An Post is Ireland's postal carrier and a common way parcels reach Irish shoppers, including cross-border parcels arriving from the UK and beyond. Its first status and its customs statuses cause the most confusion. This guide explains each An Post status in order, and flags the few that need action.
Short answer: "Pre-advice received" means An Post has the electronic details of the parcel but has not physically received it yet. "Item received," "in transit," and "processed" are the parcel moving through the network. "Out for delivery" means it arrives today. "Delivered" is done. Watch for "available for collection," "delivery attempted," and any customs or charge status on cross-border parcels, which need you to collect, redeliver, or pay a fee.
An Post statuses at a glance
| Status | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-advice received | Details received, parcel not scanned yet | Wait |
| Item received / accepted | First scan, in the network | None |
| In transit / Processed | Moving through the network | None |
| Customs / charge to pay | Held pending duty or a fee | Pay to release |
| Out for delivery | With the postperson today | None |
| Delivered | Done | Check if not received |
| Available for collection | Held at a Post Office / depot | Collect within the window |
| Delivery attempted | Could not deliver | Collect or redeliver |
The normal An Post sequence
Pre-advice received. An Post has received the electronic pre-advice (the shipment data) from the sender or the originating carrier, but has not physically received or scanned the parcel yet. A label and data exist; the parcel may still be upstream. Common on cross-border parcels handed to An Post for final delivery.
Item received / Accepted. First physical scan, when An Post takes the parcel in. It is now in the network.
In transit / Processed. Moving through An Post's network toward the delivery office. A quiet stretch of a day is normal.
Out for delivery. With the postperson for delivery today. See what "out for delivery" means.
Delivered. Done, sometimes with a note on where it was left. If the customer does not have it, see package says delivered but not received.
The statuses that need action
Customs / Charge to pay. On cross-border parcels, An Post may hold the item pending customs duty, VAT, or a handling fee. The parcel is released once the charge is paid, usually via a link or at collection. See how long customs clearance takes and package stuck in customs.
Available for collection. The parcel is held at a Post Office or depot for pickup, often after a failed attempt or for a signature item. Collect within the holding window before it returns to sender.
Delivery attempted. An Post tried and could not deliver. The customer collects or arranges redelivery. Messaging them at this scan cuts avoidable WISMO tickets.
Why An Post's pre-advice and customs statuses confuse shoppers (the merchant view)
"Pre-advice received" reads like "not shipped," and a customs "charge to pay" status alarms customers who did not expect a fee. An Post also words its milestones differently from the UK and international carriers a parcel may pass through first. Carriers emit anywhere from 10 to 115 distinct statuses each.
Pango normalizes An Post's statuses, along with the other 100+ carriers you use, into one clean set of milestones on your branded tracking page, and turns a customs charge or a collection status into a clear instruction to the customer automatically, so a cross-border parcel does not become a support ticket.
The bottom line
Most An Post statuses are normal movement; the ones to watch are customs "charge to pay," available-for-collection, and attempted-delivery, which need you to pay, collect, or redeliver. For merchants, the fix is normalizing the feed and turning customs and collection statuses into clear instructions. See how it works on the post-purchase operations platform and book a demo.
