When your package is in transit, one of the most common tracking statuses you can see under “On The Way” is, “The package was given to UPS after the cutoff time and the delivery date may be impacted.”
Now that you are, you could be wondering what that even means.
Based on our experience receiving several packages from UPS, let’s get to it right away and enlighten you further.
What Does, “The Package Was Given To UPS After The Cutoff Time And The Delivery Date May Be Impacted” Mean?
This tracking status means that the package was handed over to UPS after the pickup time.
Under most circumstances, packages scheduled to go using the UPS Next Day Air service plan receive this update.
From our experience, packages that receive this scan end up getting delivered a business day later.
What Prompts, “The Package Was Given To UPS After The Cutoff Time And The Delivery Date May Be Impacted?”
The Package Was Dropped Off Late
For the Next Day Air service to work for your package, the package has to be dropped off at the UPS store by 4 PM.
Any package that ends up getting dropped off past this time automatically ends up getting scheduled for the following business day.
If the sender didn’t manage to drop off your package in good time, it is one of the leading reasons why your parcel has this tracking status.
The Package Didn’t Make It Out Of The Drop Off Location In Good Time
UPS usually picks up packages under the “Next Day Air” plan once in the AM.
If yours reached the drop-off location after the pick-up had happened, that is one of the leading reasons why they sent you such a tracking update.
The problem happens when the following day isn’t a business day. You will be forced to wait longer for the delivery at this point.
If the next day is a business day, your package along with the others that didn’t make it out of the drop-off location the previous day will get delivered.
The Package Got Temporarily Lost
It happens when a package can be temporarily lost by falling off the conveyor unit and UPS fails to notice right away.
As they work on retrieving it, it can take longer until the scheduled flight ends up leaving.
In that case, the package has to be scheduled for the next flight the following day.
UPS uses “The Package Was Given To UPS After The Cutoff Time And The Delivery Date May Be Impacted” as the most relevant scan at that point.
Missorting
While missorting isn’t as common for packages under the Next Day Air plan, it still happens.
Due to missorting, a package that should be in a flight might end up getting bundled together with the ground plan packages.
If the UPS staff realizes the error when the flight has already left, they will then claim that the package was given to them after the cutoff time.
Luckily, they usually prioritize such missorted packages and it will likely get delivered in that day’s evening with other packages under the “Next Day Air Saver” plan or the following morning with the other packages under the “Next Day Air” items.
Another common problem is that due to missorting, such a package can end up getting misloaded.
If the correct flight departs before they realize the error, they end up using this tracking status with the hope that they will rectify the mishap the following delivery day.
What Do I Do When My UPS Package Is Stuck On “The Package Was Given To UPS After The Cutoff Time And The Delivery Date May Be Impacted?”
If UPS sent you the origin scan before 4 PM and UPS says that your package was handed over past the cutoff time, we recommend that you contact them to know the status of your package.
Since you had paid for the Next Day Air plan, they will prioritize your request as it is one of the most premium plans for packages.
In case they can’t find your package in good time, you can then get in touch with the sender who should send you a replacement package or a refund as they file a claim with the United Postal Service.
