Thanks to online stores such as Amazon, eBay and several others, you can buy anything from home from your computer or even from your smartphone, with two touches and a few clicks. Online purchases are reliable (if made in certified stores) and guaranteed: if the package does not arrive or if you receive a damaged product, you can always request a refund or a new shipment. At the same time, it is now very easy to sell online, on eBay or other sites, by sending parcels with the post office or with other carriers. The only thing left to do, after an online purchase or after a sale, is to follow the shipment of the package to find out if it is on time, what day it will arrive and if it has not dispersed in some collection center. All worldwide and also Italian forwarders such as Poste, SDA, Bartolini or others, have a service to track the shipment of the package containing one or more products purchased or sold. Thanks to some apps for Android and iPhone, it is possible to trace each parcel and know where it is, if it is about to arrive or if it is still far away, whatever the carrier is .
READ ALSO: What to do if an Amazon package does not arrive or is missing
1) AfterShip Package Tracker
AfterShip Package Tracker is perhaps the best of these applications, available as a website or as an app for iPhone and Android devices, which supports the tracking of shipments of more than 200 different carriers, international or national, including FedEx, UPS, DHL, Poste Italiane, SDA, Nexive, Bartolini and others.
The app can be installed using the links found here -> AfterShip Package Tracker (Android) and AfterShip Package Tracker (iOS).
Once the app is installed, you can immediately enter the parcel traceability number which is always indicated in the online shop after purchase, on the order page. You can then enter the shipping number directly in the application (for incoming packages) or use the barcode reader (before sending a package) to check the package and know where it is. The application is able to automatically detect the vector when adding the number and, in case of doubt, asks to specify it manually.
The status of all shipments is displayed in the main interface so it is easy to keep an eye on the traceability of multiple packages together, even if shipped by different carriers. In the shipping form the telephone number of the used transport service is also indicated, to call them in case of doubts or in case of delays. On the details page there is also the possibility to add notes and notes for each package sent. The application supports push notifications for all important events recorded by the carrier, including failed delivery attempts.
2) Deliveries Package Tracker (Android only)
If we own an Android device we can also rely on the Deliveries Package Tracker app, available here -> Deliveries Package Tracker .
With this app we will be able to track any package or shipping via tracking code, with the app that is able to automatically associate the right courier based on the type of code provided. The app offers numerous options for notifications and to customize each shipment and is particularly effective with shipments made in Europe and the USA.
3) 17TRACK
One of the best apps to track shipments and packages on Android and iPhone is definitely 17TRACK, available for free from here -> 17TRACK (Android) and 17TRACK (iOS).
The peculiarity of this app is to be able to manage multiple tracking codes simultaneously, just paste them in the field offered and the app will immediately manage a different shipment for each code entered. The app is very precise and punctual, especially if we often follow parcels from China or the east (Chinese online stores such as AliExpress or GearBest).
4) ParcelTrack
Another app that we can try on both Android and iPhone is ParcelTrack, which we can download for free from here -> ParcelTrack (Android) and ParcelTrack (iOS).
The app is perfectly compatible with all Italian and international couriers, with the ability to customize the shipment and to get a real map with which to follow the movement of our package around the world or for our nation (based to the type of shipment monitored).
5) Post office
Another app that we can use to monitor the shipments and parcels we receive via Poste Italiane or the SDA express courier is the Post Office, available for free from here -> Post Office (Android) and Post Office (iOS).
By installing this app on our mobile device we will be able to monitor the status of the shipment for packages and registered mail, just enter the code provided at the time of shipment to see all the steps of the shipment and understand when it will be the right time to stay at home or notify who will be responsible for picking up the shipment for you.
6) Bot Telegram (TrackBot)
If we don't want to use a dedicated app for shipments and do everything in one app, we can use the Telegram TrackBot bot, which can be easily installed after having Telegram equipped, of course.
First of all we install Telegram on our smartphone; it's free and available here -> Telegram (Android) and Telegram (iOS).
Once the messaging app is installed, let's open it and log in with our phone number, in a very similar way to WhatsApp: we will receive a code via SMS to authenticate our account. Now that we are inside the app we can search in the TrackBot search bar or click directly from smartphone on the link present here -> TrackBot .
Once the page is open we click Start to start the bot and know the commands to control it (they are also available on the button with the / inside, next to the bar to insert messages):
- / track : to add a new shipment
- / list : list of tracked shipments
- / edit : to change one of the shipments already tracked
- / stop : to stop the tracking of a shipment
- / cancel : cancel a command launched in the bot
- / help : to know all the features of the bot
Using the command to add a code, the bot will ask us to paste the tracking code in the message bar, to choose the type of courier or forwarder associated with the code and to enter a name to recognize it. Once all the steps have been completed, we will be able to receive a notification and detailed information on our shipment as a Telegram notification, so as never to lose track of the package using a single messaging app.
7) Online tracking services
Instead of using apps or bots we can always open the web pages of the main Italian shipping services to track every package both sent and to be received.
- Amazon
- Italian post
- SDA Express Courier
- BRT Bartolini
- TNT
- GLS
- UPS
- DHL
READ ALSO: How to track parcels from abroad (China, USA, UK etc.)
