What Does “Awaiting Fulfillment” Mean?

Last Updated: May 30, 2022 References

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?

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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]
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Research source} 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]
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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?

“Pending fulfillment” means the same thing as “awaiting fulfillment.” Employees are currently packaging and getting your order ready for shipment, but they haven’t completed it quite yet.^{[4]
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- Some companies treat “pending fulfillment” and “awaiting fulfillment” as separate statuses. In these cases, “awaiting fulfillment” means that your item isn’t being packaged for shipment yet, while “pending fulfillment” means that it’s currently being packaged.^{[5]
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Section 3 of 4:

Other Shipping Statuses

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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]
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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]
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- If your package is still “awaiting shipment,” there are probably other orders ahead of yours in the shipping queue.
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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]
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- Keep checking your order status on the retailer’s website for updates on the rest of your package.
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Shipped
Your package was officially handed off to a delivery service, which will deliver it straight to your doorstep.^{[9]
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Research source} “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]
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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.

Section 4 of 4:

How do I know when my package is coming?

Use your tracking number to keep tabs on your package. All major retailers and delivery services provide info about who’s delivering your package, including the tracking number attached to your item. Copy and paste this tracking number into the corresponding delivery courier’s website to get the latest updates on where your package is.
- USPS: https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input
- UPS: https://www.ups.com/track
- FedEx: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/tracking.html
- DHL: https://www.dhl.com/us-en/home/tracking.html
- Amazon: https://track.amazon.com/