FedEx to Start Taking Photos of Packages on Doorsteps to Show Proof of Delivery

A FedEx truck is driven through downtown in Los Angeles, on July 22, 2019. Mike Blake/Reuters

FedEx will begin taking photographs of packages on U.S. and Canadian doorsteps when they are released without a signature to provide proof of delivery, making the company the first nationwide carrier to do so.

Announcing a press release on June 22, FedEx said the new protocol was part of its efforts to boost its e-commerce services and give customers peace of mind.

“This is something e-commerce merchants and customers have been asking for, and we are proud to be the first to announce this service will be available to residential customers,” said chief customer officer Brie Carere.

“Receiving visual confirmation that the package has arrived gives peace of mind to both merchants and consumers, and we are thrilled to give them that confidence,” Carere added.

Under the new program, customers of express and ground residential deliveries will receive a photo showing the exact location of their package once it has been placed on their doorstep.

The proof of delivery photo service does not require an account, meaning that customers with and without a FedEx login will be able to access it.

Customers with a FedEx account will be able to view the image through the FedEx Delivery Manager, the company’s free portal. Those without an account will be able to view their images through FedEx’s tracking tool by entering their tracking number.

FedEx said the new service will initially be available to users in “select markets” before being rolled out to customers in the United States and Canada in time for the busy holiday shipping season.

‘Stepping Up Competition’

The FedEx Delivery Manager will notify customers once their package is delivered, along with a photo, and also allow them to redirect deliveries to an alternative address or leave instructions for the courier, according to the company.

Memphis, Tennessee-headquartered FedEx is following in the footsteps of Amazon with its new picture proof of delivery service after the Jeff Bezos-owned company rolled out a similar program in 2018, called Photo On Delivery.

Amazon in April also launched “Buy with Prime,” further boosting its competitiveness by extending Prime shopping benefits like free shipping to online retailers that are not on Amazon.

Despite unveiling a number of new programs in an effort to bolster competition, Amazon posted disappointing first-quarter 2022 financial results at the end of April, reporting a loss for the first time since 2015. Amazon posted losses of $3.8 billion in Q1 of 2022, though revenue came in at $116.4 billion, compared with $108.5 billion in 2021.

Meanwhile, continued labor challenges and a resurgence in COVID-19 cases has resulted in FexEx also posting lower-than-expected quarterly earnings in March, with the company reporting net income of $1.22 billion, slightly less than analysts had anticipated.

Revenue for the quarter ending Feb. 28 grew nearly 10 percent to $23.6 billion, marking a 10 percent year-over-year gain.

FedEx is expected to announce fourth-quarter fiscal results, ending May 31, 2022, on June 23.