You ordered something. Now what?
The moment between clicking "buy" and hearing the doorbell is always a little nerve-wracking when you're shopping online. Especially if it's your first order from a store. We get that. So here's exactly how to follow your CartClick order from the moment it ships to the moment it lands on your doorstep.
Step 1: Check your email for the shipping confirmation
After you place an order, you'll get two emails from us. The first is an order confirmation, basically a receipt that says "we got it." The second comes a bit later, once our fulfillment team has packed and shipped your order. That second email is the important one for tracking.
The shipping confirmation email contains your tracking number and usually a direct link to the carrier's tracking page. Click that link and you'll see where your package is.
Quick tip: check your spam or promotions folder if you don't see it. Email filters sometimes get overzealous.
Step 2: Understanding the tracking page
Tracking pages can be confusing if you haven't used one before. Here's what the common statuses actually mean:
"Label created" or "Pre-shipment" — We've created the shipping label and the carrier knows a package is coming, but they haven't physically picked it up yet. This is normal. It can take a day or so before the carrier scans it in.
"In transit" — Your package is on the move. It's passing through the carrier's sorting network, possibly through multiple facilities. This is good news. It means things are happening.
"Out for delivery" — Your package is on the truck headed to your address. This is the home stretch.
"Delivered" — The carrier says it's been dropped off. If you don't see it at your door, check with neighbors, your front desk, or any safe spots around your home where a carrier might leave it.
"Customs clearance" (international orders) — Your package has arrived in your country and is being processed by customs. This can take anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks depending on the country. It's not something we or the carrier can speed up, but it almost always clears without issues.
"My tracking number isn't showing anything"
This is the most common question we get about tracking, and there's usually a simple explanation.
When we ship your order and send you the tracking email, the carrier hasn't always scanned the package into their system yet. There's a window, usually 24 to 48 hours, where the tracking number exists but doesn't return any results. It feels like nothing is happening, but your package is in the system.
If it's been more than 48 hours and the tracking number still shows nothing, that's when you should email us. Something might have gone wrong on the carrier's end, and we'll sort it out.
What to expect timeline-wise
Here are the realistic timelines, not the optimistic ones:
Order processing: A few business days. This is us picking, inspecting, and packing your order.
Domestic delivery (US): One to two weeks from when it ships. Sometimes faster, occasionally a few days longer during busy periods.
International delivery: Varies a lot by country. Two to four weeks is typical, but customs can add time. Countries with slower postal systems might take longer. We ship to dozens of countries and the vast majority of international orders arrive fine, just with more patience required.
We know these aren't overnight shipping speeds. We're a smaller operation and we've been upfront about that. What we can promise is that your order is real, it's been shipped, and you can track it every step of the way.
"My package says delivered but I don't have it"
This is frustrating and it does happen. Here's what to do:
First, double-check the delivery address on your order confirmation. Typos happen. Second, look around your property, with neighbors, at your building's front desk or mailroom, and anywhere else a carrier might leave a package. Third, wait a few hours. Carriers sometimes mark packages as delivered slightly before they actually drop them off.
If you still can't find it after that, email us. We'll contact the carrier and figure out what happened. If it's genuinely lost, we'll send a replacement or issue a refund. We don't make you wait weeks to file a claim.
"My package seems stuck"
Sometimes tracking shows the same status for several days, especially "in transit" or "arrived at facility." This usually means the package is waiting to be processed at a sorting hub or is moving between locations without intermediate scans. Carriers don't always scan at every stop.
For international orders, a long pause at "customs" is normal. Different countries process incoming mail at different speeds. Australia and the UK tend to be quick. Other countries can take a week or more.
If your domestic package hasn't updated in more than a week, or your international package has been stuck in the same status for more than two weeks, contact us. We'll investigate.
When to contact us
Email our support team if:
- Your tracking number shows no results after 48 hours
- Your domestic package hasn't updated in over a week
- Your international package has been stuck for over two weeks
- Tracking says "delivered" but you don't have the package
- You never received a shipping confirmation email (check spam first)
We respond within 24 hours, seven days a week. No bots, no scripts. A real person from our team will look into it and give you a straight answer.
— The CartClick Team
Related: How we ship your order | How to reach CartClick support | Our return and refund process