How to add tracking to an eBay order by phone
The order shows as shipped with its tracking number, entered by scanning the label instead of typing 22 digits.
Checked against eBay's tracking items you've sold page on September 13, 2026.
Before you start
- The eBay app, signed in to the selling account.
- The printed label in front of you, with its tracking QR code.
- The carrier you bought the label from.
In the eBay app
-
Open the sold item in the eBay app
In the eBay app, open the item you have just packed.
You should see the item page for that order.
-
Select Add Tracking Number
On the item page, select Add Tracking Number.
You should see the tracking fields, with the option to scan.
-
Scan the tracking QR code on the label
Point the camera at the tracking QR code.
You should see the tracking number filled in without typing.
-
Set the shipping carrier
Pick the carrier you bought the label from. The scan fills the number, not the carrier.
-
Save the tracking number
Save it against the order.
You should see the order showing as shipped with the number attached.
In Seller Hub, on a computer
-
Open Paid and shipped in Seller Hub
In Seller Hub, open Orders, then Paid and shipped, and find the order.
You should see the order with its buyer and item.
-
Select the order by checking the box next to it
eBay's tracking steps start with the order selected.
You should see the box ticked and the order actions available.
-
Open the tracking control
With the order selected, select the Dispatch dropdown menu, then Add tracking number.
You should see fields for the shipping carrier and the tracking number.
-
Enter the carrier and number, then select Save
Pick the carrier, type the number from the label, and select Save.
You should see the order showing as shipped with the tracking number attached.
If it goes wrong
- The scan does not pick the carrier
A scanned QR code fills the number and leaves the carrier to you. A number saved against the wrong carrier is a number eBay cannot validate.
- Not every label carries a QR code
Where the label has no tracking QR code, type the number or use Seller Hub. Do not photograph a barcode and hope.
- Shipped in the app is not the same as scanned by the carrier
eBay states that tracking "must show an acceptance scan to prove shipping" (eBay, tracking items you've sold, checked 13 September 2026). Marking the order from your kitchen table on Sunday does not create that scan.
What happens next
eBay measures handling time from payment to the first carrier scan, so the drop-off, not the app, stops that clock. Top Rated requires at least 95% of transactions with tracking uploaded within handling time and validated by the carrier, and no more than 5 late shipments or 3% of transactions (eBay). You can add up to 6 tracking numbers to one order if the sale goes out in more than one parcel.
Scan to ship, then let eBay hear about it
Scan-to-ship in our app takes you from the parcel in your hand to the right order. With eBay connected, buying the label posts the fulfilment back with tracking and carrier, eBay marks the order Shipped and emails the buyer, and a failed write-back retries for up to 7 days.
Related questions
Yes. Adding the tracking number on the item page in the eBay app is what marks it shipped, and the app can scan the tracking QR code on your label.
The scan reads the tracking number only. eBay validates the number against the carrier you choose, so the two have to match.
For one or two parcels, yes, because the QR scan replaces typing. For a batch, a single upload or a connected store beats both.