Canada Post tracking by number
Paste the complete shipment tracking number above and select Track Canada Post package. 11Tracking can organize the available Canada Post events chronologically and highlight the newest action-relevant update.
Canada Post’s official tool can accept a tracking number, Delivery Notice Card number or reference number. Those identifiers serve different purposes, and an independent API may not support all three. This page should default to the shipment tracking number unless additional lookup types have been tested in production.
How to track a Canada Post package
- Find the shipment number. Look on the mailing receipt, shipping label, retailer dispatch email or order shipment details.
- Enter the complete identifier. Preserve letters, digits and leading zeros; ordinary spaces can be removed.
- Review the latest postal event. Check the event wording, location and timestamp, then read the earlier timeline for context.
If tracking shows only that electronic information was submitted, the sender may have created a label before Canada Post physically accepted the parcel.
Canada Post tracking number, notice card or reference number
These identifiers are not the same:
- Tracking number: identifies the parcel and is the preferred input on 11Tracking.
- Delivery Notice Card number: appears on a card left for an item directed to pickup or after certain delivery attempts.
- Reference number: can be assigned by a shipper and may require extra information in the official lookup.
Canada Post states that tracking numbers are commonly either 16 digits or 13 alphanumeric characters ending in CA. Formats can vary, so API validation remains the final authority.
Safe UI examples: 0000 0000 0000 0000 and AA 000 000 000 CA. These are non-active examples.
Common Canada Post tracking statuses explained
| Canada Post status or event | What it usually indicates | Useful next step |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic information submitted by shipper | A label or electronic record was created; the physical parcel may not yet be with Canada Post. | Wait for an acceptance event or confirm handoff with the sender. |
| Item accepted | Canada Post recorded receipt of the item. | Follow the next processing or departure event. |
| Item processed | The parcel was handled at a postal facility. | Check the location and watch for onward transit. |
| In transit | The item is moving through the postal network. | Compare the last processed location with the expected delivery information. |
| Item has arrived in Canada / customs event | An international item reached a border or customs-related stage. | Monitor for release and domestic processing; follow official instructions if action is requested. |
| Out for delivery | The item is with the local delivery operation. | Make sure the delivery point is accessible. |
| Notice card left | The item could not be completed at the door or was directed to pickup. | Wait until tracking confirms it is ready, then follow the card’s pickup details. |
| Available for pickup | Canada Post recorded the item at the designated Post Office. | Check the location, pickup window and identification requirements. |
| Delivered | Delivery was recorded to a residence, community mailbox, parcel locker, reception or another stated point. | Read the exact delivery location before reporting a missing parcel. |
| Return to sender | The item is being routed back rather than delivered as planned. | Read the reason and contact the sender or official Canada Post support. |
What does “Notice Card Left” mean?
A Delivery Notice Card directs the recipient to a designated pickup location or explains the next step after an unsuccessful or card-for-pickup delivery. The package may not be ready at the Post Office immediately when the card is left. Check tracking for Available for pickup and follow the address and time shown.
11Tracking can display the event but cannot extend a holding period, authorize another person, change the pickup office or confirm which identification will be accepted.
Canada Post tracking not updating
Postal events appear at processing and delivery milestones, not as a continuous location feed. Updates may pause during long-distance transport, weekends, volume peaks, customs processing or an international handoff.
| Situation | Possible reason | Recommended next step |
|---|---|---|
| Number not found | Typo, order number, newly submitted label or unsupported identifier | Recopy the tracking number and try again after an acceptance scan. |
| Electronic information submitted only | The sender created a label but Canada Post has not shown possession | Confirm physical handoff with the sender. |
| No recent domestic scan | Movement between plants, processing queue or missed scan | Monitor the last event and delivery estimate for the next milestone. |
| Customs event unchanged | Border processing or milestone-only updates | Wait for a release or domestic event unless official tracking asks for action. |
| Notice card left but not ready | The item is travelling to the pickup office or has not been checked in | Wait for an Available for pickup event. |
| Delivered but missing | Community mailbox/parcel locker, safe drop, reception, household handoff, delayed notification or misdelivery | Check the stated location and delivery details, then contact official Canada Post support. |
Canada Post international tracking
An international shipment can be scanned by the origin postal service, customs, Canada Post and sometimes another partner. The same 13-character postal number often connects these stages, but event detail depends on the services exchanging data.
For an outbound package, destination-country scans may appear first on the local postal operator’s site. For an inbound package, Canada Post events may become more detailed after customs releases the item into the domestic network. A gap around handoff does not automatically mean the package has stopped moving.
Need official Canada Post help?
11Tracking cannot change a delivery preference, pay duties, choose a Post Office, extend pickup, open a service ticket or investigate a missing item.
Save Canadian and international deliveries
Use USTracking to keep Canada Post packages with shipments from couriers and foreign postal operators, especially when an international route involves more than one carrier.
Track more easily
Keep all your deliveries in one place
Add packages from different carriers to USTracking, return to active shipments faster and get plain-language help with unfamiliar tracking events.
Quick answers
Canada Post tracking FAQ
How do I track a Canada Post package?
Enter the parcel tracking number in the form above and select Track Canada Post package. Read the latest event and expand the timeline for processing and delivery history.
Can I use a Delivery Notice Card number?
Canada Post’s official tracker supports notice-card lookup. 11Tracking should accept it only if the connected production API has been verified to support it.
Can I track Canada Post with a reference number?
The official Canada Post tool can support reference searches in some cases. Use the shipment tracking number on 11Tracking unless reference lookup is explicitly available in the form.
Why does Canada Post show “electronic information submitted”?
The shipper created electronic shipment data. Canada Post may still be waiting to receive or scan the physical parcel.
Why has my Canada Post package not updated?
It may be moving between facilities, waiting for processing, in customs or between postal operators. Check the last location and whether Canada Post has recorded physical acceptance.
How does Canada Post international tracking work?
Events can come from the origin post, customs, Canada Post and a destination postal operator. The amount of detail depends on the shipping service and data exchanged between those organizations.
What does “Notice Card Left” mean?
A card was left with pickup or delivery instructions. Wait until the timeline confirms the package is ready at the stated Post Office before going to collect it.
What should I do if Canada Post says delivered but the package is missing?
Check the exact event for a community mailbox, parcel locker, safe drop, front desk or other location. Ask household members, then use official Canada Post support if the item remains missing.
Is 11Tracking affiliated with Canada Post?
No. 11Tracking is an independent tracking interface and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by Canada Post.
Canada Post and related marks belong to their respective owner and are used here only for carrier identification.
Tracking events and delivery estimates come from connected tracking services and carriers. Updates may be delayed, incomplete or revised. 11Tracking does not transport packages and cannot change a delivery.
After you track a parcel, its number is added to the page address so the result can be refreshed or shared. Anyone with that link can use the number, so share it only with people you trust.
