When a Shein package leaves China, the tracking number displayed in the app doesn’t tell the whole story. The final carrier in France can change from one order to another, tracking statuses sometimes remain frozen for several days, and since July 1st, a new flat customs duty complicates the understanding of delivery stages. Understanding what is really happening between the warehouse and your mailbox requires looking beyond the “My Orders” screen.
Flat customs duty and frozen status: what changed in July
Since July 1st, the European Union has implemented a flat customs duty of 3 euros on low-value imports from online trade, a measure that directly targets platforms like Shein, Temu, or AliExpress. This European tax replaces the French tax of 2 euros on small packages, which was suspended at the same time.
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For buyers, the impact is first seen in the tracking. A package may display a status of “stuck in customs” or “inspection in progress” while customs services conduct checks. These mentions, absent a few months ago, now appear more frequently in tracking notifications.
In practical terms, the likelihood that a Shein package will be scanned, held for a few days, or subjected to a thorough customs check has increased. The delay between the last scan abroad and the first update in France lengthens without the app providing a precise explanation. Understanding the current Shein delivery and carrier in France requires taking into account this additional customs layer, which did not exist in this form a year ago.
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Which carrier delivers Shein in France: identifying the last link
Shein does not manage its own delivery fleet. The platform entrusts its packages to several logistics providers, and the final carrier varies depending on the chosen shipping method, the weight of the package, and the delivery location. The same customer may receive two orders placed on the same day by two different carriers.
The carriers most frequently associated with Shein deliveries in France are Mondial Relay for pickup points and providers like Colissimo or international postal services for home delivery. The Shein app displays the name of the carrier in the “Tracking” section once the package is shipped, but this information does not always appear immediately.
How to find the carrier’s name in the app
The process in the Shein app is as follows:
- Go to “My Account,” then “My Orders,” and click on “View Details” for the relevant order.
- If the status indicates “Shipped,” a “Tracking” button appears with the tracking number and the name of the assigned carrier.
- Copy this tracking number to enter it directly on the carrier’s website (Mondial Relay, La Poste, etc.), where updates are often more detailed than in the Shein app itself.
When the package is handled by multiple operators, the initial tracking number (often in a format starting with “S” or a code specific to the Asian freight forwarder) does not work on the French carrier’s website. You must wait for the package to be picked up on French territory for a second number, compatible with local tracking, to be generated.
Carrier handling fees despite prepaid VAT: a recurring trap
Shein collects VAT at 20% at the time of purchase via the IOSS one-stop shop, which is supposed to simplify customs clearance. On paper, the customer should not pay anything upon receipt. In practice, handling fees charged by the final carrier remain a point of friction regularly reported by buyers.
These fees do not correspond to the VAT (already paid), but to “administrative fees” or “customs presentation fees” that some carriers apply for the administrative processing of the package. The amount varies by provider, and Shein does not mention them in the order summary.
This discrepancy between the displayed price at checkout and the actual cost at delivery does not appear anywhere in real-time tracking. The customer discovers these fees at the time of pickup or delivery, sometimes in the form of a text message or notification from the carrier requesting additional payment.
Check if your package is affected
Packages shipped from European warehouses (Shein has them in Belgium and Poland) do not go through customs and do not incur these types of fees. However, items shipped directly from China are exposed to them. The Shein app does not always specify the warehouse of origin, but a shipping time announced to be less than a week generally indicates a shipment from Europe.
Real-time Shein tracking: why tracking freezes and what to do
A Shein tracking number that does not change for several days causes concern, but this situation is common and rarely indicates loss. Several reasons explain this apparent blockage.
Shein consolidates goods from many different sellers. Ten items ordered simultaneously may come from ten distinct suppliers across China. The site announces a few days for preparation, but the consolidation of shipments often takes longer. Some items already in stock at the Shein warehouse ship quickly, while others wait.
The international transit phase (between the last scan in China and arrival in Europe) is the least well covered by tracking. During air or sea transport, no intermediate scan updates the status. Tracking resumes upon entry into European territory, during customs clearance or when taken over by the local carrier.
- Status frozen for less than five days after shipping: normal international transit, no action required.
- Status frozen with mention “in customs” or “inspection”: the package is undergoing customs control, a process now more frequent with the new regulatory framework.
- No updates for more than two weeks: contact Shein customer service via the app, in the “Online Chat” section, providing the order number.
Third-party tracking tools (17Track, Parcels App) aggregate data from several carriers and sometimes display updates that the Shein app has not yet reported. Entering the tracking number on these platforms allows for cross-referencing information.
Tracking a Shein order remains an exercise in informed patience. The increase in customs checks, the rotation of carriers, and unanticipated additional fees are part of the purchasing journey on this platform. Keeping the tracking number accessible and checking the status on the final carrier’s website rather than in the Shein app usually provides a more accurate picture of the actual progress of the package.