Is there a free package tracking API?
Yes, with limits. lastscanned's API answers 1 tracking lookup a day with no key at all, and a free account gets 5 tracking numbers a day (about 150 a month) across 542 carriers, with the same response as paid plans. Other free allowances: 17TRACK gives new accounts a one-time 200 numbers, TrackingMore 50 credits a month (API access is listed from its paid Basic plan), C2W 5 requests a day across 8 US carriers, and HaulSense the first 10 parcels. Ship24's free plan has no API. Carriers' own developer APIs (USPS, UPS, FedEx) are free but cover one carrier each.
Try it
curl https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/9400111899223197428490curl https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/UR07270000003615622 \
-H "Authorization: Bearer lsk_live_…"const res = await fetch("https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/GFUS01074503026309", {
headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.LASTSCANNED_KEY}` },
});
const { carrier, status, events } = await res.json();Free tracking API allowances (checked October 29, 2026)
| Option | How it works | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| lastscanned | No key: 1 lookup a day per IP. Free account: 5 numbers a day, resets 00:00 UTC. | $0, no credit card. On Free every number in every request counts, including repeats. | 542 carriers, REST and MCP, same response as Pro. |
| 17TRACK | API account with a register-then-push workflow. | One-time 200 numbers for accounts created after January 7, 2026 (it no longer renews monthly). | About 3,500 carriers, far more than lastscanned. |
| TrackingMore | Account; free plan is 50 credits a month. | $0 for 50 tracked packages a month; its pricing page lists the Tracking API and webhook from Basic. | 1,702 carriers. |
| C2W (packagetrackingapi.com) | RapidAPI subscription, Basic plan. | 5 requests a day, hard limit. | 8 US carriers; every request counts, including re-polls. |
| HaulSense | Account with free test mode. | First 10 parcels free, then $0.28 per parcel. | Also tracks air waybills and ocean containers. |
| Ship24 | Free plan: 10 shipments a month. | No API on the free plan; the API starts on Pro at $59/mo. | About 2,500 couriers. |
Competitor figures were read from each provider's own page on October 29, 2026 and can change. See the full comparison for sources and anything we could not verify.
Details
What "free" usually leaves out
Many free tiers cover a dashboard but not the API, renew only once, or count every repeat request. lastscanned's free tier is the same API, MCP server, and response as Pro, with a cap of 5 numbers a day. Requests refused at the limit don't count.
When to pay
Past 5 numbers a day, Pro is $4.99/mo for 1,000 numbers. If you need branded tracking pages, customer notifications, or 1,500+ carriers, AfterShip, TrackingMore, Ship24, and 17TRACK offer more of that than lastscanned does.
FAQ
- Can I call the lastscanned API without signing up?
- Yes. GET https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/{number} works with no key once a day per IP. Batch requests and anything past that get an MPP 402 challenge, or sign up free for 5 numbers a day.
- Are USPS, UPS, and FedEx APIs free?
- The carriers offer developer APIs at no charge with registration and their own terms, but each covers only its own packages and returns its own format. lastscanned returns one shape for all of them.
- Does the free tier include webhooks?
- Yes. Watching a number counts as one tracked number, like a lookup, and the re-checks after that are free. Webhooks are signed and can use lastscanned JSON or a 17TRACK v2 compatible format. See docs.lastscanned.com/webhooks.
- What happens at the free limit?
- A request that would go past the daily limit is refused whole with 429 until 00:00 UTC, and refused requests don't count. Nothing is billed on the free plan; upgrade to Pro or pay per request over MPP for more.