# Purolator Tracking API & MCP

URL: https://docs.lastscanned.com/carriers/purolator

Query live **Purolator** (`purolator`) package status and scan history across Canada and the US in a single synchronous `GET` request or MCP tool call. `lastscanned` auto-detects 12-character alphanumeric Purolator PINs (`3 letters + 9 digits`) in Pass 2 (`mayMatch`) and tracks 12-digit numeric PINs with `?carrier=purolator`, returning a normalized `TrackingResult` JSON payload—without requiring a Purolator E-Ship Web Services production key.

## Overview & Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| **Carrier slug (`?carrier=`)** | `purolator` |
| **Brand & service aliases** | Purolator, Purolator Courier, Purolator Express, Purolator Ground |
| **Category** | Canadian national courier & freight network (Detection precedence **#22 of 31**) |
| **Single-package REST endpoint** | `GET https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/{trackingNumber}` |
| **Batch REST endpoint** | `GET https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track?numbers=PQR...,EWN...` (up to 25 Purolator numbers per batch; up to 100 total numbers) |
| **MCP server (`https://mcp.lastscanned.com`)** | `track_package`, `track_packages`, `list_carriers` (`claude mcp add --transport http lastscanned https://mcp.lastscanned.com`) |
| **Authentication & pricing** | `Authorization: Bearer lsk_live_...` · **1 free keyless lookup/day per IP** · **Free tier** (5 unique numbers/day, $0) · **Pro** ($4.99/mo for 1,000 unique numbers, unlimited re-polls, $0.015/extra) · **HTTP 402 Stripe MPP** ($0.50 for 25-number `lsk_pack_` key or $0.02/number in USDC on Tempo) |

## Why developers use `lastscanned` for Purolator instead of direct requests

- **Skip Purolator E-Ship SOAP/REST certification & WAF rejections**: Purolator's official E-Ship developer portal requires registering a billing account, requesting development keys, and completing formal certification for production credentials, while unconfigured requests to `public-tracking.purolator.com` are rejected by Purolator's WAF. `lastscanned` returns normalized JSON in a single `fetch()`.
- **Automatic Canadian provincial timezone conversion**: Purolator prints scan times (`"2026-10-24 18:45:19"`) in the local clock of the scanning terminal without a UTC offset. `lastscanned` maps all 13 Canadian provinces and territories (`BC` → `America/Vancouver`, `AB` → `America/Edmonton`, `SK` → `America/Regina`, `MB` → `America/Winnipeg`, `ON`/`QC` → `America/Toronto`, `NB` → `America/Moncton`, `NS`/`PE` → `America/Halifax`, `NL` → `America/St_Johns`, `YT`/`NT`/`NU`) to compute accurate UTC `timestamp` values alongside `localTime`.
- **Full event history per parcel**: Multi-number searches on Purolator's portal only return summary statuses; `lastscanned` fetches the full scan-by-scan history for up to 25 PINs in parallel.

## Tracking Number Formats & Auto-Detection (`matches` vs `mayMatch`)

Purolator is evaluated **twenty-second (#22)** in `lastscanned`'s two-pass detector:

| Pass | Rule / Regex | Check Digit | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Pass 1 (`matches`)** | *None (`false`)* | — | — |
| **Pass 2 (`mayMatch`) — Alphanumeric PIN** | `/^[A-Z]{3}\d{9}$/i` (3 letters + 9 digits = 12 chars) | — | `PQR482019376`, `EWN001815469` |
| **Explicit (`?carrier=purolator`) — 12-digit PIN** | `/^\d{12}$/` (12 digits — collides with [FedEx](/carriers/fedex) in Pass 1) | — | `520769802262`, `334918273645` |

### Why 12-digit Purolator PINs require `?carrier=purolator`

- **Alphanumeric PINs (`PQR482019376`) auto-detect in Pass 2**: 3-letter + 9-digit Purolator PINs do not collide with any Pass 1 carrier (note that [Sendle](/carriers/sendle)'s `QSS` + 9 digits matches in Pass 1 before Pass 2 runs) and are routed to `purolator` automatically.
- **12-digit numeric PINs (`520769802262`) require `?carrier=purolator`**: Because 12-digit numeric tracking numbers have no check digit and are also the primary format for [FedEx Express / Ground](/carriers/fedex), bare 12-digit numbers route to `fedex` by default. Always append `?carrier=purolator` (or pass `"carrier": "purolator"` in MCP) when tracking a 12-digit numeric Purolator PIN.

## Synchronous `GET` Request & Normalized JSON Response

### `curl`

```bash
# 3-letter + 9-digit PIN (auto-detected)
curl -s "https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/PQR482019376" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LASTSCANNED_API_KEY"

# 12-digit numeric PIN (pass ?carrier=purolator)
curl -s "https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/520769802262?carrier=purolator" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LASTSCANNED_API_KEY"
```

### JavaScript / TypeScript (`fetch`)

```ts
const res = await fetch("https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/PQR482019376", {
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.LASTSCANNED_API_KEY}` },
});
const pkg = await res.json();
console.log(pkg.status, pkg.destination, pkg.events[0]);
```

### MCP `track_package` tool call

```json
{
  "tool": "track_package",
  "arguments": {
    "tracking_number": "520769802262",
    "carrier": "purolator"
  }
}
```

### Normalized `TrackingResult` JSON response

```json
{
  "carrier": "purolator",
  "trackingNumber": "PQR482019376",
  "status": "delivered",
  "statusDescription": "Shipment delivered",
  "service": null,
  "deliveredAt": "2026-10-24T22:45:19Z",
  "deliveredAtLocal": "2026-10-24T18:45:19",
  "signedBy": null,
  "destination": {
    "city": "Etobicoke",
    "state": "ON",
    "country": "CA"
  },
  "estimatedDelivery": null,
  "events": [
    {
      "timestamp": "2026-10-24T22:45:19Z",
      "localTime": "2026-10-24T18:45:19",
      "status": "delivered",
      "description": "Shipment delivered",
      "location": "Etobicoke, ON",
      "code": "9500"
    },
    {
      "timestamp": "2026-10-24T12:18:04Z",
      "localTime": "2026-10-24T08:18:04",
      "status": "out_for_delivery",
      "description": "On vehicle for delivery",
      "location": "Etobicoke, ON",
      "code": "4200"
    },
    {
      "timestamp": "2026-10-24T07:52:30Z",
      "localTime": "2026-10-24T03:52:30",
      "status": "in_transit",
      "description": "Arrived at sort facility",
      "location": "Mississauga, ON",
      "code": "0300"
    },
    {
      "timestamp": "2026-10-23T20:10:00Z",
      "localTime": "2026-10-23T16:10:00",
      "status": "label_created",
      "description": "Shipping label created with reference(s)",
      "location": "Toronto, ON",
      "code": "3000"
    }
  ]
}
```

> **Raw status & scan codes**: `events[].code` preserves Purolator's 4-digit scan code (`"3000"`/`"3010"` label created, `"2380"` picked up, `"0300"`/`"1310"`/`"4060"`/`"7220"` arrived at sort facility, `"1300"`/`"7525"` departed sort facility, `"4200"` on vehicle for delivery, `"9260"` attempted delivery, `"6500"`/`"9230"` address correction required, `"9550"` held for pickup, `"9500"`/`"9000"` delivered), while package-level states (`SDR`, `POP`, `IND`, `INT`, `OFD`, `ATT`, `DEL`) normalize to the 7 standard statuses.

## Related Resources

- **Live browser lookup tool**: [Track a Purolator package live on lastscanned.com/lookup/purolator](https://lastscanned.com/lookup/purolator)
- **Carrier hub**: [All 31 supported carriers](/carriers)
- **Regex & check digits**: [Tracking number formats & auto-detection](/formats)
- **AI support workflows**: [WISMO AI agents & synchronous tracking](/wismo)