Validation of Postal Tracking Numbers
You have the parcel number, or, as it is called, the parcel tracking number. You try to track the parcel status using this number, and the postal service or our tracking service will notify you that the parcel data has not been found. Many questions pop up in your mind: What to do? Where to run? Was I deceived or not? Will I receive my parcel? Let's try to understand this issue and avoid unnecessary and ill-considered actions.
Let's start with the fact that postal services, for the most part, are state-owned enterprises, and, as a rule, they have a very large staff of employees. The larger the company, the more chaos happens within its walls. In the world of online technology, we are already accustomed to the fact that we can solve any problem with one click. However, as practice shows, not everything is so simple with postal services. Why is your package not displayed in the parcel tracking service? There may be several reasons for this:
- Your parcel has not yet been registered with the postal service and is waiting in line. (You must wait a while and try tracking the parcel again).
- You are entering an incorrect tracking number. Check it for compliance with the format of international transport - S10 Standard.
In the first case, everything was clear; we waited, and that’s it. What about the second option? Let's quickly look at the S10 format to check the tracking number.
So, according to Wikipedia or official data from the UPU, who came up with this standard. The tracking number consists of 4 parts:
- 2 letters - Service indicator code
- 8 digits - Serial number
- 1 digit - Check-digit
- 2 letters - Country code
Visually check your tracking number with the format; where there should be numbers, there should not be a line with the letter O or o, and where there are only letters, check that there is no 1 (one), which is very similar to the letter l (L). If you have completed this step, move on to the most exciting part. This is tracking number verification. It isn't easy to go through it manually, so we have simplified the process; just enter the tracking number in the form below.