How DPD tracking works
DPD sends a text or email when it is told about your parcel, with a link to track it. Most UK parcels are on a next-day service, so the journey is short: collected in the afternoon, through a hub in the evening, at your local depot in the early hours and out for delivery in the morning.
The DPD app and the tracking link both show the same journey. They are also where you can change what happens to the parcel, which matters because the time to do it is brief.
DPD tracking statuses and what they mean
DPD words its updates as short sentences and changes them now and again, so yours may not match these exactly. The stage is what matters.
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| We're expecting your parcel | The sender has told DPD about the parcel. DPD has not collected it yet. | Wait. If it stays here for more than a couple of working days, ask the retailer whether it has actually been collected. |
| We have your parcel, or it is on its way to our hub | DPD has collected the parcel and it is in the network. | Nothing needed. This is when the options to change your delivery open. |
| Your parcel is at our hub | It is being sorted at one of DPD's central hubs before moving to your area. | Nothing. Decide now if you would rather collect it or have it another day. |
| Your parcel is at your local depot | It has reached the depot that delivers to your address. | Last realistic chance to change the delivery before it is loaded onto a van. |
| Your parcel is out for delivery | It is on a van. DPD sends a one-hour window and you can usually follow the driver on a map. | Be in for the window. A Pickup shop is usually no longer offered for today's delivery. |
| Delivered | It was handed over or left as instructed. The entry normally includes a photo and where it was left. | Check the photo and location if you cannot find it. |
| Sorry we missed you | Nobody was in and it could not be left safely. A card is left and the parcel goes back to the depot. | Use the card, the app or the tracking link to pick a new day, a neighbour, a safe place or a Pickup shop. |
| Your parcel is ready to collect from a Pickup shop | It has been delivered to the shop you chose and is waiting for you. | Collect it with your collection pass and photo ID before the date shown. |
| There is a delay, or we need more information | Something is holding the parcel, such as an address query, damage or a missed connection. | Follow the prompt in the tracking. If it asks for nothing and does not clear in a day or two, contact the retailer. |
| Returned to sender | It could not be delivered or was not collected in time. | Contact the retailer about a refund or a resend. |
When DPD tracking has not updated
A parcel sitting at "expecting" is the usual cause of concern. It means the retailer has booked the parcel in but DPD has not scanned it. During a big release, retailers can book thousands of parcels a day or two before they are collected. Until DPD has it there is nothing for DPD to do, so the retailer is the one to ask.
After collection, DPD parcels rarely sit still for long. If one has not moved for two working days, or shows a delay with no explanation, contact the retailer. They are DPD's customer and can raise an enquiry.
Changing your DPD delivery
From the moment DPD has the parcel until it is loaded for delivery, the recipient can usually change the plan: a different day, a named neighbour, a safe place, or collection from a DPD Pickup shop. DPD checks the delivery postcode before it lets you change anything.
On a next-day service that leaves an evening and part of the night. Our guide to redirecting a DPD parcel to a Pickup shop explains the option and what you need.
Marked delivered but nothing has arrived
Look at the delivery photo first. It normally shows the doorstep, the safe place or the person who took it in, and that settles most cases. Check with neighbours and anywhere you have named as a safe place before.
If the photo is not your property, or there is no parcel where it shows, tell the retailer straight away with the tracking number and a copy of the photo. Your contract is with the retailer, and they are responsible for getting the order to you.
Keeping up with more than one parcel
With several DPD parcels due, plus others from different couriers, checking each link is slow and easy to forget. One list with every parcel and its latest status is quicker. Minted's parcel tracker keeps DPD next to Royal Mail, Evri, UPS and FedEx, and tells you when a status changes.