Are all international destinations eligible for USPS Electronic Delivery Confirmation?

Are all international destinations eligible for USPS Electronic Delivery Confirmation?

It is not uncommon for your OCD to take over once you hand your package over to the US Postal Service (USPS). For some it is just sheer curiosity while for others, delivery confirmation is an important element of their business model. When dealing with international shipments, we are not always sure of what to expect. Therefore, RunRex has compiled this article to address some of the most common queries people have when it comes to USPS international shipping.

Electronic delivery confirmation services

The USPS lets you track your packages to their destination. However, by track, it doesn’t mean that you can just log in to your USPS account and view a blip on the map showing you where your package is. Rather, the tracking happens at the destination postal service in the form of delivery confirmation.

 Through delivery confirmation, you can check if your package has been delivered or not. You can also view attempted deliveries that failed. This information is beneficial since you can alert the recipient to reschedule the delivery at an appropriate time with the delivery company. 

The USPS uses two main companies to provide electronic delivery confirmation: Electronic USPS Delivery Confirmation International (E-USPS DELCON INTL) and Ecommerce Programme (ECOMPRO).

E-USPS DELCON INTL

E-USPS DELCON INTL is the largest electronic delivery confirmation service platform in terms of countries served. The service is offered at no extra shipping cost. The service is available for specific packages and specific services. 

• Priority Mail International

This is a shipping service that gets your items delivered to their destination in 6 to 10 business days. The service accepts various packages and envelopes. E-USPS DELCON INTL is only available for the Small Flat Rate Box package and the Flat Rate Envelopes. The Flat Rate Gift Card Envelope is the only flat rate envelope that does not qualify for the service. 

Priority Mail Express International is a fast service with deliveries of 1 to 3 business days. It has fewer package categories than Priority Mail International. All packages delivered through this service are eligible for E-USPS DELCON INTL as long as they are delivered to a qualifying country. 

• First Class International Package Service

This is the most affordable international shipping service offered by USPS. Electronic delivery confirmation is available for Thick Envelopes and Packages.

ECOMPRO

This is a commercial only service that covers all packages delivered through the Priority Mail International service. The user is not charged any extra cost for the service. 

International destinations eligible for USPS Electronic Delivery Confirmation

Unfortunately, not all countries are eligible for the USPS Electronic Delivery Confirmation. Currently, the service is only present in around 50 countries. 

You can find the whole list of countries that are eligible for electronic delivery confirmation through E-USPS DELCON INTL here or ask your local postal service for advice. This service is available in about 40 countries. 

ECOMPRO electronic delivery confirmation is available in around 30 countries. Unlike E-USPS DELCON INTL, ECOMPRO also operates in Africa and lets you get delivery confirmation from three African countries. The list of countries served by ECOMPRO can be found here.

How do I know which tracking service to use?

Depending on the type of package and the destination, you might get electronic delivery confirmation through ECOMPRO, E-USPS DELCON INTL or both. 

One way to know which service to use is to check the labeling. For packages covered by ECOMPRO, there is a tracking number on the shipping label that has an “H” prefix.

For E-USPS DELCON INTL you should look for an icon with a globe in it that has horizontal and vertical lines. The icon has the word “Express” below the globe. 

If your package does not include any of this labeling, then you are not in luck. 

However, there is a premium service called Global Express Guaranteed that does offer the electronic delivery confirmation feature for all its packages. The USPS offers this service in collaboration with FedEx Corporation. 

How do I track a package?

Tracking whether your package has been delivered is easy. All you have to do is log on to the USPS website and enter your tracking number in the input box labeled tracking and click track. You can track more than one package at once by entering up to 35 tracking numbers separated by commas. 

The tracking number is usually contained in the following documents. 

• Shipment receipt
• Sales receipt
• Email confirmation
• Bottom portion of the USPS tracking label
• At the back of the USPS missed delivery slip 

The tracking number will usually begin with an “H” if tracking is being done through ECOMPRO. 

For E-USPS DELCON INTL the tracking number format can vary depending on the type of package. Priority Mail International as well as Priority Mail Express International tracking numbers end with a US suffix. 

You can sign up to the USPS Informed Delivery service to get more functionality when tracking your packages.