You do not need to memorize every tracking status. Look at where the package is and what part of the journey should come next. The exact wording can vary between courier systems, so location is often the easiest way to understand what is happening.
If you see Vancouver or YVR, the package is still on the Canadian side
Your package starts at our pharmacy in Vancouver and then moves to Vancouver International Airport.
If the latest tracking location shows Vancouver or YVR, the package is still on the Canadian side of the journey. It may be at the airport getting ready for the next scheduled flight, or it may already have left Vancouver but not yet received its first scan in the United States.
A gap between the Vancouver scan and the first U.S. scan can simply mean the package is in transit between the two countries.
When the first U.S. location appears, Customs comes next
When you see the first U.S. city or location appear in tracking, the package has generally landed in the United States.
Around this stage, you may also see tracking language indicating that the package is in the U.S. Customs process. In plain language, that means the package is being screened before it can enter the normal U.S. domestic delivery network.
For a closer look at what happens during this stage, including how packages are screened and why some reviews take longer, see Understanding U.S. Customs review.
How can I tell when the package has cleared Customs?
The clearest sign is tracking language indicating that the package has been released from or has left the Customs process.
After that, you should begin seeing it move through regular U.S. domestic facilities.
Sometimes the release scan itself may not appear clearly in the tracking. In that case, another strong clue is that the package has started moving through multiple U.S. locations or facilities. If it is already traveling through the domestic network, it has generally completed the Customs stage.
What if tracking does not update for a while?
A gap in tracking does not necessarily mean the package has stopped moving.
Not every movement or handoff produces a visible scan. Sometimes the package travels between facilities and the next tracking event does not appear until it reaches another location.
In our experience, a package being truly lost or never delivered is rare. Temporary gaps between tracking updates are much more common.
If the tracking looks unusual or you have been waiting longer than you expected, see What to do if something goes wrong with your delivery.
You can sign up for real-time courier updates
If you want more frequent notifications, you can go directly to the U.S. delivery courier's tracking website and sign up for text or email updates using your phone number or email address.
SimplePills does not enroll you automatically. Doing so would require us to provide your personal contact information to the courier. Instead, you can choose whether you want to provide that information directly to the carrier yourself.
You can still follow the regular tracking without signing up for additional notifications.
Where to go from here
Tracking tells you where the package is. The next article explains what is happening behind the scenes when the package reaches U.S. Customs.
Next, see Understanding U.S. Customs review.