Lost Package Email Templates: When to Reship

Reply the same day, tell the customer what you’re doing, and don’t reship until one of three things is true. Either the carrier or your supplier confirms the package is lost, the supplier’s report deadline is close, or the customer has waited long enough that a reship is cheaper than losing them. Until then, send a calm “still in transit, here’s what I’m checking” email.

This post covers packages that are stuck or missing in transit and never marked delivered. If tracking says Delivered, use the delivered-but-not-received templates. If the parcel is on its way back to you, use the returned-to-sender reply.

When does a package count as lost?

There is no single number. Carriers publish different rules, and some publish almost none. These terms change, so check the linked pages again before you rely on a deadline.

Carrier	What the carrier says	Source (checked October 2026)
USPS (any service)	You can submit a Missing Mail search request starting 7 days from mailing. The clock starts at the mailing date, not the last scan.	USPS Missing Mail
USPS (Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail)	The USPS FAQ adds a second condition to the 7 days: the recipient has confirmed the item has not arrived.	USPS FAQ
UPS	Its tracking support page says to file a claim when a package has gone days without a scan. It gives no number of days.	UPS tracking support
FedEx (U.S. packages)	You must file no later than 60 calendar days from the shipment date.	FedEx missing packages

Two takeaways.

First, a USPS search and a USPS refund are separate things. The search tries to find the package. If the mail or package included insurance, you may be able to file an insurance claim (USPS). No insurance, no claim.

Second, count from the right date. FedEx’s 60 days run from the shipment date, and a slow package can eat most of that window. Printful’s window (below) runs from the estimated delivery date. Write down both the day it shipped and the day it was due.

What if a supplier prints and ships for you?

If you run print-on-demand, the supplier’s rules matter more than the carrier’s, because the supplier decides whether it pays for the reprint.

• Printful: you need to report the lost shipment within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. Printful pays for the reprint and reship if the carrier considers the order lost and the report is on time (Printful help, checked October 2026). Its refund policy lists lost in transit as covered for a free reshipment or refund (Printful policy, checked October 2026). Its late-order article says it reprints when the package is lost “and it’s our fault” (Printful help, checked October 2026). The articles word the conditions differently, so don’t assume coverage is automatic.
• Printify: if an order isn’t delivered within 30 calendar days (domestic US or regional EU) or 45 calendar days (international), report it within 1 week after that period ends to stay eligible for a reprint or refund. Before support steps in, check the address and contact the local post office (Printify help, checked October 2026).

The practical rule: put the supplier’s report-by date in your own calendar the day a package stalls. If you reship to keep the customer happy, still file the supplier report on time, or you may pay for both prints.

Packages that tracking marks as Delivered fall under a different Printful article (Printful help, checked October 2026). That’s a different situation from this one.

My decision timeline for a solo seller

This is my own rule of thumb, not carrier policy. It’s built so you never spend money before you have to, and never miss a deadline.

1. Tracking stalled, still inside the estimated delivery window. Send Template 1. Don’t reship. Check the address on the order and the latest scan.
2. Past the estimated delivery date, or no scan for 5 business days on a domestic order. Send Template 2. Open the search or claim: a USPS Missing Mail search (available 7 days after mailing), a carrier claim, or a supplier lost-package report. Write down the deadline.
3. Carrier or supplier confirms lost, or the customer is clearly done waiting. Send Template 3 and reship. If you’re paying for the reprint yourself, it’s usually cheaper than losing the customer and handling a dispute.
4. Customer wants their money back, or you can’t reship (item discontinued, customer abroad and tired of waiting). Send Template 4. See handling refund requests for how to do it without losing more than you need to.

Offer the choice when you can. A reship costs you a second print, and a refund costs you the sale. Let the customer pick what they actually want.

Template 1: Still in transit

Subject: Update on your order [Order Number]

Hi [First Name],

Thanks for getting in touch. I checked your order and the tracking shows [latest status and date, e.g. “last scanned in Memphis on June 3”]. It hasn’t been marked delivered yet.

I’m keeping an eye on it and I’ll write again by [Date] with an update. If it hasn’t moved by then, I’ll start a search with the carrier and we’ll sort out a replacement or refund.

Tracking link: [Tracking URL]

[Your Name]

Template 2: Investigating

Subject: I’m looking into your order [Order Number]

Hi [First Name],

I’m sorry your order still hasn’t arrived. Tracking hasn’t updated since [Date], so I’ve [opened a search with the carrier / reported it to our printing partner] today.

Could you confirm that the address below is correct and that nothing has been left with a neighbor or at a front desk?

[Shipping Address]

I’ll update you by [Date]. If the package is confirmed lost, I’ll either send a replacement or refund you, whichever you prefer.

[Your Name]

International variant. Add this paragraph before the sign-off:

Because your order is crossing borders, it would also help if you could check with your local post office. Sometimes a parcel is held there while a customs or delivery notice sits unopened. If they have anything under [Tracking Number], reply and tell me what they say.

Asking for the address confirmation is not busywork. Printify lists checking the address and contacting the local post office as steps before its support steps in (Printify help). For Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail, USPS also lists the recipient confirming the item hasn’t arrived as a condition for a Missing Mail search (USPS FAQ).

Template 3: Reshipping

Subject: Your replacement is on the way (order [Order Number])

Hi [First Name],

I’m sorry your package never arrived. I’ve sent a replacement at no cost to you. It’s a new order, so you’ll get a new tracking number: [New Tracking Number or “I’ll email it as soon as it’s issued”].

Expected by: [Date]. [For international or slower shipping lanes: “Shipping to [Country] usually takes [X to Y] business days, so please allow until [Date].”]

If the original package shows up, you’re welcome to keep it or pass it on. No need to send anything back.

Thanks for your patience. If anything else looks off, reply here and I’ll fix it.

[Your Name]

Template 4: Refunding

Subject: Your refund for order [Order Number]

Hi [First Name],

I’m sorry your package didn’t make it. I’ve refunded [Amount] to your original payment method. Depending on your bank, it can take a few business days to show up.

If you’d still like the item, just reply and I’ll set up a new order for you.

[Your Name]

How to log a reship on the Shopify order

Don’t just ship a replacement and move on. You’ll lose track of why you paid twice.

Open the original order and click Duplicate. Shopify creates a new draft order that copies the products, customer, addresses, notes, note attributes and tags. Discounts and shipping rates are not copied (Shopify Help Center, checked October 2026).

That last part matters. The duplicate carries the product prices without any discount, so it is not free by default. Before you complete the draft, apply a 100% discount so the total is $0, and check that no shipping charge has been added. Don’t send the customer an invoice for the draft.

Because notes and tags are copied, add a clear note on the duplicate, such as “Reship of [Original Order Number], lost in transit, supplier report filed [Date].” That gives you a paper trail when you reconcile costs or chase the supplier.

Handling these emails faster

Every lost-package reply needs the same lookup first: order status, tracking, items and address. That’s the slow part when you’re a solo seller. LzyReply pulls the Shopify order and tracking for each forwarded email and drafts the reply in your brand voice, and you approve it before it sends. It does not connect to Printful or Printify and it never issues refunds or cancels orders, so the reship, supplier report and refund decisions stay with you.

For the earlier stage of the same problem, the “where is my order” templates and POD shipping delay scripts cover what to say before a package is late enough to worry about.