International tracking

What is international tracking?

International tracking in shipping involves international parcel tracking or international package tracking of goods worldwide. International tracking can be done by buyers and sellers and it covers businesses to businesses or business to consumer sales. Any registered parcel or package which is being sent from one destination to another will have tracking capability, and third-party tracking companies - such as Ship24 - are emerging as the best option for international tracking solutions for both individuals and businesses. This is because in most cases, global shipping involves multiple handlers in the journey of a package.

For example, if a buyer in the USA was to order a product from a Chinese marketplace, such as BangGood, it will most likely be handled by a number of different couriers along its journey to the US-based buyer. Firstly, Chinese first-leg logistics and forwarding companies will likely be involved in the pick-up and/or initial dispatch of the product, such as companies like Cainiao, 4PX, or even via China Post EMS. If the parcel does not go directly from China to the US by plane, it may be handled by another carrier along its journey, such as by GEODIS or DHL in Europe, before finally being handed over to a last-leg courier in the US, which will usually be FedEx or UPS or even USPS.

Why has international tracking become so important?

Arguably, being able to have international package tracking on orders has always been important, but there has not always been the ability to do so. It was only as recently as in the last 50 or so years where parcel tracking has been available, with international parcel tracking even more recent.

International tracking has become a lot easier due to the evolution of the internet and the continued development of the shipping sector on the whole. In an increasingly digitalized world, the ability for consumers to have access to more and more products from around the world through web-based marketplaces has seen a huge increase in demand for international shipping options, which in turn has caused the need for international parcel tracking services. This is what led to the creation of Ship24.

Ship24 was started by shipping experts, with vast experience in the sector, who identified the need for a powerful, one-stop shop for international package tracking. Ship24 offers just that, and its inbuilt powerful automatic courier detection and AI-learning capability, have made it a leading international parcel tracking service. Ship24 offers international package tracking to meet your needs as an individual or business. You can either choose to track a few parcels at the same time for free or can take advantage of professional international tracking services designed for businesses with our webhook and tracking API options.

What is the best international tracking option?

International tracking solutions have become separated from couriers and logistics companies because international parcel tracking is more complicated than ever. Originally, shipping used to be done end-to-end by one company or national postal service, meaning that the company could provide international package tracking information for the full journey as it remained in control of the handling of any given parcel. Today, international shipping has evolved to become an international network of package handling services, and therefore many companies cannot offer complete international parcel tracking because of the many handlers.

Who is involved in international tracking?

International shipping involves a number of different actors who operate different parts of the shipment process, which in turn affects international tracking services.

These actors can be broken down into first, second, third, and fourth parties, all of which fulfill a different role in international shipping and international parcel tracking.

The so-called first party is the seller or producer who supplies the goods which will need to be transported from one place to another. The first party cares about international tracking because they want to make sure the movement of goods is done on time and there are no disruptions in the supply chain. The second part is the physical shipping company, they are responsible for moving the goods and are paid to do so, making them responsible for the successful movement of the goods. They need international tracking to deliver on their promise to move the goods from point A to point B.

The third party is the logistics solution service, and it is responsible for coordinating the end-to-end delivery of goods provided by the first party via the services offered by the second party. Third-party operators can sometimes be involved in the handling of goods at some point, for instance, China Post EMS may initially receive the parcel and the EMS service will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of the order, however, they will organize with another handling service to deliver the parcel when the package has left China, such as TNT in Europe or UPS in North America.

A fourth party is sometimes involved as an independent actor which helps provide and organize delivery options for the first party by acting as an intermediary between them and multiple third-party logistic providers.

New actors within the shipping services sector include international tracking specialists, such as Ship24. Ship24 works by helping users track a parcel internationally across multiple handlers by not relying on updates from a single courier by scanning thousands of logistics companies and marketplaces simultaneously to locate and retrieve the latest international parcel tracking data for users. Ship24 also offers business-level tracking, designed to take tracking functionality a step further by pushing international tracking data to businesses integrated with the Ship24 system as they happen.

What problems can arise with international tracking?

Even though global courier companies have huge transportation and delivery capacity at their disposal, even the biggest companies must use other logistics companies in order to deliver products to and from some parts of the world. This is what makes the shipping process such a complicated one and the international tracking of parcels so daunting for businesses and individuals. For instance, consider the journey of a single parcel when traveling internationally, where the package may travel via multiple modes of transport owned and operated by a variety of different companies and couriers all updating the international tracking information of a parcel via their own internal systems across the world. This makes it difficult for a single courier to offer truly international parcel tracking. This is where Ship24's international package tracking service comes to save the day. Ship24 scans multiple couriers at the same time, meaning that it is reaching out to as many different handlers as possible to find information about your package, meaning we have your international tracking covered, all in one place.

Do businesses need professional international tracking?

Although you can access international parcel tracking for free as an individual, Ship24 also offers premium international tracking functionality for businesses who need a more tailored feature, such as instant international tracking notifications pushed directly to them.

Professional level international tracking is also crucial for businesses who need to ensure that their supply lines and deliveries remain on schedule, the former for B2B transactions and the latter especially for B2C sales to ensure the optimum post-purchase experience for customers. Regarding supply lines, professional international tracking will help ensure your business is informed of any problems with parcels as soon as the information is made available, such as problems at customs or general delays in the delivery process. Utilizing Ship24's comprehensive shipment tracking services will keep your business in the know, helping you to respond accordingly should any unexpected events occur.

Finally, end-to-end tracking is a service that is expected from the modern-day consumer, and outsourcing that responsibility to an international tracking expert like Ship24 gives peace of mind to both buyers and sellers. Rather than spending considerable time and effort ensuring customers can track different parcels, referring them to Ship24 is the easiest option, comfortable in the knowledge that Ship24 can offer multi-courier international tracking for any package or parcel.

Does the size and weight of a parcel affect international tracking?

Any registered parcel will have international tracking options, however, these may vary depending on the size and weight of your shipment. For instance, if you are looking for container tracking, it will depend on the capability of the second party (or physical handler) whether they can provide either minute-by-minute updates on the movement of your parcel or they can only check-in and out containers are certain depots and ports. This goes for packages of all sizes but especially affects larger items that often travel by sea (the cheapest transportation method) and therefore are the least likely to have advanced international tracking infrastructure included in the transit of your shipments.

Although the access of quality international tracking may vary, all international package tracking can be done with Ship24, with 100 percent of all international tracking updates guaranteed to be available in as close to real-time as possible. This means that no matter how basic or advanced the tracking on your shipment is, Ship24 will still deliver all international tracking data as soon as possible.

Do I need to sign up for international tracking?

Often, you will need to sign into the marketplace or log in to the relevant courier website to begin international tracking of your parcel. This isn't necessary with Ship24, and you are not required to sign up or give any personal data about yourself or your parcel to start international tracking. Simply enter the international tracking number from the courier your order is being sent with to begin.

If you are using Ship24's professional international tracking options, then you can integrate with the Ship24 system in minutes to have market-leading tracking capability at your fingertips. View our professional-level plans today and start to see the difference comprehensive international tracking functionality can make for your business.

Is international parcel tracking affected by VAT payment?

There are a number of different ways of sending packages internationally when it comes to VAT, which will depend on both the destination country and the seller/buyer's agreement regarding payment of the VAT.

Some of the methods of sending parcels include DDU (delivery duty unpaid) DDP (delivery duty paid) or through the new EU VAT scheme (which requires registration to be eligible for) the Import One-Stop-Shop (IOSS).

Some VAT payment schemes are preferable for businesses, such as DDP and IOSS, as they offer faster delivery times due to the fact no VAT payment is outstanding on the shipments and they usually can pass through customs quickly. DDU shipments are often held at customs due to the fact the VAT has not yet been paid, or because it has been covered by the courier company, which needs reimbursement before final delivery is made in the destination country.

Regardless of which VAT payment is associated with your package, Ship24 offers international parcel tracking on all registered shipments sent worldwide. In fact, you can do all of your international package tracking from the Ship24 website, with the capability of tracking up to 10 parcels at once, with as many different couriers as required, all in a single search on the homepage.

How do I get international parcel tracking on regular shipments to the USA from China?

Ship24 is a market leader in international tracking services and shipping from China. If you regularly need international parcel tracking the Ship24 has several options to meet your needs. If you are an individual, you can get international package tracking on all registered shipments from China on the Ship24 homepage using your tracking number. Your tracking number will be sent to you by the marketplace or company responsible for handling your package, either directly after purchase or via email.

Please note that sometimes tracking numbers are not generated instantly and the package needs to be received and processed before a tracking number is generated, so please allow some time for this to happen. Also, you may receive a tracking number straight away but not have any tracking information available when searching it on an international tracking website (such as Ship24). This may be because the parcel has not been collected or received yet, which can take a couple of days depending on the delivery service you have chosen.

Remember, Ship24 uses a powerful multi-courier, AI-driven platform that will find any international tracking data available on your parcel as close to real-time as possible.

If you want to be sure you can get international tracking on all your parcels from China or anywhere else in the world, join the millions using Ship24 international parcel tracking and get the powerful international tracking data you deserve.