DHL tracking statuses, in order: "shipment information received" (label only), "processed at facility" and "in transit" (moving through the network), "clearance event" (customs), "out for delivery" (today), "delivered". The ones that need you are "on hold", "awaiting collection by the consignee" and a clearance event that asks for a payment. The wording varies between DHL Express, eCommerce and Parcel, so this page groups them by meaning.
DHL tracking statuses follow a parcel from the moment your store transmits the order data to the moment it is signed for. Most of them are routine. A few of them mean someone needs to act, and knowing which is which is the difference between a calm support inbox and a full one.
This guide walks through the statuses in the order a customer usually sees them, what each one actually means, and what to do when a parcel stops moving. DHL runs several networks (Express, eCommerce, Parcel, Freight) and the exact wording varies between them, so we group by meaning rather than by exact string.
Short answer: Most DHL statuses describe normal movement. "Shipment information received" (or "data transmitted") means a label exists but DHL has not scanned the parcel yet. "Processed," "in transit," and "arrived at facility" are the parcel moving through the network. "Out for delivery" means it arrives today. Only "exception," "attempted delivery," and "returned to sender" need action.
Have a status line this page does not list? Paste it into the tracking status decoder and get the meaning, the stage of the journey and what to do.
For this status in detail, see what "shipment information received" means.
| Status | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Shipment information received | Label exists, not scanned yet | Wait |
| Processed / In transit | Moving through the network | None |
| Arrived at facility | At a sorting hub mid-route | None |
| Out for delivery | On the vehicle today | None |
| Delivered | Done | Check if not received |
| Exception | Something interrupted the flow | Read the detail line |
| Attempted delivery | Missed, awaiting choice | Choose redelivery or pickup |
| Scheduled to depart on the next planned movement | The parcel is at a DHL facility waiting for the next scheduled truck or flight; the plain reading of DHL's wording, which DHL does not define separately. Normal unless it repeats for more than two business days | Wait; chase only past the expected date |
| Returned to sender | Undeliverable | Contact the store |
The normal sequence, in plain language
Shipment information received / electronic notification. DHL knows the parcel exists because your system sent the data, but no one has scanned it yet. If a parcel sits here for days, the problem is in your warehouse handover, not at DHL. This is the DHL cousin of the generic "parcel data submitted to carrier" status that confuses so many shoppers.
Picked up / accepted. The first physical scan. The clock on the delivery promise really starts here, which is why the gap between label creation and this scan is worth measuring.
Processed at facility / departed facility. The parcel is moving through DHL's hubs. Multiple repeats of this pair are normal on longer lanes.
In transit. The broad middle of the journey. No action needed unless it repeats for longer than the lane usually takes.
Arrived at delivery facility. The parcel reached the depot that serves the destination address. Delivery is usually next-day or same-day from here.
Out for delivery / with delivery courier. On the van. Most parcels show as delivered by end of day.
Delivered. Signed for, left in a safe place, or handed to a pickup point depending on the service.
The statuses that need attention
On hold. Movement has paused. Common causes are a missed connection, an overloaded facility, or a problem with the address. One "on hold" scan is usually noise. An "on hold" that lasts more than a business day deserves a proactive message to the customer before they ask.
Clearance event / customs status updated. Cross-border parcels only. Often routine processing, but it can mean documents or duties are missing. If the status repeats without progress, the fix usually involves paperwork rather than patience. Our guide to DDP vs DDU shipping explains why parcels shipped DDU get stuck here far more often.
Exception / delivery attempt failed. Something interrupted delivery: nobody home, access problem, weather, damaged label. What matters is the next line. A reattempt or pickup-point redirect is fine. Silence after an exception is what creates a "where is my order" ticket.
Returned to sender. The end of the failed path: refused, unclaimed, or undeliverable. This should trigger your returns flow automatically, not sit unnoticed until the customer emails.
Why DHL statuses confuse customers anyway
Two structural reasons. First, wording differs by DHL network, so "processed at facility" on one shipment reads as "arrived at sorting center" on another and customers wonder if something changed. Second, the raw feed is written for logistics people. "Clearance event" is precise and useless to a shopper at the same time.
Carriers overall emit anywhere from 10 to 115 distinct statuses. Pango's order tracking software normalizes DHL's raw events, alongside every other carrier a brand uses, into one clean set of milestones on a branded tracking page, and its agents can message the customer or reroute when a status turns into a problem. That is what turns tracking from a page customers refresh into an operation that acts. The same normalized feed powers multi-carrier routing, so a lane where DHL underperforms can shift automatically.
Run an online store? Your support team answers these exact questions one ticket at a time, every day. Pango's agents answer them automatically, before the ticket exists. See what returns and tickets really cost you, or how Switch Nails put 99% of returns on autopilot.
For merchants: how to score DHL against other carriers on your own tracking data is in carrier performance metrics, and how to route each order to the right carrier is in carrier selection rules.
"Awaiting collection by the consignee" and "clearance event": the two DHL wordings people search most
"Awaiting collection by the consignee" means the parcel is being held for you (the consignee is the recipient) at a DHL service point, parcel shop, locker or depot, and DHL is waiting for you to collect it. It appears after a failed delivery attempt or when the delivery option was collection from the start, and it comes with a collection deadline after which the parcel returns to the sender. The general meaning of the stage, the usual deadlines and what to bring are in awaiting collection meaning. The variant "awaiting collection by recipient as requested" says the same thing when you chose collection yourself.
"Clearance event" is DHL's customs status. A single clearance event is routine: the parcel has been presented to customs in the destination country and a step in the process has been recorded. Several clearance events on consecutive days with no movement are the signal to look at the detail line, because they usually mean a document check or duties and taxes to pay, and DHL will contact the recipient for payment where that applies. What a customs hold involves, and how long one normally lasts, is in package stuck in customs and how long does customs clearance take. "Processed at delivery facility" is the domestic step after clearance: the parcel has reached the local DHL facility that serves your address and is being prepared for the delivery round.
If you run a store and this status is generating tickets, Pango runs a free shipping and returns audit on your own orders as part of a demo; the categories to compare are carrier management software and returns management platform. Book the free audit.
The express-courier wording "clearance processing completed", in its import and export versions, has its own page: clearance processing completed meaning.
The bottom line
Most DHL statuses are the parcel moving as intended. "On hold", "clearance event", "exception" and "returned to sender" are the four that can need action, and the earlier you act on them, the fewer tickets you get. Pango normalizes DHL and 100+ other carriers into one clean status feed that can act on itself. See the post-purchase operations platform and book a demo.
