Synchronous GET tracking at $4.99/mo—without $59/mo marketing bundles or async webhook queues.
AfterShip is built for enterprise post-purchase email marketing and requires asynchronous POST tracker registration before you can read a parcel's timeline. lastscanned is a stateless, developer-first tracking API and remote MCP server: one synchronous GET /v1/track/:number returns live normalized JSON across 31 carriers for $4.99/month (1,000 unique numbers with unlimited free re-polls).
lastscanned vs. AfterShip at a glance
Side-by-side comparison of architecture, monthly pricing across 31 supported carriers, and AI agent integration.
| Feature | lastscanned | AfterShip |
|---|---|---|
| Primary API model | Stateless synchronous GET /v1/track/:number (live JSON in one HTTP response) | Asynchronous POST tracker registration + inbound webhook queue |
| Starting API tier | $0/mo Free (5 numbers/day + 1 keyless lookup/day per IP) | $59/mo Premium (REST API excluded on entry Essentials plan) |
| 1,000 unique packages / month | $4.99 / month (Pro plan) | $59.00 / month (Premium plan) |
| Overage rate above 1,000 | $0.015 per additional unique tracking number | $0.08 per additional shipment |
| Re-polling the same tracking number | Unlimited free re-polls for the entire monthly billing period | Included after async tracker registration |
| Failed / upstream error billing | $0 — only 200 or confirmed 404 responses count | Quota consumed when a tracker is created |
| 92… USPS consolidator black hole | Solved via ?carrier=osm and ?carrier=pitneybowes on 92… barcodes | Requires separate courier slug detection & tracker registration |
| Native remote MCP server | https://mcp.lastscanned.com (Streamable HTTP + URL-path auth) | No official remote MCP endpoint |
| Keyless AI agent micropayments | HTTP 402 Stripe MPP ($0.50 / 25-pack card or $0.02 USDC on Tempo) | None |
Synchronous GET in one trip vs. async POST tracker queues
When a customer opens a live WISMO chat or an AI support agent needs an order status right now, waiting on an asynchronous webhook queue breaks the user experience.
- Zero tracker registration
- Call GET https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/:number and get the live status, estimatedDelivery, and chronological scan events in the same HTTP response—no POST /trackings step and no database table of registered tracker IDs.
- Batch up to 100 tracking numbers at once
- Pass comma-separated numbers to GET /v1/track?numbers=a,b,c to hydrate an entire order dashboard or fulfillment queue in one request.
- Deterministic 7-state status enum
- Every carrier normalizes into label_created, in_transit, out_for_delivery, delivered, exception, returned, or unknown—plus both UTC timestamp and local wall-clock localTime on every scan.
$4.99/mo API-only pricing vs. $59+/mo marketing suite bundles
AfterShip bundles its API behind post-purchase branded tracking pages and email flows, gating programmatic REST API access to its $59/month Premium tier and charging $0.08 per extra shipment.
- 10x lower cost at 1,000 packages/month
- lastscanned Pro is $4.99/month for 1,000 unique tracking numbers, with overages at $0.015 per unique number—over 5x cheaper per extra parcel than AfterShip's $0.08 overage.
- Unlimited free re-polls all billing period
- Once your account queries a tracking number in a billing period, every repeat GET /v1/track/:number or MCP tool call for that number is free for the rest of the month.
- Never billed for carrier errors
- If an upstream carrier times out or returns 502 carrier_error, your quota is untouched. Only 200 OK and confirmed 404 not_found lookups count.
Built for AI agents: Remote MCP & HTTP 402 Stripe MPP
Modern support stacks run inside Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, and autonomous agent runtimes where enterprise SaaS seats and webhook receivers don't fit.
- Zero-install Streamable HTTP MCP
- Connect https://mcp.lastscanned.com in seconds via Bearer header or URL-path authentication (https://mcp.lastscanned.com/lsk_live_...) for headerless MCP clients.
- Keyless HTTP 402 Machine Payments Protocol
- Autonomous agents without a pre-provisioned API key can pay per request over HTTP 402 via Stripe MPP ($0.50 for a 25-number reusable lsk_pack_... credit key or $0.02 in USDC on Tempo).
Switch in one synchronous request
No SDKs, no tracker registration queues, and no webhook listeners. Query up to 100 tracking numbers at once over REST or connect your AI agent over Streamable HTTP MCP.
REST (Synchronous GET)
curl "https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/1Z999AA10123456784" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer lsk_live_YOUR_API_KEY"Remote MCP (Claude Code / Cursor / ChatGPT)
claude mcp add --transport http lastscanned https://mcp.lastscanned.com \
--header "Authorization: Bearer lsk_live_YOUR_API_KEY"Then ask your agent
> Where is my UPS package 1Z999AA10123456784 and who signed for it?
lastscanned vs. AfterShip FAQ
- Do I have to register a tracking number with POST before tracking it on lastscanned?
- No. Unlike AfterShip, where you POST a tracking number to create a tracker and wait for asynchronous polling, lastscanned is stateless and synchronous. A single GET /v1/track/:number call returns the live carrier status and scan history immediately.
- How much does lastscanned cost compared to AfterShip for 1,000 packages a month?
- lastscanned Pro costs $4.99/month for 1,000 unique tracking numbers (plus $0.015 per extra unique number) with unlimited free re-polls all month. AfterShip's API access starts on its $59/month Premium tier with $0.08 per extra shipment.
- Does lastscanned support US and Canadian regional last-mile couriers like UniUni, SpeedX, Veho, and Dragonfly?
- Yes. All 31 carriers—including UniUni, SpeedX, GOFO, Veho, Better Trucks, AxleHire (Jitsu), CDL Last Mile, Spee-Dee, Cirro, TForce, GLS US, Intelcom (Dragonfly), Canada Post, Purolator, and Sendle—are included out of the box.
- Can I connect lastscanned directly to Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT?
- Yes. Point any MCP client at https://mcp.lastscanned.com using Streamable HTTP, or pass your key in the URL path (https://mcp.lastscanned.com/lsk_live_...) for clients like ChatGPT Developer Mode that do not support custom headers.
Compare other tracking providers
See how lastscanned compares to legacy tracking aggregators, shipping-label platforms, and direct carrier endpoints.
- lastscanned vs. EasyPost/vs/easypost
- lastscanned vs. Ship24/vs/ship24
- lastscanned vs. 17TRACK/vs/17track
- lastscanned vs. Direct Carrier APIs/vs/direct-carrier-apis
- lastscanned vs. Shippo/vs/shippo
- lastscanned vs. ShipEngine/vs/shipengine
- lastscanned vs. ParcelsApp/vs/parcelsapp
- Full architecture & WAF comparison guidedocs.lastscanned.com/comparison