Back with the release of iOS 16 in 2022 came the launch of a new feature in the Apple Wallet app which was the ability to track online orders.
This was seen as a way for Apple to compete with other third-party package tracking apps such as Deliveries and Parcel, as well as USPS and UPS apps, and do so by having everything an iPhone user would need and already have in the Wallet app.
With that said, we are now in 2025 and I recently came across an app that not only has support for it but that I was able to track multiple orders through it. This app was the independent online bookstore Tertulia.
After placing my first order through the app, I was given the notification for tracking of said order through the Wallet app.
From there, what I also did was test out how fast the order tracking was by also adding the tracking number to the Deliveries app on my iPhone 15 Plus at the time.
While I waited for the order, I would get various notifications from the app letting me know of any changes in location the package was in. When I opened the Wallet app, even to check on my Apple Cash balance, it would let me know across the top of the screen where I could see the current whereabouts of my online order.
But this is what I also noticed from the Deliveries app which was that it notified me sooner when my package had moved and when it was delivered into my mailbox. This is not to say that I never got notified through the Wallet app that my package had been shipped or delivered because I got both notifications. It’s just that apps like Deliveries were much quicker with the notifications.
On the bright side, at least my book was delivered timely and was received in great brand new condition!
I did test this with a second book that I ordered through Tertulia to see if the results would change much and they did not. I cannot talk much about the second book order because it is a birthday gift that the receiver has not gotten yet and I do not want to take the chance of them reading this and finding out more about their gift.
All in all, while I do think it is great that the iPhone and Wallet app have this functionality to track orders, the feature is getting 1/4 stars from me.
The support for the feature is another reason I cannot promote it all that much. I have yet to see or hear about other prominent apps or websites to add support for it such as the Target or Best Buy apps, or even other apps like eBay, Etsy, PangoBooks, and Mercari.
If Apple wants to break into this space more with its Wallet app, it’s going to have to get more support for it with other businesses to make it a regular thing.
Rating: 1/4 Stars
