 business days.
- International: more than 10 business days, or 2 weeks in customs.
- Still “electronic information submitted” several days after ordering — the retailer has printed a label but not shipped. Contact them, not Canada Post.
It says delivered but nothing arrived
Frustrating, and there is a specific order that works:
- Wait 24 hours. Items are occasionally scanned as delivered slightly ahead of the actual drop.
- Check everywhere. Behind planters, side doors, the porch, with a neighbour, and your community mailbox parcel compartment — the key for it is left in your own mailbox.
- Check the delivery details on the tracking page. It often names where it was left.
- Ask household members and neighbours.
- Submit a service ticket to Canada Post online, with the tracking number.
- Contact the retailer. Until you take possession, the seller is generally responsible for a non-delivery — and in practice they resolve these faster than the carrier does.
Customs and international items
Tracking for an incoming international parcel often goes quiet at the border. Duties and taxes may be owed before release, and Canada Post charges a handling fee on top when it collects them.
You can usually pay online through the tracking page or the app once assessed. Until it is paid, the item stays where it is.
Text messages and emails claiming an unpaid delivery fee are overwhelmingly scams. This is one of the most common phishing campaigns anywhere, and it works because it arrives while you are genuinely waiting for a parcel. Never pay through a link in a message. Go to the official tracking page yourself, enter your number, and pay there if a charge is genuinely due. Canada Post does not ask for card details by SMS.
Not everything is tracked
Lettermail, standard letters and some economy services carry no tracking at all. If a number was never issued, there is nothing to look up — the retailer should be able to confirm which service was used.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Canada Post tracking number?
Usually 16 digits for domestic parcels. International registered items follow a two-letter, nine-digit, two-letter pattern such as RA123456789CA.
Why has my tracking not updated?
Scans occur at facilities rather than continuously. Several days without an update is normal on a long route. Raise it after about 5 business days domestically.
How long will a post office hold my parcel?
15 calendar days from the date it becomes available, then it is returned to sender.
Can I redirect a parcel that is already in transit?
With a free Canada Post account and FlexDelivery, you can often redirect to a post office. Options are limited once it is out for delivery.
Who is responsible for a lost parcel?
Generally the sender, until delivery. Contact the retailer first — they can claim against the carrier and are usually quicker to replace or refund.
Is the text message about my parcel real?
Assume not. Do not use links in it. Check the tracking number on the official site instead. Fee-demand messages in particular are almost always phishing.
