PayPal’s app can now track your packages, even if you didn’t check out with its service

PayPal launched a package tracking feature on its app that allows you to instantly see the status of online orders.

Rather than manually entering the order number into a carrier website or searching your email inbox to find the delivery status of a package, PayPal now automatically gathers shipping details and tracks them through Gmail integration. However, if you don’t have a Gmail account linked to PayPal, you can type in the tracking details.

PayPal’s app then sends live push notifications when a delivery status changes and if there’s been an update to the order. There’s also a visual tracking capability that allows you to follow packages on a live map.

Notably, PayPal doesn’t charge an additional fee to use package tracking. The feature also works on purchases where PayPal wasn’t used for checkout.

Package tracking was spotted by X (formerly Twitter) user @aaronp613 on an iOS device. It’s also available on Android devices.

A company spokesperson confirmed the package tracking feature to TechCrunch, saying, “PayPal continues to advance products and experiences that help customers shop smart, conveniently, and make their money go further… This new feature expands our post-purchase offering, which delivers more choice and convenience in how shoppers manage their purchases.”

PayPal’s new feature puts the company in closer competition with rivals Shopify and Amazon, e-commerce giants that both have package tracking capabilities. Shopify’s Shop app gives customers real-time order status updates, delivery notifications and live-map tracking. Amazon also has a “Map Tracking” feature, which shows customers where the driver is and when they are getting close to delivering the package.

We should also add that Gmail announced a feature last year that displays tracking information as a status below the email subject line.