Chronopost Tracking

Chronopost tracking follows express parcels across France and to 230 countries and territories in real time, from the moment a parcel is taken in charge until it is delivered. Chronopost is the express-delivery subsidiary of France's La Poste group and a member of Geopost (the DPDgroup network), and it delivered more than 265 million parcels in 2024 (Chronopost, 2024). To follow a shipment, paste the Chronopost tracking number into the tracker on this page and the latest scan and full movement history appear together.

Chronopost Tracking Number Format

A Chronopost tracking number is a 13-character reference assigned when the shipping label is created, and it is the code that identifies the parcel at every scan. The most common domestic format is the prefix 3S followed by 11 digits (for example 3S00123456789). Chronopost also issues numbers in the Universal Postal Union S10 format, two letters, nine digits and the ISO country code FR (for example XX123456789FR), on shipments that move through the wider postal network. Inbound parcels arriving from abroad can carry a longer reference of up to 15 characters.

The same number is described by several names depending on where it appears. Chronopost and its partners variously call it the parcel number, the shipment reference, the tracking number or, on air-based international services, the air waybill. All of these refer to the single barcode printed on the carrier label, and the same reference stays valid from collection to final delivery, even when a parcel changes hands between Chronopost and a partner network abroad.

An order number from a shop or marketplace is not the same as the Chronopost tracking number. The order reference identifies the purchase in the seller's system; the Chronopost number is printed on the carrier label once the parcel is dispatched. Always track using the carrier number shown on the label or in the shipping confirmation, not the order ID.

Where to Find Your Chronopost Tracking Number

The Chronopost tracking number appears in several places depending on how the parcel was sent:

• In the dispatch or shipping confirmation email sent by the online store or marketplace.

• On the shipping receipt or drop-off proof issued at a Chronopost Pickup point or post office.

• On the parcel label itself, printed near or beneath the barcode.

• In the account area on the retailer's website, under order or delivery details.

• In the SMS or email notification Chronopost sends when a parcel is scheduled for delivery or ready at a Pickup point.

For marketplace purchases, the order page usually shows the carrier reference once the seller hands the parcel to Chronopost. If only an order number is visible, the tracking number has not yet been generated or the seller has not published it.

Chronopost Tracking Number Example

The table below lists the number formats Chronopost parcels commonly carry. The prefix indicates the format and origin, not a guaranteed service level, so treat the prefix as a pattern rather than a definitive service code.

Chronopost Tracking Status Guide

Chronopost records a scan at each stage of the journey, so the status shows exactly where a parcel is and what happens next. Between the first collection scan and delivery, a domestic parcel is typically scanned at the origin agency, at a sorting hub, at the destination agency, and again when it goes out for delivery. The table below explains the statuses seen most often on Chronopost tracking.

Why Chronopost Tracking Is Not Updating or Not Working

When Chronopost tracking stops moving, it is usually a normal gap between scans rather than a lost parcel. The most common reasons are below.

Awaiting the first scan. A newly created label can show "shipment registered" with no movement until Chronopost physically collects the parcel, which may take several hours or until the next working day.

In transit between hubs. Parcels are not scanned continuously; a long-haul leg between a regional agency and a hub such as Chilly-Mazarin can leave the status unchanged for a day without any problem.

Customs clearance. International parcels can pause at customs while duties, taxes or import paperwork are processed. A "held at customs" status usually means the parcel is waiting for clearance, not that anything is wrong.

Failed delivery attempt. If no one is available, the driver leaves a notice and the parcel is redirected to a nearby Pickup point, where it waits for collection.

Wrong number or missing detail. A mistyped character, or using the seller's order reference instead of the 3S carrier number, returns no result. Re-check every character against the label.

Genuinely delayed. Weekends, public holidays, weather and peak e-commerce periods extend transit. If there is no movement for several business days, the sender (the account holder) should open an enquiry with Chronopost.

Chronopost Services and Delivery Times

Chronopost runs the most diversified express offering on the French market, covering home and out-of-home delivery, domestic and international, B2B, B2C and C2C, for parcels up to 30 kg (Chronopost, 2024). Parcels sent to or from a Pickup point are limited to 20 kg, while home-delivery express services accept up to the full 30 kg. The table compares its main tracked services and typical transit times.

These figures are estimates. Next-day domestic delivery before 1 p.m. is possible to and from all areas of mainland France thanks to Chronopost's 140-plus facilities, while public holidays, remote destinations and customs can extend the international ranges.

How Chronopost Predict and Delivery Notifications Work

Chronopost Predict is the carrier's notification and rescheduling tool, and it is the reason many recipients can influence a delivery before the driver arrives. When the sender adds a mobile number and email address to the waybill, Chronopost sends the recipient a delivery window and lets them redirect the parcel to a Pickup point, choose a safe place, or reschedule for another day. These options depend on the service and the stage the parcel has reached.

When a parcel is delivered to a relay point, Chronopost sends a text message confirming the location together with a unique QR code. The recipient presents that code and proof of identity to collect the parcel, and it is held at the Pickup point for a set number of days before being returned to the sender. Signing up for SMS and email alerts is the most reliable way to catch a delivery window or a Pickup-point notice, because those messages update faster than the sender's order page.

Drop-Off and Collection at Chronopost Points

Chronopost relies on a network of 25,000 proximity points across France, made up of Chronopost depots, post offices and Pickup points, the country's leading relay network (Chronopost, 2024). Parcels can be dropped off at any of these points, and recipients can choose to have a delivery routed to a nearby Pickup point instead of their home. Out-of-home delivery is one of the main reasons a Chronopost tracking status may read "available at Pickup point" rather than "out for delivery".

Collection at a Pickup point requires the QR code from the notification message and a proof of identity, and the parcel is held for a limited number of days before it is returned to the sender. For senders, drop-off is the simplest way to hand a parcel to Chronopost without booking a home collection, and the drop-off receipt carries the 3S tracking number needed to follow the shipment. The Shop2Shop division alone runs on more than 17,000 Pickup points, which is why second-hand and marketplace parcels so often complete their journey at a relay point rather than the door.

Delivery and Transit Across France and Beyond

Domestically, Chronopost's express network reaches every part of mainland France, with next-morning delivery routine between the largest cities such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Nantes. Around 8,500 delivery routes run each day (Chronopost, 2024), fed by 15 hubs including the international gateway at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and high-capacity sorting centres at Chilly-Mazarin and Aulnay-sous-Bois, the latter able to process up to 600,000 parcels per day after its 2024 expansion.

For overseas France, Chronopost serves Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, Mayotte and New Caledonia through dedicated services, with longer transit than mainland delivery. Internationally, express parcels are flown from the Roissy hub and either delivered by Chronopost's own network or handed to a Geopost or destination partner for the final leg. Because Chronopost is an express carrier, transit inside France is measured in hours rather than days once a parcel is taken in charge, and a scan gap of more than a full business day usually points to a hub delay rather than a normal transfer.

Returns and Claims

Chronopost supports returns through its Pickup network: a return label can be printed at home or generated at a relay point, and the parcel is dropped at any Chronopost Pickup point or post office within the 20 kg Pickup-point limit. The sender who created the shipment is the account holder and manages any claim, so a recipient who bought from a shop should always start with that retailer rather than contacting Chronopost directly.

For a lost or damaged parcel, the recipient should report the problem to the sender or retailer, who can open an investigation with Chronopost. Keeping the tracking number, the order reference and any proof-of-delivery photo ready speeds up the enquiry, because Chronopost's PhotoConfirm system stores a delivery image that helps resolve disputes over where a parcel was left.

Which Countries Does Chronopost Deliver To?

Chronopost international tracking covers express and economy parcels to 230 countries and territories, with scans continuing from the French leg onto the destination carrier once the parcel crosses the border. As a member of Geopost, Europe's leading parcel-delivery group, Chronopost delivers across the continent through the DPD and Seur networks, then relies on air services and local partners further afield.

Within Europe, express parcels reach Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Portugal and the United Kingdom, often within two to three business days. In neighbouring markets Chronopost works alongside its Geopost sister brands, and in France it sits beside Colissimo, the La Poste group's standard parcel service, and DPD France, its Geopost stablemate for ground parcels. The parent postal operator La Poste handles letters and standard mail that may accompany an order. Typical destination groups include:

• Domestic: mainland France plus the overseas territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, Mayotte, New Caledonia).

• Europe: Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, the United Kingdom.

• North America: United States, Canada.

• Asia Pacific: China, Japan, Australia, and other major markets.

• MENA and rest of world: a broad list of countries reached through the DPDgroup and airline partners.

Cross-Border Customs and International Handoff

When a Chronopost parcel crosses a border, the tracking number normally stays the same, but the scans may switch from Chronopost to the destination carrier once the parcel arrives in the receiving country. Chronopost is connected in real time to French customs authorities, which speeds clearance on outbound and inbound express shipments.

International parcels can pause at customs while duties, taxes or import paperwork are processed. If duties are owed, the recipient may need to pay them before delivery continues. A universal tracker such as InstantParcels is useful here because it follows the parcel across both the Chronopost leg and the destination-carrier leg in one place, so the trail does not go dark at the moment a parcel leaves the Chronopost network.

Marketplace Deliveries

Chronopost is a common express and Pickup-point carrier for orders placed on marketplaces shipping to and within France and Europe, including Amazon, eBay, Cdiscount and second-hand platforms. Its Shop2Shop division, built on a network of more than 17,000 Pickup points, has made it a default choice for peer-to-peer sales, and its Chrono Relais services are widely offered at checkout by French e-commerce sites.

For a marketplace purchase, the order page is usually the quickest place to find the carrier reference. Buyers on eBay order tracking can see where the seller's number appears and how it maps to the carrier that delivers, while parcels from Amazon and second-hand sales on Vinted frequently move on Chrono Relais or Shop2Shop to a nearby Pickup point. In every case the InstantParcels tracker accepts the Chronopost 3S number directly, so the same reference works whether the parcel started as a marketplace order or a private shipment.

What Is Chronopost?

Chronopost was created in 1985 by the La Poste group to meet growing demand for express transport in the French market, and it has since become France's leading express-parcel carrier for shipments up to 30 kg. It is a member of Geopost, the holding company that groups La Poste's parcel activities and the umbrella under which the DPD, Chronopost and Seur brands were regrouped as DPDgroup in 2015.

The network was built through decades of investment: the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle international hub opened in 1991 as its "gateway to the world", the Chilly-Mazarin hub opened in 2008 handling 400,000 parcels a day, and the Aulnay-sous-Bois hub was expanded in 2024 to as many as 600,000 parcels a day. Today Chronopost runs around 100 agencies and 15 hubs, employs about 5,000 people, and relies on 25,000 proximity points across France for drop-off and collection (Chronopost, 2024).

Chronopost has also diversified beyond standard express. The subsidiaries Chronofresh and Chronopost Healthcare extend the network into temperature-controlled food and healthcare delivery, backed by four dedicated cold-chain hubs opened in 2023, and the company has invested in low-emission vehicles for last-mile delivery in Paris and dozens of other French cities. Whichever Chronopost service a parcel used, and whatever number format it carries, it can be followed with the universal tracker on this page.