Terms Couriers Use During the Delivery Process

We’ve all been guilty of tracking and monitoring the status of our packages the minute we buy something online. If you've ever used a tracking platform from a courier before, you're likely familiar with the different delivery terms they use. However, terms like "arrived at facility" and "out for delivery" can be confusing. In fact, there are some pretty specific terms that couriers use to update their customers on where their package is and when they can expect it. Here's a quick rundown of the most common ones.

Here are the Different Shipment Statuses You Can Encounter on Shipmates

Shipment Statuses on Shipmates:

Please note that each status may vary depending on the courier and delivery service you’re using on our platform.

Pending
For Pick Up
In Transit
Delivered
Cancelled
Returned
Damaged
Lost

For Express shipments, the Shipments page will only show the following shipment statuses with Express couriers:

Pending

For GrabExpress, this means the shipment is still waiting for a rider to be assigned.
For Lalamove, this means the shipment is waiting for a rider to be assigned or a rider is already on the way to pick up the shipment.

For Pick Up

For GrabExpress, this means a rider has already been assigned and is on the way to the pick-up address.
We do not show this for Lalamove.

In Transit

For GrabExpress, this means the shipment has already been picked up and is on the way to deliver the shipment.
For Lalamove, this means the shipment has already been picked up and is on the way to deliver the shipment.

Delivered

For all couriers, the shipment has already been delivered.

Cancelled

The shipment was cancelled prior to pick up.
This shipment was cancelled by the rider partner prior to pick up.

For standard shipments, the shipments page will only show the following shipment statuses:

Pending

For LBC and J&T, this shipment is booked for pick up.
We do not show this for Entrego shipments.

For Pick Up

For Entrego, this shipment is booked for pick up.
We do not show this for LBC and J&T shipments.

In Transit

For all couriers, these are shipments that have already been picked up and are in transit. They could be on the move or at sorting hubs.

Out for delivery

For all couriers, these are shipments to be delivered to the shipping address within the day.

Delivered

These are shipments successfully delivered to the shipping address.

Cancelled

These are shipments cancelled prior to pick up.

Returned

These are shipments that have failed to be delivered due to an incorrect address or unavailability of the receiver. Shipments will only be tagged as returned once verified with the courier.

Lost

These shipments are lost in transit. Shippers are entitled to compensation claims according to their declared value.

Damaged

These shipments are delivered but were damaged during transit. Shippers are entitled to compensation claims according to their declared value. Proof of secured packaging prior to courier pick up may be required to support a request for claims.

How about tracking updates for on-demand couriers or same day delivery couriers?

Tracking updates and statuses are much simpler for same day deliveries. Oftentimes, communication is only done between the seller and the buyer just to confirm if the package has been delivered on time and in one piece.

How to properly use our all in one tracking platform

Once you have received the tracking number for your shipment, you and your customers will be able to track the shipments using our all-in-one tracking platform.

➡️ Learn more about our features for ecommerce businesses in the Philippines

Shipmates has a tracking platform for every time you use our delivery service. Regardless of what courier service or company you use on our platform, you can track all the deliveries through this page. We have multiple couriers that you can use, so if it's your first time booking a courier with us then we recommend checking out Shipmates' partner couriers.