It’s no secret that e-commerce stats have been shooting through the roof in recent years. What many folks may not know is just how far the landscape of online-based sales has expanded in such a short amount of time.
photo credit: Jan Persiel via photopin cc
Last year, 2013, for example, smashed all previous records concerning Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. That’s a lot of products being moved, and a lot of folks receiving packages. In fact, this all led to Amazon Prime – Amazon.com’s free-shipping membership plan – signing up one million new members in the third week of December alone.
And while shipping discounts are all well and good, there’s something to be said for logistics as well. There are other tools the typical online shopper can use to keep track of those precious deliveries, one of which is that most popular of American smartphones – the iPhone. So in the interests of tracking mobile shipments via mobile devices, here are three of the top iPhone apps to keep tabs on shipments.
Parcel – free
This is a bare-bones option that offers a simple interface geared towards package tracking and not much else. The benefit of eschewing the bells and whistles is that users have a no-nonsense and quick way to track their parcels whenever they wish. One highlight of this app is that it is ideal for globetrotters, as it can recognize international carriers (some 180 in total) and track packages shipped from all over the world.
Note: while Parcel itself is free, those who wish to track more than three shipments and receive notification service will need to spend $1.99 per year for a premium account.
Slice – free
This is one of the best options for those who’d like a no-cost tracker of all parcels and packages. This iPhone app offers a detailed interface complete with maps and plot points that follow the movements of the package in transit. As for carriers, Slice syncs with Yahoo! Mail and Gmail to support nine of the largest U.S. carriers, including FedEx, DHL, UPS and USPS. It also comes with all the notifications the obsessive e-shopper could ever want, including alerts for “shipped,” “in transit” and “delivered.” Those who are worried about keeping track of what’s actually inside a certain package needn’t be concerned, as Slice links all online purchases with all shipments. Users who don’t feel like always firing up their smartphone to track a package can simply log onto Slice.com and find their parcels that way.
Deliveries -- $4.99
A pricier app to be sure, but it is one of the most comprehensive trackers out there. Recognizing 30 carriers and supporting nine different languages, Deliveries offers numerous alerts for any tracking number in its system. On top of that, the app runs like a dream across all Mac Devices and even web.
Ultimately, each of the above options provides excellent functionality and efficiency for anyone looking to keep track of parcels. However, those international consumers out there will likely be happiest with Parcel or Deliveries.
About the author: Chris McMurphy is an e-commerce aficionado and tech junkie. When he’s not reviewing new apps and searching for great deals, he’s liaising with international organizations regarding freight forwarding Australia.
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