What do the USPS Scan Events Mean?

Welcome to the Scan Events section of our knowledge base. Here, you will find information about the various stages of processing that your mail piece may go through before being delivered. Each event is described in detail, so you can stay updated on the whereabouts of your mail. Whether it's in transit, in the local area, processed for delivery, delivered, re-routed, or returned to sender, we've got you covered. This information will help you better understand the journey of your mail piece and when you can expect it to arrive at its final destination.

Scan Events

• In Transit - The mailpiece is being processed at the entry/origin facility.
• In Local Area - The mailpiece is being processed at the destination facility.
• International Exit* - The mail piece has been processed to ship to a destination abroad. This is typically the last scan a US-originated international mail piece will receive from the USPS.
• Processed for Delivery - The mailpiece has been greenlit for delivery at the recipient's nearest postal facility. The mailpiece should reach the mailbox within 1 business day of this tracking event.
• Delivered - The mail piece has been delivered to the recipient’s address. The final scan is generated when the mail carrier's GPS unit leaves the delivery area.
• Re-routed - The mailpiece is re-routed due to recipient change of address, address errors, or USPS relabeling of barcode/ID tag area. Can often occur due to the recipient filing a NCOA form.
• Returned to Sender - The mailpiece is being returned to sender due to barcode, ID tag area, or address errors. Please reach out to your intended recipient to update the address and possibly re-trigger a new mailpiece with the corrected address. Returned to Sender mailpieces will be sent back to the sender listed in the “To:” field of your mailpiece

IMPORTANT It's important to note that the lack of delivery status does not necessarily mean that your item has not been delivered. This is because the delivery status is based on whether the USPS has scanned the item at the recipient's mailbox or not. If the item was delivered without a scan, the delivery status will not be updated in the system. However, this does not mean that the item was not delivered successfully. If you have any concerns about the delivery of your item, we recommend contacting the USPS for further information.