AliExpress Tracking in Plain English

"Accepted by carrier", "Picked up by carrier", "Received by logistics company"

The first physical scan. A carrier now has the parcel in hand, so it has genuinely shipped.

What to do: Nothing to do. This is one of the two scans worth trusting most, along with the first scan inside your own country.

"Shipment information received by warehouse electronically", "Waiting for Carrier to Pick Up", "Seller has shipped your package"

A shipping label exists. The parcel may still be sitting on the seller's shelf, because a label can be created before anything is handed over.

What to do: Normal for a few days. If no physical scan follows for a long time while the seller insists it is on the way, treat the order as unshipped and judge it by the seller's processing time.

"Awaiting seller dispatch", "Your package is being prepared", "Your order's processing and will update soon"

The seller has your payment and has not handed the parcel to a carrier yet.

What to do: Only a concern if it lasts beyond the seller's stated processing time. Until it ships, you can usually still cancel the order.

"Export customs clearance started"

China-side customs paperwork for the outgoing shipment has been submitted.

What to do: Nothing to do. This is a routine step before the parcel leaves China.

"Export customs clearance complete", "Export clearance success"

China-side customs paperwork is done and the parcel is cleared to leave the country.

What to do: Nothing to do, but expect a quiet gap next while it waits for a flight.

"Awaiting flight", "Hand over to airline", "Leaving from departure country/region"

The parcel is in a queue for cargo space on a flight. This is the longest normal silence in AliExpress tracking.

What to do: Nothing to do, and nothing anyone can do to speed it up. The shipping method you chose decides how long this queue is.

"Inbound in sorting center", "Outbound in sorting center", "Arrived at departure transport hub"

The parcel is moving through the logistics network in China, from the seller's area towards the hub where international shipments are grouped.

What to do: Nothing to do. These scans are good news, because they prove the parcel physically exists and is moving.

"Arrived at linehaul office", "Handed over from linehaul office", "Your package arrived at local airport"

The parcel has physically landed in your country.

What to do: Nothing to do. Customs is usually the next step, and it can be quiet for a while.

"Departed from departure country/region", "Left from departure country/region"

The parcel is on the international leg between China and your country.

What to do: Nothing to do. Tracking often goes quiet during the flight and until it lands.

"In global transit", "Arrived in transit country/region", "Depart from transit country or district"

The parcel is moving between scans. A general in-transit status says nothing about where it is, only that nothing has gone wrong.

What to do: Nothing to do. Judge any delay against the guaranteed delivery date shown on your order, not against how long this status has been showing.

"Customs Duty Requested", "Tax payment required"

Customs or the delivering carrier wants import tax or a handling fee before it releases the parcel.

What to do: Confirm the charge on your national carrier's own website or app, not through a link in a text message or email, then pay it or refuse the parcel. Buyer Protection does not cover customs duties or import taxes.

"Customs Clearance Unsuccessful", "Customs clearance failure. Personal information hasn't been provided"

Customs refused to release the parcel, for example because a fee was not paid or personal information was missing. Unless it is fixed, the parcel is returned or destroyed.

What to do: Contact your national carrier or customs today and ask whether it can still be fixed, for example by paying the fee or sending the missing details. If the parcel is returned or destroyed, open a dispute from the order and explain what happened.

"Held by customs", "Abnormal Customs Clearance", "Import customs clearance delay.We're inspecting your order"

Customs has stopped the parcel for a check or needs more information before it can be released.

What to do: Watch for a letter, email or text from your national carrier or customs and answer any request for documents. If nothing reaches you and your guaranteed delivery date passes, open a non-delivery claim.

"Import customs clearance complete", "Leaving customs, awaiting transfer"

Customs has released the parcel for import. In the EU this can happen in another member state before the parcel crosses into yours. It still has to be sorted and handed to the carrier that will deliver it.

What to do: Nothing to do yet. That handover often produces no new scan until it completes, so a quiet spell here is normal. Watch your guaranteed delivery date rather than the status.

"Import customs clearance started", "Import clearance start", "Order awaiting customs clearance"

The parcel is going through customs in your country. This is a routine step for every international parcel.

What to do: Nothing to do unless your carrier or customs contacts you about tax or documents. Silence while a parcel clears customs is normal.

"Arrived at the pick-up point", "Awaiting Collection", "Available for pickup at the Post Office"

The parcel is waiting at a post office, depot, locker or pickup point for you to collect it.

What to do: Collect it soon. Carriers hold parcels only for a limited time before sending them back, and a returned parcel is much harder to recover. Take photo ID and the tracking number.

"Package delivered", "Package delivered. It has been signed in person (recipient)"

The final carrier has recorded the parcel as handed over.

What to do: If you have it, check it before you tap Confirm Receipt. If you do not have it, do not confirm receipt. Ask the carrier for its proof of delivery, check with neighbours, and open a claim.

"Out for delivery", "Your shipment is out for delivery"

The parcel is on a vehicle and due to be delivered today.

What to do: Nothing to do yet. If it has not arrived by the end of the day, check your national carrier's own tracking for a delivery attempt or a new date.

"Received by local delivery company", "Hand Over to Last Mile", "Collected by destination carrier"

Your national post or a local courier now has the parcel. This is usually the last leg.

What to do: From now on, track it on the local carrier's own website. It shows delivery attempts, pickup points and deadlines that AliExpress's tracking leaves out.

"Returned to sender", "Package returning", "Returned. Signed for by seller"

The parcel is going back. Delivery has failed for good, whatever happens to it next.

What to do: Open a dispute from the order now rather than waiting to see whether it comes back. A returned parcel is a non-delivery case. Attach screenshots of the tracking showing the return.

"Deemed lost in transit", "Held at depot - Parcel damaged"

A carrier has recorded the parcel as lost or damaged. This is not a delay, and the parcel is not expected to reach you.

What to do: Open a claim from the order. On items with the Fast Delivery icon, AliExpress's terms let you apply for a full refund when the package is shown as lost in transit. For other items, claim non-delivery under Buyer Protection.

"Security Check Failed", "Restricted item - Battery item", "Airline handover problem at departure transport hub"

The parcel failed a security or airline check before export, for example because it contains a battery or another restricted item, and cannot fly as booked.

What to do: Message the seller inside the order. The parcel either has to be re-routed or go back to the seller, and only the seller can arrange that. If nothing changes and your guaranteed delivery date passes, open a non-delivery claim.

"Delivery attempt unsuccessful. Recipient not at home", "Delivery unsuccessful. Recipient uncontactable.", "Abnormal status"

The carrier doing the final delivery in your country tried to hand the parcel over and could not. A holding clock at the local depot is now running.

What to do: Find the parcel on your national carrier's own tracking site the same day, ask how long it will hold the parcel, and book redelivery or collection. Then message the seller inside the order so the attempt is on record.