Delays can happen for several reasons; from customs processing to carrier capacity issues. Here's how to identify what's causing delays and what you can do to support your customers.
Check the service alerts page first
Before investigating individual shipments, check our service alerts page for known delays. We update this weekly with weather disruptions, local holidays, labor shortages, and operational issues that could impact delivery times.
If a delay is affecting multiple shipments to your customers, we'll also reach out directly via email with specific details and recommendations.
Common reasons for delays
- Customs clearance: Customs processing is the most common cause of delays. Delivered Duties Unpaid (DDU) shipments take longer because the local carrier must collect payment before releasing the package. Delivered Duties Paid (DDP) shipments typically clear customs faster, but can still be held for random inspections or if additional documentation is required.
- Carrier capacity constraints: During peak shipping seasons or in areas with limited carrier infrastructure, final-mile delivery can take longer than usual. Rural or remote destinations often see extended transit times.
- Missing or incomplete documentation: For countries, customs may require additional documentation like tax IDs, invoices, or certificates of origin. DDU shipments are especially vulnerable to these delays since your customer must provide the information directly to the local carrier.
- Weather and natural events: Severe weather, natural disasters, or infrastructure disruptions can halt movement for several days. These are typically announced on our service alerts page.
- Local holidays and operational closures: Customs offices and carriers may not operate on local holidays.
What you can see in your portal
Your Passport portal gives you visibility into:
- Transit performance metrics: Average shipping time and on-time delivery rates by country or service level
- Exceptions intelligence: Identification of packages with no tracking movement, with links to investigate specific tracking details
- Market performance: Top markets by revenue and delivery performance, so you can spot trends by region
If you notice delays concentrated in one region or with a specific service level, you can reach out to our support team for assistance!
What you can do right now
- For individual delayed shipments, you can check the local carrier tracking page to see if duties need to be paid or additional documentation is required. This is especially important for DDU shipments. It can also be helpful to proactively contact your customer to let them know about the delay, to set expectations, and to build trust.
- If tracking shows movement but the package is late, there isn't much we can do to speed up a package that's already moving through the network. Customs, carrier capacity, and local delivery schedules are outside our control once the shipment is in transit.
- If tracking shows no movement for 7 days or more, contact partners@passportglobal.com so we can open a carrier investigation.
- If you notice a pattern of delays involving more than 10 shipments to a specific region, please reach out to Partner Support at partners@passportglobal.com. From there, we'll investigate with our carrier partners.
Still need help?
If you're seeing delays that don't match any of these patterns or need help interpreting your portal data, contact Partner Support at partners@passportglobal.com or through chat in your portal. We're available Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM ET.