“Parcel is at sorting center / Zending is gesorteerd”Normalized: in_transit (In transit)PostNL (postnl)

What PostNL 'Parcel is at sorting center (Zending is gesorteerd)' means.

PostNL has physically scanned your 3S… barcode or S10 (..NL) international parcel at one of its automated Dutch sortation centers (or the IMEC cross-border hub at Schiphol/Houten).

Try a live tracking number:

What is happening in the supply chain

For domestic Benelux parcels (3S…), delivery typically occurs the next business day. For cross-border parcels arriving from Yanwen, Cainiao, or YunExpress, this scan confirms physical induction into PostNL after EU customs clearance.

Handoff guide: /handoff/yanwen-to-postnl →92… USPS Awaiting Item Checker →
Verbatim carrier scan
“Parcel is at sorting center / Zending is gesorteerd”
Normalized API status
in_transit
Typical time to delivery
1–2 business days (NL/BE) or 3–6 days (international)
Recommended recipient action
Wait for the 'Chauffeur is onderweg' (driver is on the way) scan.
Developer / WISMO action
No action needed; 3S… and ..NL S10 barcodes auto-detect as postnl without requiring a Dutch postcode.

How lastscanned normalizes this scan

Instead of maintaining brittle regexes for every carrier's raw scan phrasing across 199 carriers, query GET /v1/track/{number} or connect https://mcp.lastscanned.com.

Get an API keyPostNL API docs

Synchronous GET request

curl "https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/3STABA123456789" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer lsk_live_YOUR_API_KEY"

Normalized JSON response

{
  "carrier": "postnl",
  "trackingNumber": "3STABA123456789",
  "status": "in_transit",
  "statusDescription": "Parcel is at sorting center / Zending is gesorteerd",
  "events": [
    {
      "timestamp": "2026-10-26T14:22:00Z",
      "localTime": "2026-10-26T10:22:00",
      "status": "in_transit",
      "description": "Parcel is at sorting center / Zending is gesorteerd",
      "location": "Utrecht Sorting Center, NL"
    }
  ]
}

Frequently asked questions

Does lastscanned require a destination postal code for PostNL 3S… tracking?
No. Unlike PostNL's consumer web portal, GET /v1/track/3S... on lastscanned returns the full scan history with only the tracking number.
Why do Chinese e-commerce parcels have a PostNL 3S… or ..NL tracking number?
PostNL operates major European air import gateways at Amsterdam Schiphol and Liège for cross-border marketplaces.

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