Why is the Shipment Status "Pending"

Introduction

When you add a shipment to Ship24, the initial delivery status may show as Pending. This status means that we haven’t yet received any valid tracking events from the courier.

While this is normal for new or just-created shipments, below are the most common reasons why a shipment stays in Pending longer than expected.

What Does “Pending” Mean?

In Ship24, the Pending status indicates that no tracking data has been retrieved yet for the tracking number provided.

This status typically appears immediately after a tracker is created and will update automatically once a valid event is retrieved.

Common Reasons for a Shipment Staying in Pending

1. Tracking number is incorrect

If the tracking number has a typo or doesn’t exist, Ship24 won’t be able to retrieve any events.

Make sure you’re using the correct tracking number, not an order or reference number.

2. Tracking number isn’t in the courier system yet

If the shipment is too recent, the tracking number may not be active yet. This often happens when:

The label was just created
The parcel hasn’t been scanned by the courier

3. Tracking has expired

Some couriers reuse tracking numbers. If the shipment is too old (e.g. over 3 months), the system may no longer return events.

4. Additional info is required

Some couriers require extra data, such as:

Destination post code
Destination country code

If missing, no events can be retrieved.

Check courier requirements to see if these fields are mandatory.

5. Incorrect courier and no auto-detection

If the courier selected is incorrect and Ship24 cannot auto-detect the right one, no tracking data will be found.

6. Courier is temporarily unavailable

Sometimes, the courier’s system is down or delayed in sending tracking data.

Ship24 will continue to retry automatically and update the shipment as soon as the data becomes available.

You can manually refresh the shipment from your dashboard to check again.

How Check and Fix Pending status

If your shipment stays in Pending for more than 48 hours, we recommend:

Verifying the tracking number format
Adding a courier code if not already provided
Including destination post code or country if required
Trying to refresh the shipment manually in your dashboard
Contacting the seller or courier to confirm the shipment was handed over

Updated on: 19/06/2025