UPS Tracking Guide: “Package Processed by International Carrier”

You’ve received a “Package Processed by International Carrier” tracking update from UPS. What does this mean exactly?

Is your package in the destination country? When will it arrive? And what should you do if your package remains stuck on this update?

“Package Processed by International Carrier” – Guide

Let’s unpack that further and explain where the package is when you receive this update.

For example, suppose the package has been sent from the USA to another country. In that case, the “International Carrier” is the service that has picked up the consignment after it has cleared customs and will be responsible for delivery. 

This is usually the local postal service in the destination country.

Conversely, if the consignment is being shipped to the USA from another country, the “Package Processed by International Carrier” would signify that the shipment is with the service that is preparing the shipment for transit to the USA.

After customs clearance and overseas transit to the destination country (i,e the USA), the package will be received by UPS and the process of final delivery will begin.

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What Does “Processed” Mean?

The processed part of the update simply means that the consignment has been scanned by the international carrier and is now in its system.

Depending on the location, (either after import or before export), the package will have been assigned a method of transport for the next leg of the journey and will be leaving the international carrier facility soon.

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My Tracking is Stuck on “Package Processed by International Carrier”

The “Package Processed by International Carrier” update means that at the current time, the consignment is with a service other than UPS.

This means that UPS tracking alerts can sometimes be less reliable during this period. Because of this, it is important to exercise patience if your tracking does not update as quickly as you would expect.

Essentially you will be awaiting the next scan from UPS and this may take longer than usual.

One step you can take is to try the tracking number on a universal tracking search service to see if the “international carrier” service shows tracking details within its own system.

17Track and ParcelsApp are good options for this.

However, if more than 48hrs pass without any new updates you should call UPS for more details on the status of the shipment.

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How Long Until Delivery After a “Package Processed by International Carrier” Update?

Again, how close your package is to delivery is dependent on where it is on the journey to the final delivery address.

If the international carrier is in the origin country, the consignment still has to be shipped overseas and clear relevant customs. Such a package will be several days or more away from delivery.

However, a package that has been shipped overseas from the USA, has completed this process when the “Package Processed by International Carrier” is sent out.

The item is now in the destination country awaiting final delivery by the service responsible for doing so.

In this case, delivery could be as little as 48hrs away.

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Final Words

As with any international shipment, there are more processes involved when compared to a domestic shipment.

The “Package Processed by International Carrier” essentially means that the item is now in the hands of a service other than UPS.

This can cause delays in the way that status alerts are updated, however, in most cases, your consignment will be making progress.

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