Does FedEx text you?

Updated October 29, 2026

Yes, FedEx does text people, but only delivery updates you signed up for or the sender set up, and, for some international packages, a secure link to pay duties and taxes. FedEx says it never asks for payment or personal information to release a package. A surprise FedEx text asking you to pay a delivery fee or confirm your address or personal details through a link is a scam. For a duties notice, check it on fedex.com instead of tapping the link.

When FedEx really texts you

FedEx sends real texts, so a FedEx text isn't automatically a scam. According to FedEx's own pages, you can get one in three cases:

Real FedEx text	How it starts
Tracking updates, like the planned delivery day, a delivery reminder, or a photo of the delivery or delivery attempt	You turned on text alerts in FedEx Delivery Manager
A delivery notice for a package someone sent you	The sender added your mobile number to the shipment for delivery notices
A secure link to pay duties and taxes on an international package	Your package is coming into the US and duties or taxes are due

FedEx's shipper pages describe senders adding the recipient's mobile number so FedEx can text the planned delivery day. That's why you can get a real FedEx text without signing up for anything yourself. FedEx's texting terms say you can text STOP to opt out of its text alerts.

What a real FedEx text never does

No fee to release a package. FedEx says it never asks for payment or personal information in exchange for releasing a package.
No requests for your details out of the blue. FedEx says it doesn't ask for personal information by unsolicited mail, email or text.
No wire transfers, money orders or cash. FedEx tells customers not to pay that way.

The one payment FedEx may text you about is duties and taxes on an international package. FedEx says you can check those messages and amounts with the FedEx Import Tool.

Signs a FedEx text is fake

You aren't expecting a package, and nobody told you they sent one.
It asks for a fee before it will deliver, like a redelivery or address-correction fee, or for your card number. (A notice about duties and taxes on an international package can be real. Check it on fedex.com, as below.)
It wants you to "confirm" or "update" your address or delivery preferences through a link. Police warned about texts like this as far back as 2020, some with your name and a made-up tracking number.
It pushes you to reschedule a missed delivery through a link. The Coffee County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee warned in 2025 that the link in these texts doesn't go to FedEx's website and is built to steal personal information or infect your device.
The link isn't on fedex.com. FedEx warns about texts and emails pointing to websites ending in .shop.
It tells you to reply Y to turn on the link. That's a trick to get around your iPhone's protection against links from unknown senders. More on the reply-Y trick.

Fake package delivery texts are among the most common text scams in the US. The FTC says fake package delivery problems were the most reported text scam of 2024. The same scripts go out with USPS and other carriers' names. How to tell if a USPS text is real.

How to check safely

Don't tap the link or reply. Type fedex.com into Safari yourself and enter the tracking number from your order confirmation or from the sender. If FedEx really needs something from you, like duties on an international package, you'll see it there. For duties, you can check the amount with the FedEx Import Tool, which you reach from fedex.com, instead of the link in the text.

If someone you know sent you a package, you can also ask them for the tracking number.

If you already tapped the link or paid

You paid with a card: call your bank or card company right away, using the number on your card, and ask them to stop or reverse the charge. FedEx also tells anyone who lost money to contact their bank immediately.
You entered your personal details or a sign-in code: follow what to do if you clicked a scam link, and if you shared a code, what to do if you gave someone a verification code.

Report it

Forward the text to [email protected], as FedEx asks.
Forward it to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block similar messages, then delete it. How to report spam texts on iPhone.
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you lost money, FedEx also suggests the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

Questions

Does FedEx text you about deliveries?

Yes, if you turned on text alerts in FedEx Delivery Manager or the sender added your phone number to the shipment. These texts give tracking updates, like the planned delivery day. They don't ask you for money to deliver the package.

Does FedEx text about a missed delivery?

It can send an update if you signed up for alerts, and FedEx Delivery Manager can include a photo of the delivery attempt. Police in Coffee County, Tennessee warned in 2025 about fake FedEx texts with a link to reschedule a missed delivery. Don't use the link. Enter your tracking number on fedex.com yourself to see what really happened.

Does FedEx text you about duties?

Sometimes, and these can be real. FedEx says it may email or text you a secure link to pay duties and taxes on an international package. To be safe, don't use the link: check the amount with the FedEx Import Tool, which you can reach from fedex.com, using your tracking number.

Is this a scam text from FedEx?

It probably is if you weren't expecting a package, it asks for a delivery fee or your personal details, it threatens to return the package, or the link isn't on fedex.com. FedEx warns about links on .shop websites in particular. Check on fedex.com instead and forward the text to [email protected].

Sources

Facts checked October 29, 2026.