Which Carrier Is This Tracking Number?
Paste a tracking number to see which carrier's format it matches — and, where the algorithm is public, whether its check digit actually holds up.
🔒 Your data never leaves your browser. This tool identifies formats — it does not track packages, so nothing is sent to any carrier.
Format matching versus real verification
Most "which carrier" guides stop at the shape of the number: 12 digits means FedEx, 1Z means UPS. That is a guess, and a bare 12-digit number could be almost anything.
Some carriers publish a check digit algorithm, and that turns a guess into evidence. A UPS number whose check digit computes correctly is a UPS number; one that fails is either mistyped or not UPS at all. This tool verifies check digits for:
- UPS — the last character of a 1Z number
- USPS — the Mod-10 digit at the end of an Intelligent Mail package barcode
- UPU S10 — international post, where the 9th digit is defined by the standard
For everyone else the format is all there is, and the result says "format only" rather than pretending otherwise.
S10: the international format that tells you where it came from
A number like RB123456785US follows the Universal Postal Union's S10 standard: two
letters for the service, nine digits (the last of which is a check digit), and two letters for
the country of origin. That is why an item from China arrives with a number
ending CN and is handed to the local postal operator on arrival — the tracking
number itself tells you the handover happened.
Formats this tool knows (12 patterns, 26 S10 countries)
| Carrier | Format | Check digit |
|---|---|---|
| UPS | 1Z + 6-character shipper number + 2-digit service code + 7 digits + check digit (18 characters) | verified |
| Amazon Logistics | TBA + 12 digits | not published |
| DHL eCommerce | GM + 14 to 18 alphanumeric characters | not published |
| DHL Express | JJD or JVGL + digits | not published |
| DHL Express | 10 digits (air waybill number) | not published |
| USPS | Intelligent Mail package barcode: 20, 22 or 26 digits starting 92, 93, 94 or 95 | verified |
| Universal Postal Union (S10) | 2 service letters + 9 digits + 2-letter country code | verified |
| FedEx Express | 12 digits with no prefix | not published |
| FedEx Ground | 15 digits with no prefix | not published |
| FedEx Ground (96 barcode) | 22 digits beginning with 96 | not published |
| Canada Post | 16 digits with no prefix | not published |
| UPS Mail Innovations | MI + 6 digits + 1 to 22 digits | not published |
Coverage is limited to major carriers, and regional couriers reuse each other's shapes. An unrecognised number is not necessarily invalid — but the carrier name is almost always printed next to the barcode on the label.
What this tool does not do
It does not track anything. Package status requires each carrier's own API, which means sending your tracking numbers to a server — so this tool stays on the identification side of the line, where everything can happen in your browser.
Every format this tool recognises (12 patterns)
TRK-UPS UPS — 1Z + 6-character shipper number + 2-digit service code + 7 digits + check digit (18 characters)
1Z + 6-character shipper number + 2-digit service code + 7 digits + check digit (18 characters). A ups-1z check digit is verified, which is what raises the confidence of this match. The 1Z prefix is unique to UPS, and the final digit is a check digit we can verify.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-AMZL Amazon Logistics — TBA + 12 digits
TBA + 12 digits. This format carries no check digit we can verify, so a match here is a format fingerprint only. Delivered by Amazon's own network; only trackable inside Amazon.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-DHLEC DHL eCommerce — GM + 14 to 18 alphanumeric characters
GM + 14 to 18 alphanumeric characters. This format carries no check digit we can verify, so a match here is a format fingerprint only.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-DHLEX10 DHL Express — JJD or JVGL + digits
JJD or JVGL + digits. This format carries no check digit we can verify, so a match here is a format fingerprint only.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-DHLEX11 DHL Express — 10 digits (air waybill number)
10 digits (air waybill number). This format carries no check digit we can verify, so a match here is a format fingerprint only. A bare 10-digit number is also used by other carriers — treat this as a guess.
Fix: Low-confidence fingerprint — treat a match as a suggestion and confirm with the carrier.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-USPS USPS — Intelligent Mail package barcode: 20, 22 or 26 digits starting 92, 93, 94 or 95
Intelligent Mail package barcode: 20, 22 or 26 digits starting 92, 93, 94 or 95. A usps-impb check digit is verified, which is what raises the confidence of this match. The final digit is a Mod-10 check digit we can verify.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-S10 Universal Postal Union (S10) — 2 service letters + 9 digits + 2-letter country code
2 service letters + 9 digits + 2-letter country code. A s10 check digit is verified, which is what raises the confidence of this match. The last two letters are the country of origin, and the 9th digit is a check digit defined by the UPU standard — both are verifiable.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-FDXEXP FedEx Express — 12 digits with no prefix
12 digits with no prefix. This format carries no check digit we can verify, so a match here is a format fingerprint only.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-FDXGND FedEx Ground — 15 digits with no prefix
15 digits with no prefix. This format carries no check digit we can verify, so a match here is a format fingerprint only.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-FDX96 FedEx Ground (96 barcode) — 22 digits beginning with 96
22 digits beginning with 96. This format carries no check digit we can verify, so a match here is a format fingerprint only.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-CANPOST Canada Post — 16 digits with no prefix
16 digits with no prefix. This format carries no check digit we can verify, so a match here is a format fingerprint only.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
TRK-UPSMI UPS Mail Innovations — MI + 6 digits + 1 to 22 digits
MI + 6 digits + 1 to 22 digits. This format carries no check digit we can verify, so a match here is a format fingerprint only.
Source: Derived from the published structure of each carrier’s tracking number — length, prefix and check-digit algorithm — and verified by generating and re-checking valid numbers in our tests. Format matching identifies a likely carrier; it does NOT prove the number was ever issued.
A match tells you which carrier a number looks like. Where a check digit exists it is actually verified, which is why some matches are far more confident than others — but no format check can tell you whether a number was ever issued. For that you have to ask the carrier.