Your UPS tracking number is most often found in the shipping confirmation email or text you received when the package was sent. If you can’t find that message, there are several other ways to locate it depending on whether you’re the sender, the recipient, or tracking a purchase from an online retailer.
Check Your Email or Text Messages
The fastest method is searching your email inbox. When a package ships via UPS, the sender or retailer almost always sends a confirmation with the tracking number included. Search your email for terms like “UPS,” “tracking number,” “shipped,” or “shipment confirmation.” If the retailer sent the message, try searching for the store’s name along with “tracking.” The tracking number is usually a clickable link that takes you directly to the UPS tracking page.
If you opted into text notifications from the retailer, scroll through your recent messages. Many stores send an SMS with a short tracking link as soon as the label is created.
Recognizing a UPS Tracking Number
UPS tracking numbers have a distinctive format that makes them easy to spot in a long email. Most standard UPS ground and air shipments use an 18-character tracking number that starts with “1Z,” followed by a mix of letters and numbers. It looks something like 1Z999AA10123456784. If you see a code starting with 1Z in any confirmation message, that’s your tracking number.
Other UPS services use different formats. Freight shipments may have a 9- or 10-digit number, and UPS Mail Innovations packages can have up to 22 digits. But for most consumer packages, look for the 1Z prefix.
Log Into the Retailer’s Website
If you ordered something online, sign into your account on the retailer’s website or app. Navigate to your order history, find the specific order, and look for a shipping or tracking section. Most retailers display the tracking number and carrier name once the item has shipped, and many include a direct link to UPS tracking. This works even if you deleted the original confirmation email.
Use UPS My Choice
UPS My Choice is a free service that lets you see incoming deliveries headed to your address, even if you never received a tracking number. Once you create an account at ups.com and verify your address, your dashboard shows all UPS packages en route to you in one place. Each shipment listing includes its tracking number, estimated delivery date, and current status.
This is especially useful when someone sends you a gift or when a retailer’s confirmation email lands in spam. You don’t need any shipment details beforehand. UPS associates packages with your verified address automatically. A paid tier of the service adds features like delivery window selection, but the free version is enough to find tracking numbers.
Check the Shipping Label or Receipt
If you’re the sender, your tracking number is printed on the receipt you received when you dropped off the package at a UPS Store, UPS Access Point, or UPS Customer Center. It also appears on the shipping label itself. If you printed the label at home through ups.com, look in your UPS account under “Shipping History” to pull up past labels and their tracking numbers.
For senders who used a UPS Store location, the store can sometimes look up your shipment using your name, phone number, or the date you shipped. Bring a photo ID and visit the same location where you dropped off the package.
Contact the Sender
When all else fails, reach out to whoever shipped the package. The sender always receives a tracking number at the time of shipment, whether they created the label online, at a UPS Store, or through a shipping platform. If a friend or family member sent you something, ask them to check their email or UPS account for the number. If it’s a business, contact their customer service team with your order number and they can provide tracking details.
Track Without a Number
If you truly cannot locate the tracking number anywhere, UPS offers a reference number lookup on its tracking page. Some shippers attach a reference number to the shipment, which could be your order number, purchase order, or account number with that company. Go to ups.com, click “Track,” then select “Track by Reference.” Enter the reference number along with the destination country and zip code. This won’t work for every shipment, but it’s worth trying if the shipper used your order number as a reference when creating the label.