‘Your order is confirmed with Order ID: FX-250123-110-12345. You can track the status of your order shipment with Tracking ID: LP-12345-628-110.’ 

If you use logistics, transport or courier services for business or personally, then the terms Order ID and Tracking ID (also known as Order number and Tracking number) must be familiar to you. These are common terms that logistics shipping companies use for shipping and order fulfilment.

Today, with the rise of domestic and international shipping and e-Commerce business, logistics companies prioritise efficiency in transportation and delivery. Tracking order status is a key feature that customers demand making it necessary for businesses to build capabilities that facilitate order ID tracking. So, let’s understand what is Order ID and Tracking ID, how they are different, where and how these IDs are used, and how to track order ID status.

What is an Order ID?

An Order ID or Order number, is a unique number that gets assigned to an order placed by the customer (online or offline). In several cases, it is also known as a Reference number or even Purchase ID.

An Order ID is provided when a buyer/customer places an order. Businesses have different Order ID formats that’s unique to their business and facilitates the entire order fulfilment process. The Order ID number format usually consists of letters, number, and characters in a structure unique to the business.

Order number example:

MET111ddddxxxxDEL – where ‘MET’ refers to the seller company code, ‘111’ is a specific code used by the company, ‘dddd’ refers to the order placement date, ‘xxxx’ is the actual Order number for the customer, ‘DEL’ is the final destination code.

(This is a sample and not specific to any business)

What is the Order number?

Order number is the same as Order ID. Businesses usually use either of these terms to denote the unique identifier when a customer places an order. An Order number can be used to:

• Fetch details about a particular order
• Get updates on its delivery ETA and status
• Connect with customer service team or transport companies for any queries

In general, the Order number can be of 4 to 20 characters, with a mix of alphabets, numbers and special characters. It’s unique to every business.

In cases where a business is doing its own shipment, Order number can also double as the Tracking number. However, most businesses outsource logistics services and provide separate identifiers for Order ID and Tracking ID to simplify the process.

Why Order number is important?

Understanding the Order ID or Order number is crucial for both the buyer and seller and any 3PL logistics service provider involved in the actual transportation of goods.

It acts as a proof of transaction and facilitates communication. When a customer requires specific details about their purchase, the Order ID number helps the business generate, track and fetch all relevant information pertaining to the specific order. Details like date of order, items and quantity, price, payment status, etc. can easily be fetched.

Similarly, details on packaging, labelling, shipment partners, and delivery ETAs can also be fetched using the Order status tracking mechanism – though for tracking purposes, most businesses generate a separate Tracking ID.

What is Tracking ID?

A Tracking ID or Tracking number is a unique identifying number that is given to a shipment to track its progress. It is provided by the shipping company or carrier or 3PL service provider, as the case might be, and enables stakeholders to track their shipment during transit.

Similar to an Order ID, the Tracking number also consists of a series of alphanumeric and special characters.

Tracking number example:

BALM123xxxxaaaaKOL – Where ‘BALM’ can stand for the code for the logistics services company, ‘123’ its unique identifier, ‘xxxx’ the customer Tracking ID, ‘aaaa’ codes related to date/type of shipment or any other, ‘KOL’ the final destination

(This is a sample and not specific to any business)

Why is Tracking number important?

The Tracking ID number is important as it enables customers and businesses to track in real-time the status and location of a package from its place of origin to destination. It further:

• Ensures transparency in that customers can view their order’s journey
• Reassures customers by providing ETA on delivery
• Helps to address any delivery related issues and hence improves customer service

Tracking ID is critical in e-Commerce business where multiple delivery partners are used for last mile delivery. Tracking number provides status details on package such as – shipped from warehouse, arrived at distribution centre, delivery partner assigned, out for delivery, delivered to customer. 

To businesses and customers, both Order ID vs Tracking ID are unique and should be used accordingly.

What does Order number and Tracking number look like?

What does an Order number look like? What does a Tracking number look like? These are obvious questions at this point. We have discussed already the Order ID format and Tracking ID format. Here let us look at the sequence of alphanumeric digits and characters closely and understand the same.

Order ID format

Let us look at our example from before. Consider a fictitious India based company, FX Garments which receives an order and gives it the following identifier: Order ID: FX-250123-110-12345

A breakdown of this Order ID may read like:

• FX – company code
• 250123 – date of placing order
• 110 – delivery location code
• 12345 – order sequence number

Similarly, different companies can have different formats for Order numbers that can be understood by them and used for reference. As a customer, you only need to provide this Order number during all interactions with the company.

Tracking ID format

In the same context, let us look at, what does a tracking number look like? The Tracking number is usually provided by the logistics company – usually a 3PL partner offering services for warehouse logistics and last mile delivery or any other.

In our above example, consider FX Garments using LP Transporters (fictitious) as their third-party logistics provider.

Once the order is received, an agent in LP Transporters’s warehouse will check inventory and prepare the package (e.g., quantity, packaging, labelling etc.). Before shipping, a Tracking number will be provided (Tracking ID: LP-12345-628-110) to enable all entities to track the status and location of the package.

A breakdown of the Tracking ID may read like:

• LP – logistics partner company code
• 12345 – the original order sequence number
• 628 – the unique shipment sequence number
• 110 – delivery location code

As mentioned, the Tracking number and Order number are unique to businesses, and each follow their own nomenclature. For customers, what matters is knowing the respective Order vs Tracking numbers as a reference for Order related enquiries or Tracking status.

How to find Order ID number?

Having access to your Order number is necessary. But what if you don’t know what is your Order number? Let us help you to learn:

• Where to find the Order number
• How to find the Order number online

When you place an order, the seller sends a transaction email and/or SMS (or even WhatsApp message) confirming your order. You can track the Order number mentioned in this email/SMS communication.

Similarly, if you want to find the Order number online, you can find it on the seller company website. In most cases, the journey looks like:

Login to account > Visit ‘My Orders’ > Click to view list of orders with Order ID number

The process is the same, if you want to find the Tracking number. When your order is ready for shipment, an email/SMS message will be sent, updating you with Tracking ID details to help you track the delivery timelines of your package.

Note: Many businesses today, especially those that have air consignments use AWB numbers or air waybill that provide details about the goods being transported.

What is Order ID tracking?

Order ID tracking refers to tracking the status and location of your order. It refers to how customers and businesses can check the status of a package using the Order ID. Though this is not the most common practice for checking the status/location of a package, many small businesses with limited number of orders use Order ID number as the single point of reference for fetching all details pertaining to a specific order, including its real-time status.

In most cases, customers can log in to their account (company website) and check the real-time order status. Most businesses provide critical information such as – date of order placed, order details, payment status, payment mode, any code applied, real-time shipment updates, and delivery ETA.

This is similar to a self-service function where customers can track order status without having to contact customer support team for updates. This is often considered a critical feature that enhances customer experience and engagement with the business.

How to track order status?

Once you have the Tracking number it is easy to track the status of your order. All you have to do is visit the company website (3PL or freight forwarding company website) and enter your Tracking ID number in the search box to learn the status of your order.

It is important to note the follow about tracking the order status:

• For security reasons, many websites require you to login to your account to view order status
• For easy access, communications sent to your registered email ID and phone number comes with the Tracking ID
• In some cases, email/SMS are sent for important status updates (e.g., order out for delivery, delivery attempted, etc.)

Real-time order status tracking is the norm today, especially for eCommerce business. Depending on the service provider, order status tracking can be basic or detailed.

• Basic order status tracking: Order placed > Order Shipped > Out for delivery > Order delivered
• Detailed order status tracking: Order placed > Order processed > Ready to be shipped > Shipped from warehouse > Arrived in distribution centre > Delivery partner assigned > Out for delivery > Order delivered

How to use Order number or Tracking number?

What is shipment tracking number?

A shipment tracking number is useful when you have to track a shipment. In today’s world of e-Commerce shipping, a shipment tracking number is provided when an order is shipped and can provide the latest updates on the package’s location and delivery timelines.

Tracking vs Shipment vs Consignment number

At this point, you must be wondering if there is any difference between tracking ID, shipment tracking number, and consignment tracking number. Let’s find out:

FAQs

Author: Sohini Banerjee

Sohini is a seasoned content writer with 12 years’ experience in developing marketing and business content across multiple formats. At Tata nexarc, she leverages her skills in crafting curated content on the Indian MSME sector, steel procurement, and logistics. In her personal time, she enjoys reading fiction and being up-to-date on trends in digital marketing and the Indian business ecosystem.