FedEx “Held Unable to Collect Payment” Update – What to Do?

You’re expecting a delivery from FedEx and you have received a “Held Unable to Collect Payment” tracking update.

What does this mean? How can you pay to have the package released and what happens if your package becomes stuck on this update?

Let’s take a look…

What happens when you receive a “Held Unable to Collect Payment” update?

According to the FedEx website, you will receive this update after they have attempted to contact you regarding payment and have had no response.

This might be in the form of an attempted delivery and the driver was unable to collect payment or an email/text/call from FedEx with details of the charges owed.

Either way, you should contact FedEx as soon as you see the “Held Unable to collect payment” tracking update, in order to arrange payment.

Until you do this, your package will be held at a FedEx facility, office, or partner pickup location.

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How to make payment on a “Held Unable to Collect Payment” package?

The easiest way to make a payment if you receive this message is to visit the FedEx PaymentPortal.

You can do this using just the tracking number, (as the recipient you are unlikely to have the original invoice number of the shipping order).

As you can see from the screenshot above, simply enter the tracking number of your package and follow the onscreen prompts to pay the charges with your payment method of choice.

FedEx has endorsed online payment for delivery charges during the Covid-19 pandemic as a way of minimizing contact with staff and drivers.

If you prefer you can also call FedEx customer services and make payment over the phone.

Steps after making payment

Once payment has been made you can either arrange for the delivery to be completed to the original shipping address or organize pick up from where the package is being held.

However, sometimes that latter may not be convenient for you, (if the hold location is a large distance from your address for example).

If this is the case, you can use FedEx Delivery Manager or Customer Services to state an appropriate delivery pick-up location.

• Related Content: FedEx Delivery Option Requested – What Does it Mean?

What to do if your package is stuck on “Held Unable to Collect Payment”?

Sometimes you can receive this alert, make a payment and then receive another “Held Unable to collect” tracking update.

There are generally two reasons that this might happen.

System Update Delay

The first is simply the FedEx system hasn’t had time to update with the new information regarding your payment.

Your payment will have been processed and the information sent for the package to be released, it is just that a scheduled update (regarding payment) has reappeared on your tracking page.

In this case, you can wait it out and expect to see another update soon with new information on the package location. Within any luck along the lines of “out for delivery”.

System Update Error

The other situation is there has been an error by FedEx. Although your payment has been received, the system has not been updated so that your package can be released.

In other words, the FedEx logistics network still thinks that payment hasn’t been made. In this scenario, you have no choice but to contact FedEx.

Provide details of the payment you made, (method, confirmation numbers, etc) and demand that the package be released. A customer services representative should be able to help you with this in a timely manner.

• Related Content: FedEx “Local Delivery Restriction, Delivery not Attempted” Meaning?

Final Words

Essentially, the “Held Unable to Collect Payment” alert from FedEx is a standard tracking update that is informing the recipient that payment needs to be made before delivery will be carried out.

There are a number of ways to pay the relevant charges. You can also manage the delivery method once the payment has been made.

With any luck, your package will be with you soon and the fees involved won’t come as too much of a shock.

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