Tracking a shipment is usually a quick and straightforward task, although it can sometimes become a little frustrating. Some common situations include:
- The e-commerce store does not specify which courier company is handling your shipment, so you do not know where to start.
- The e-commerce store does not provide a tracking number, leaving you frustrated in front of the website without knowing which number to enter. Or worse, repeatedly entering the order number from the e-commerce store, which is different from the shipment tracking number.
- Tracking your parcel through the retailer’s website, where the information is often less detailed than that provided directly by the courier company's website.
- Checking your email infrequently. If you only access it every two or three days, you may miss important updates about your shipment.
- Feeling suspicious of SMS messages because you associate them with potential scam attempts.
- Mobile apps are useful, but you do not have enough space on your phone to install the app of every courier company that delivers your parcels.
For these reasons, WhatsApp has become one of the most convenient channels for receiving information about your shipments and managing deliveries easily from your mobile phone.
Why Use WhatsApp for Parcel Tracking?
WhatsApp is one of the most widely used applications in Spain. According to the IAB Spain Social Media Study 2026, 94% of Spanish internet users use WhatsApp every month, and for one-third of them it is their favourite social network. In Spain, WhatsApp is used for an average of 1 hour and 34 minutes each day, according to the same study.
In addition, it is a platform used across all age groups. From Generation Alpha to Baby Boomers, every generation uses WhatsApp.
Advantages of Tracking Shipments via WhatsApp
Among the main benefits are:
- An application that you already use every day and are familiar with
- Avoiding the need to install multiple applications on your mobile phone
- Quickly accessing the delivery management options for your shipment
- Reducing the risk of missing important notifications about your parcel
Thanks to these advantages, WhatsApp presents itself as one of the best alternatives for tracking a package.
How to Activate WhatsApp Shipping Notifications with GLS
GLS offers a proactive WhatsApp information service for people who have authorised this type of communication on their phone number.
Signing up is very easy:
- Go to https://mygls.gls-spain.es/login
- Enter the phone number you would like to register. Do not forget to include Spain's international dialling code (+34).
- Tick the box: "I consent to GLS contacting me via WhatsApp to provide information regarding the tracking of my shipments."
- Click "Accept"
- Enter the verification code sent to you via SMS.
You will automatically receive updates about any shipment associated with that phone number that includes the option of collection through a GLS Point.
How to Manage a Delivery Through WhatsApp
If you have activated the service and provided your phone number when making a purchase, you will receive a WhatsApp message from GLS Spain from the number +34 635 41 45 04.
The message is sent when the parcel enters the GLS network in Spain and will display both the estimated delivery date and the alternative delivery options available to you.
You will be shown different GLS Points (collection points or lockers) located close to the delivery address, allowing you to choose the one that best suits your needs.
If you prefer not to make any changes, there is no need to do anything. Simply ignore the options provided, and the parcel will continue its normal journey and be delivered to the address you originally specified.
I Am Not Receiving WhatsApp Messages About My Shipment: Possible Causes
If you have registered your phone number but are not receiving WhatsApp updates about your parcels, there may be several reasons for this.
- Your shipment is not associated with a phone number. If you did not provide your phone number to the online store when making your purchase, or if the retailer did not share it with GLS, the WhatsApp information service cannot be activated.
- You used a different phone number for the shipment. We are not always aware of which phone number is linked to the account we use on each e-commerce platform. It may be your partner’s number, your mother's number or your work number. If those phone numbers have not been registered for the WhatsApp information service, you will not receive the messages.
- The shipment is not eligible for WhatsApp delivery management. Some shipments have special characteristics that do not allow delivery-related decisions to be made. Examples include shipments already addressed to a GLS Point, shipments requiring mandatory identification, or cash-on-delivery shipments. In these cases, GLS chooses not to send WhatsApp communications in order to avoid confusion during the delivery process.