Understanding processing and delivery times | Portless Help Center

Understanding processing and delivery times

Learn what to expect from order processing to delivery, including timelines, cutoff times, and peak period planning.

June 12, 2026

Understanding how long your orders take to process and ship helps you set accurate expectations with your customers and plan ahead. This article covers standard processing windows, what happens after an order departs, and expected delivery times by destination country.

Things to keep in mind

Processing begins once an order is placed and stock is confirmed available in the warehouse.
Delivery windows start from the moment the order departs the origin country and not from when it is placed.
First-mile (FM) tracking provides the most accurate status. Do not share FM tracking directly with customers, as it may show the order's origin country. For full tracking guidance, see Tracking Orders Using the Merchant Admin Portal.
Last-mile (LM) tracking typically becomes available 24–48 hours after the order departs.
For bonded warehouse orders, allow 2–3 days for processing, plus an additional 2 days for the last-mile tracking number to generate.

Order processing

After an order is placed, it enters the processing queue at the origin warehouse. Processing includes picking, packing, quality check, and handoff to the carrier. The order status in your portal will show pre-shipment during this stage.


Period	Standard processing window	Notes
Standard	1–2 business days	—
Peak (BFCM, major sales events)	2–3 business days	Up to 4 days during extreme volume spikes
Chinese New Year	2–4 business days	See CNY calendar. CNY falls between January 21 and February 20 each year (lunisolar calendar), so the exact date shifts annually.

Order cutoff times

Orders placed before the daily cutoff enter the next outbound batch. Orders placed after cutoff are processed the following business day. Contact your Account Manager to confirm the exact cutoff time for your warehouse.


Warehouse	Cutoff Time	Days
CN Non-Bonded	12:00 PM (CN time)	Daily
CN Bonded	12:00 PM (CN time)	Mon–Sat
VN Non-Bonded	12:00 PM (VN time)	Mon–Sat
VN Bonded	8:00 AM (VN time)	Mon–Fri


Note: Once your order departs, the status in your portal will update to Departed origin country. This is when the delivery window clock starts.

First-mile and last-mile tracking

Portless shipments use two tracking legs. The first-mile (FM) carrier handles the international leg from the origin country to the destination. The last-mile (LM) carrier handles local delivery. You can find both tracking links in the Merchant Admin Portal.

Why there is a gap in tracking after departure

After the order departs the origin country, there is a natural gap before the last-mile carrier scans the package at its facility. During this period, customers can track their order via the Portless Delivery Network (PDN), a tracking page that shows real-time updates without revealing the shipment's origin. See Understanding Parcel Delivery Network for more detail.

Why your customer may see two carriers

This is expected. Portless shipments use a first-mile carrier for the international leg and a local carrier for last-mile delivery. Both appear on a single PDN tracking page as one continuous journey.

Delivery windows by destination

All windows are measured from Departed origin country to Delivered to customer, under standard conditions. Customs holds, remote addresses, or carrier disruptions may extend these windows.


Destination	Standard window
United States	6-10 business days
United Kingdom	6-10 business days
Canada	7-12 business days
Australia	6-10 business days
Rest of World	7-15 business days

Fulfillment during holidays and peak periods

Holiday and peak periods can affect both processing and transit times. For exact cutoff dates and warehouse schedules, refer to the China Fulfillment Center Holiday Calendar 2026, the Vietnam Fulfillment Center Holiday Calendar 2026, and Planning your fulfillment during public holidays.


Period	What to expect
Holiday season (Christmas)	Ship by December 15 for pre-Christmas delivery. Production can be wrapped as late as early October.
Chinese New Year	Warehouse stays open and carrier service is maintained. Expect 1–2 day carrier-side delays.
Peak sales events (BFCM, 11.11)	Allow 1–2 extra days on processing. Coordinate large volume spikes with your Account Manager in advance.

Note: Note that carriers also apply peak-season pricing during late Q4 through early January, which appears as Q4 surcharges on your invoice, see Understanding your Portless invoice.