What is Tracking Number?
A tracking number is a unique alpha-numeric code used to track shipments during transit. These numbers are usually 8 to 40 characters long and are attached as a barcode on the package. A tracking number is often sent to the buyer to provide transparency on the delivery schedule and the remaining transit time.
Significance of Tracking Number in an E-commerce Shipping and Delivery
A tracking number allows a seller to build credibility and trust with its new customers through unrestrained transparency.
- Monitoring products: During transit, a seller can monitor the products by identifying their location. It allows them to locate a lost product and ensure its safety. As warehouses manage an unfathomable number of products at once, the biggest issue of stolen or lost products is dealt with.
- Transparency: Sellers can view the real-time location of a product during transit. It allows them to answer their customers about the remaining transit time accurately. Nowadays, customers are provided with a tracking number to uphold more transparency.
Prerequisites of Tracking Number and How It Works
A seller should have an active order and an undelivered product to suffice the requirements of using a tracking number. The steps below underline how it works after that.
- Number allotment: A seller is required to check in with their shipping company. These companies share a leaflet with a barcode and the tracking number attached to the package.
- Disbursal and tracking: The product is handed over, and all the package movement through the shipping lifecycle is updated for the seller and customer to track.
Use Case with Tracking Number
For example, A seller in Australia sent out a product with tracking number AB-12345989 for delivery to the Philippines. The shipping company updated the real-time location for each intermediate shipping lifecycle that ended, like completion of first-mile delivery or clearing customs using the tracking number. It was done until the customer received the product.