You placed your order, but the shipping status just says “awaiting fulfillment”—whatever that means! How are you supposed to stay up-to-date on your package when the website keeps using vague shipping terms? We’re here to help. We’ve outlined exactly what “awaiting fulfillment” means and other shipping statuses that you might encounter. In just a few minutes, you’ll be in the know about what’s happening with your order.

Section 1 of 4:

What does it mean when a package is awaiting fulfillment?

  1. 1
    The seller has processed your payment, but your package hasn’t shipped yet. At this point, your order is currently in the company or business’s system and is currently getting packed up.[1] No worries, though—this status is totally normal and doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with your package.
    • If you ordered from a large company, your order was sent to the fulfillment team, who is in charge of packaging your item and getting it ready for shipment. If you ordered from a small business, your order may be handled by a single person.
    • If you bought something customized or custom-made, “awaiting fulfillment” may mean that the retailer is still working on your custom order.[2]
  2. 2
    Your package will arrive in a few days or weeks. “Awaiting fulfillment” is one of the earliest stages in the shipping process, so it’s hard to know for sure how long it will take your package to be fulfilled, shipped, and delivered. The fulfillment process is pretty time-consuming, so don’t get discouraged if your item’s status doesn’t change right away![3]
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Section 2 of 4:

What does “pending fulfillment” mean?

Section 3 of 4:

Other Shipping Statuses

  1. 1
    Submitted for Fulfillment
    You’ll see this message before “awaiting fulfillment.” It just means that your payment was accepted and your package is in the company or business’s system.[6]
  2. 2
    Awaiting Shipment
    Your order is packaged and ready to be shipped to your home. Everything that you ordered is ready to head to your doorstep—it just needs to be placed in the hands of a delivery courier, like USPS, UPS, or FedEx. The retailer has placed your completed order in a shipment queue so delivery can occur as soon as possible.[7]
    • If your package is still “awaiting shipment,” there are probably other orders ahead of yours in the shipping queue.
  3. 3
    Partially Shipped
    You’ll only see this notice if you’ve ordered more than one item. The company or small business is able to process and ship out part of your order, but the rest of it isn’t packaged or sent out yet.[8]
    • Keep checking your order status on the retailer’s website for updates on the rest of your package.
  4. 4
    Shipped
    Your package was officially handed off to a delivery service, which will deliver it straight to your doorstep.[9] “In transit” means that your package is on your way to you, but that it isn’t in your local area yet. “Out for delivery” means that your package is on a delivery route that will stop by your mailbox.[10]
  5. 5
    DeliveredThe shipping company marks your package as “delivered” once it’s physically placed in your mailbox or on your doorstep. If you don’t see your package after getting this notification, let the delivery courier or retailer know as soon as possible.
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About This Article

Janice Tieperman
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Janice is a professional and creative writer who has worked at wikiHow since 2019. With both a B.A. and M.A. in English from East Stroudsburg University, she has a passion for writing a wide variety of content for anyone and everyone. In her free time, you can find her working on a new crochet pattern, listening to true crime podcasts, or tackling a new creative writing project. This article has been viewed 5,583 times.
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Co-authors: 6
Updated: May 30, 2022
Views: 5,583
Categories: Shopping Online
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