RelayRelay tracking
The hyperlocal e-commerce courier — retailer parcels via 2,500 corner-shop Pitstops, live tracking with stops-away ETA, and a re-attempt that never comes the next day.
Relay delivers your ASOS, Vinted or Temu order without a depot network in the usual sense. Parcels go from the retailer's warehouse to a corner shop — a Pitstop — where they sit for hours, not days, until a gig courier on a shift picks them up. The tracking page is unusually powerful for a carrier this size: a live map, courier ETA, how many stops away, safe-place instructions, and a switch-to-collection button. And it has the oddest re-attempt rule in UK delivery: a failed delivery never comes back the next day — it returns on the second business day.
Track your Relay parcel
Enter your tracking ID and the destination postcode — since 1 April 2026 the postcode is required to open tracking. Use the postcode from the original order.
Relay publishes no fixed format. Retailer shipments usually look like RLY #### #### or 12 digits (per 17TRACK — exact rule unconfirmed). Return tracking IDs start with RET. You also need the destination postcode.
You need the postcode too
Since 1 April 2026, Relay's tracking page will not open with the tracking ID alone — you also need the destination postcode from the original order. If the address was ever updated, use the first postcode you gave. Relay needs your destination postcode as well as the tracking ID — since 1 April 2026 the postcode is required to open tracking.
How Relay delivery works
Relay is a hyperlocal e-commerce courier: the retailer's warehouse sends your parcel to a local shop — a Pitstop — and a gig courier collects it from there for the final leg to your door. Parcels stay in the shop for hours, not days, and the tracking page shows the live map, the courier's ETA and how many stops away your parcel is. One honest framing matters for everything below: the retailer is Relay's customer, not you. You cannot change the delivery date or address once Relay has the parcel, and you cannot get a refund from Relay — for those, contact the retailer. Relay publishes no consumer status glossary — the status table below lists the stages Relay's tracking shows, drawn from its help articles and tracking app.
Your Relay tracking number
Relay publishes no fixed format. Retailer shipments usually look like RLY #### #### or 12 digits (per 17TRACK — exact rule unconfirmed). Return tracking IDs start with RET. You also need the destination postcode.
Example format: RLY 1234 5678 — that is a shape, not a real parcel. Enter your own number exactly as the sender gave it: a single wrong letter is the most common reason a tracker says “not recognised”.
Your tracking ID comes in the retailer's dispatch email or text, on the order page, or in the Relay tracking link in your confirmation email. A retailer order number (for example ORD ######) is not a tracking number and will not resolve. For returns, the ID starts with RET and arrives once you finalise the return on the retailer's returns portal and the QR code is generated.
Relay services & delivery times
Relay's stated standard for retailers — next-day is the aim, not a guarantee for every parcel.
Via Parcel2Go's Relay service for smaller parcels, from drop-off. Relay's own site publishes no consumer speed table.
Label-free: a QR code instead of a printed label. Collect with the QR code or collection code from your email, plus ID. The Post Office is not a Relay collection point.
Label-free returns arranged through the retailer's returns portal, dropped at a Pitstop or depot, with a RET tracking ID. The retailer's portal is where a return starts.
Delivery aims are the courier's stated aims for the service, not guarantees for every parcel. Bank holidays, bad weather and busy periods (especially Christmas) can add a day.
What each Relay status means
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting to Receive | The retailer created the label; Relay does not have the parcel yet. | Wait for the first scan; if the delivery date has passed, contact the sender. |
| Received from shipper | Relay has the parcel; it has been scanned at the sortation centre. | No action — it is moving through the network. |
| Received at Pitstop | At the local shop, then picked up by the courier. | No action. |
| Out for delivery | With the courier, live location + ETA + stops-away on the tracking page. | Be available; check the live map. |
| Delivered | Delivery scan recorded — it may appear slightly before the parcel is physically handed over. | Check safe place, neighbours, and proof of delivery on the tracking page. |
| Delivery failed — will re-attempt | Attempt failed; re-attempt is on the 2nd business day, not the next day. | Add safe-place instructions on the tracking page, or switch to collection. |
| Awaiting collection | At a Pitstop, waiting for pickup (QR code or collection code + ID needed). | Collect before the deadline shown on the tracking page ends. |
| Returning to sender | After 2 failed attempts, or an expired collection window. | Contact the retailer for a refund or redelivery. |
Parcel stuck or delayed — what to do
- If tracking shows nothing, or only 'Waiting to Receive', the parcel has not reached Relay yet. Check you entered the destination postcode (the one from the original order) and the tracking ID, not the order number. If the expected delivery date has passed, contact the sender directly.
- If the delivery window has passed and nothing arrived, check the tracking page first — Relay itself notes it does not always get delivery windows right, and delays outside its control happen. If there are still no updates, contact Relay support and they will investigate.
- If a delivery is delayed, wait until the next working day before contacting anyone — bank holidays and Sundays run at limited capacity.
- If a delivery attempt failed, do not expect it tomorrow: the re-attempt comes on the 2nd business day (fail Tuesday → Thursday; fail Thursday → Saturday). After 2 failed attempts the parcel returns to the sender, and you will be notified.
- If it says delivered but you cannot find it, check the tracking page for delivery details, then porches, garages, hidden spots and neighbours — and wait a little, because the status can appear slightly before the physical delivery. If it still cannot be found, contact your retailer to start an investigation; refunds go through the retailer, not Relay.
- If the parcel is damaged or never delivered, contact the sender so they can confirm next steps — keep the packaging and photos. Relay supports the retailer's investigation but cannot process refunds itself.
More detail: Parcel stuck in transit — the full step-by-step guide.
Collection, redelivery and the 2nd-day rule
Redelivery is automatic — there is no rebooking form. After a failed attempt the parcel comes back on the 2nd business day, and after 2 failed attempts it returns to the sender. Before delivery you can add safe-place instructions or a neighbour via the “Order Update” section of the tracking page, or switch a home delivery to collection at a nearby Pitstop from the tracking page itself. To collect, bring the QR code or the collection code from your email plus ID; the tracking page shows the deadline and sends a 24-hours-left reminder. The exact hold length in days is not published, so no number of days is stated here. You cannot change the delivery date or address once Relay has the parcel, and Relay offers no specific time slots.
Where Relay delivers
Relay does not cover every UK postcode — it operates in select postcodes across major cities such as London and Manchester, and the best way to check your area is to get a quote. Its Pitstop network is 2,500 shops (per Parcel2Go; Relay's own site gives no count). Pitstops are shops open 10+ hours a day, at least 6 days a week, with secure staff-visible storage. Delivery runs Mon–Sun, 8am–10pm, with bank holidays at reduced capacity and Sundays limited. Parcel2Go's Relay booking allows parcels up to 2kg and 0.45m — Relay's own site states no limits, so that figure is Parcel2Go's booking rule, not Relay's published rule. Relay publishes no price list, so no prices are shown here.
Contact Relay
Shopper supportRelay has no published phone line — support is email-based. Email support@relaytech.co (Mon–Sun, 9am–6pm; agents aim to reply within 24 hours). For refunds, replacements or address changes, contact the retailer first — Relay cannot process refunds.
If you are the recipient and the parcel is lost or damaged, contact the retailer/sender first — most couriers only accept claims from the sender.
Relay tracking — FAQs
How do I track a Relay parcel?
Go to relaytech.co/track-order and enter your tracking ID and the destination postcode — since 1 April 2026 the postcode is required to open the tracking page. Use the postcode from the original order; if the address was updated, use the first postcode you gave. No account is needed.
What does a Relay tracking number look like?
Relay publishes no fixed format. Retailer shipments usually look like RLY 1234 5678 or a 12-digit number (per 17TRACK — the exact rule is not confirmed). Return tracking IDs start with RET. A retailer order number will not work as a tracking number.
Why does my Relay tracking say 'Waiting to Receive'?
Relay is still waiting for the parcel from the sender. Nothing will update until the retailer hands it over. If the delivery date has passed, contact the sender, not Relay.
My delivery was attempted but I was out — when will it come back?
Not tomorrow. Relay re-attempts on the 2nd business day (fail Tuesday → Thursday; fail Thursday → Saturday). After 2 failed attempts the parcel goes back to the sender. Add safe-place instructions on the tracking page, or switch the delivery to collection at a nearby Pitstop.
Can I change my Relay delivery date or address?
No, not once Relay has the parcel, and Relay does not offer specific time slots. Contact the retailer to cancel or change the order. You can still add safe-place instructions or switch to Pitstop collection on the tracking page.
How do I collect a Relay parcel from a shop?
Take the QR code or the collection code from your email, plus ID, to the Pitstop. The tracking page shows the collection deadline — collect before it ends or the parcel goes back to the sender. The Post Office is not a Relay collection point.
Who do I contact about a Relay parcel — Relay or the retailer?
The retailer first for refunds, replacements, address changes and cancellations — Relay cannot process refunds. Relay's own support is email-only: support@relaytech.co, Mon–Sun 9am–6pm, aiming to reply within 24 hours. Relay has no published phone number.
Track with another UK courier
Not Relay after all? Your parcel may have changed hands — check the other couriers: