A customer exception request number is the reference you use to sort out a package that hit a customer-related delivery exception, such as no one home to sign, a closed business, a bad address or a delivery change request. FedEx, UPS and USPS don’t print a separate “CER number” on labels. In practice the number is your tracking number, the number on the notice the driver left (a FedEx door tag or UPS InfoNotice), or the case number customer service gives you when you report the problem.
This guide explains which number each carrier actually uses, where to find it, and what to do with it so the package moves again.
What Is a Customer Exception Request Number?
The phrase combines two things you see on tracking pages: an exception, meaning something stopped the normal delivery, and a request to fix it. When the cause is on the customer side, such as an absent recipient or a wrong suite number, the carrier waits for the shipper or recipient to act, and you need a reference number to make that request.
Because no carrier issues a number called a “customer exception request number,” don’t search your email for one. The number that works is almost always one of these, depending on the carrier:
| Carrier | Number you’ll actually use | Where you find it | What it lets you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx | Tracking number or door tag number (DT followed by 12 digits) | Shipping email, receipt, or the paper door tag | Track, sign for the package, redirect it to a FedEx location or reschedule |
| UPS | Tracking number (usually starts with 1Z) or UPS InfoNotice number | Shipping email, receipt, or the InfoNotice left at the door | Track, change delivery, or pick up at a UPS location |
| USPS | Tracking number, plus the PS Form 3849 notice if one was left | Receipt, label, or the notice in your mailbox | Schedule redelivery or pick up at the Post Office |
| Any carrier | Customer service case or claim number | Given when you call, chat or file online | Follow up on an investigation without re-explaining the problem |
What Counts as a Customer Exception?
FedEx describes a delivery exception as an unexpected event that is delaying delivery, and lists causes such as customs delays, weather, strikes, an absent recipient and security restrictions. Our explainer on what a delivery exception means and how to fix the common causes covers the full list. Only some of those causes need action from you.
The customer-side exceptions, the ones that call for a request, usually fall into five groups:
- Recipient not available: the package needed a signature or couldn’t be left safely, so the driver left a notice.
- Business closed: the delivery reached a commercial address outside its hours.
- Address problem: a missing apartment number, a wrong street number or an address the carrier can’t find.
- Refused: the recipient declined the package, which usually starts a return to the sender.
- Delivery change requested: the shipper or recipient asked for a new date or address, and the package is held until that change is processed.
Weather, mechanical delays and customs holds are exceptions too. They usually clear on their own, so a request won’t speed them up much.
How Do You Use the Number to Fix an Exception?
Start with the tracking page, because the status text tells you which action the carrier needs. Then use the number with that carrier’s own tool rather than waiting for a second attempt.
- Read the exception reason in the detailed tracking history, not just the headline status.
- Match the fix to the reason: redelivery for a missed signature, an address correction for an address problem, or a hold at a pickup location if no one can be home.
- Act before the hold runs out. USPS holds a notice-left package for 15 days (5 days for Priority Mail Express) before returning it, and UPS holds packages at an Access Point location for 7 days.
- Call only if the online tools can’t fix it, and write down the case number you’re given.
FedEx
Enter the tracking number or door tag number on FedEx tracking, then use Manage Delivery to sign for the package, redirect it to a FedEx location or choose a new delivery option. The FedEx door tag guide explains each option on the tag. If the online tools don’t solve it, the FedEx customer service number and support hours are listed in our phone guide.
UPS
UPS tracking shows the exception reason and, for most residential deliveries, a Change Delivery option. A missed delivery usually leaves a paper notice, and our guide to the UPS InfoNotice and how to track a missed package shows how to use its number. For a deeper walkthrough of UPS-specific causes, read our UPS delivery exception resolution steps, and keep the UPS customer service number handy if you need an agent.
USPS
For a missed USPS delivery, enter the tracking number or the notice’s barcode on the USPS redelivery page, or pick the package up at the Post Office named on the notice. Our USPS redelivery guide covers the steps. When the tracking status is unclear, the USPS customer service number connects you to an agent who can open a case.
What Happens If No One Responds to the Exception?
An unresolved customer exception doesn’t stay open forever. Once the hold period ends or the final attempt fails, the carrier starts a return, and the shipper usually ends up paying for that return trip.
| Exception reason | If you act | If no one acts |
|---|---|---|
| Signature needed, recipient away | Redelivery, or pickup with photo ID | Held for the carrier’s hold period, then returned to the sender |
| Address problem | Corrected address, or delivery to a pickup location | Returned to the sender as undeliverable |
| Business closed | Next business day attempt, or a new address | Further attempts, then return |
| Refused | Usually can’t be undone by the recipient | Returned to the sender |
| Weather or operational delay | Nothing needed | Moves when conditions allow |
Under the UPS terms of service, a refused or undeliverable package goes back at the shipper’s expense, and USPS returns most undeliverable Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage packages at no additional charge. That gap is one more reason to fix the exception quickly.
How Can Shippers Prevent Customer Exceptions?
Most customer exceptions start before the label prints. A complete address and a reachable recipient prevent the majority of them.
- Get the full address, including apartment, suite or unit numbers, and confirm business hours for commercial deliveries.
- Add the recipient’s phone number so the carrier can send delivery alerts.
- Require a signature only when the item needs it. Each signature requirement is another chance for a missed delivery.
- Offer pickup-location delivery for recipients who aren’t home during the day.
- Choose the right service. Our overview of delivery services compared, from same-day to ground helps you match speed to the recipient’s schedule.
When you ship with UPS or USPS, ParcelPath is free to use and gives you up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS, which lowers the cost of a reship if an exception ends in a return. You can compare live UPS and USPS rates in the ParcelPath rate calculator before you book the replacement. Our UPS shipping guide to rates, tracking and services covers UPS delivery options in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a customer exception request number the same as a tracking number?
Usually, yes. FedEx, UPS and USPS don’t issue a separate code called a customer exception request number. To resolve a customer-related exception you use the tracking number, the number on the notice the driver left (a FedEx door tag or UPS InfoNotice), or the case number customer service gives you when you report the problem.
Where do I find a customer exception request number?
Look in the shipping confirmation email or receipt for the tracking number, or check your door for a paper notice. FedEx door tags carry a number starting with DT followed by 12 digits, and UPS InfoNotices and USPS PS Form 3849 notices also carry numbers you can enter online to track, reschedule or arrange pickup.
How long do I have to respond to a customer exception?
It depends on the carrier and where the package is held. USPS keeps a notice-left package for 15 days, or 5 days for Priority Mail Express, before returning it. UPS holds packages at an Access Point location for 7 days. After the hold ends, the package goes back to the sender.
Who should request the fix, the shipper or the recipient?
Either can, but they control different things. The recipient can usually reschedule, sign for the package or pick it up. Address corrections and returns are often limited to the shipper, so the recipient should contact the seller if the carrier’s tools won’t accept the change.
Sources
- UPS: What Does My Tracking Status Mean?
- UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service, United States (Access Point hold; returned shipments)
- USPS: Schedule a Redelivery
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 507: Mailer Services (hold for pickup, undeliverable mail)
- FedEx: What does my tracking status mean? (fedex.com customer support FAQ)
- FedEx: Door tag help page (fedex.com)
Part of our Tracking Services guide. Related: Smart Mail Tracking, Best Overnite Tracking, Arrival Scan Meaning.
