How Can a Delivery Driver Get Into My Building When I'm Not Home?

Key takeaways

• A tracking number is already on every parcel, so it makes a natural one-time "key": the resident doesn't have to create or send a code.
• Delivery pre-approval opens only the delivery room or the building gate. It never opens a resident's apartment door.
• Each pre-approval is time-limited (today only by default) and expires after use. Repeated wrong entries lock the keypad.
• The courier needs no app: a QR code at the gate opens a web page on their phone.
• If you forgot to add the tracking number, the courier can still call you through DoorVi and you open the delivery room remotely.

How delivery pre-approval works (5 steps)

1. The resident sees a delivery is coming in the store's or courier's app or email.
2. The resident opens DoorVi → Delivery → pastes the tracking number and chooses how long it's valid: just today (the default), a specific date, a time window, or repeat.
3. The courier arrives and scans the DoorVi QR code at the gate (or uses the doorman tablet), taps Delivery, enters the last 6 characters of the tracking number and selects the apartment (for example 101).
4. DoorVi matches the number to that apartment's pre-approval and unlocks only the delivery room or the building gate. The courier drops the parcel.
5. DoorVi captures the courier's photo (a notice tells the courier this on screen) and notifies the resident instantly: "Parcel delivered at 14:32", with the photo attached.

This is delivery pre-approval in DoorVi, a QR-code video intercom and visitor management platform. The rest of this guide covers the problem it solves, what it does and doesn't open, the fallback when you forget, and when another option fits better. For a broader comparison of every way couriers get into buildings (lockers, carrier programs, doormen, remote unlock), see our delivery driver access guide.

Why deliveries are a daily problem for residents and buildings

Picture a common scene: you're in a meeting, your phone buzzes, and it's the courier at the gate with your parcel. You either step out to answer, or the courier leaves and you rebook the delivery.

The volume keeps rising. Brazilian e-commerce handled more than 191 million orders in the first half of 2025 alone, according to ABComm figures reported by Mercado & Consumo. In the US, Pitney Bowes counted 23.1 billion parcels in 2025, about 171 per household (Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index), and the average apartment community was already receiving nearly 150 packages a week back in 2018 (NMHC/Kingsley Package Delivery Report).

When nobody can let the courier in, parcels get left outside. SafeWise's survey estimates that 31% of Americans had a package stolen in the previous 12 months (SafeWise). In a Brazilian condomínio that has moved to portaria remota or autônoma, there may be no one on site to receive a parcel at all.

What is delivery pre-approval?

Delivery pre-approval lets a resident authorise one specific delivery in advance, so the courier can get into the delivery area without calling anyone. In DoorVi, the "key" is the parcel's own tracking number: the resident pastes it once, and the courier proves they're carrying that parcel by typing its last six characters at the gate.

Why a tracking number instead of a code?

Most "delivery code" systems ask the resident to create a PIN and get it to the courier, usually by typing it into the delivery instructions while ordering. That fails when you forget, when the store doesn't pass instructions on, or when the parcel is already on its way. A tracking number avoids all three:

• It's already printed on the parcel, so the resident doesn't send anything to the courier.
• It works after checkout, at any time, right up until the courier arrives.
• It works with any courier, not one carrier's drivers.

What it opens, and what it never opens

The most common question about any delivery access is "can the courier get into my home?" With DoorVi delivery pre-approval, no.

• It opens only the delivery room or the building gate, whichever the property manager has connected. It never opens a resident's apartment door.
• It's time-limited. The default is "today only". Residents can also pick a specific date, a time window, or repeat. Each pre-approval expires after use or when its window ends.
• Wrong entries are limited. Too many wrong attempts lock entry.
• Every delivery is recorded. DoorVi captures the courier's photo when they confirm (a notice is shown on screen first) and sends it to the resident with the time.
• The courier doesn't see the resident's phone number (unless the resident turns on "Callback Number").

On the hardware side, this is ordinary gate automation: the delivery room door or gate needs an electric lock (strike or maglock) that DoorVi can release through a relay (ESP32, Sonoff, Tasmota or Waveshare) or through an existing ProdataKey (PDK) or Brivo access-control system. See the relay integration options and the PDK integration.

The user journey: one parcel, three people

Let's follow one parcel for Rafael in apartment 101 of a condomínio with a ground-floor delivery room.

The resident

Before: Rafael plans his day around a delivery window, answers the intercom in the middle of meetings, or collects missed parcels from a depot.

After: at 09:12 he sees an email from the courier with a tracking number. He opens DoorVi, taps Delivery, pastes the number and leaves the validity on "Today only". That's it. At 14:32 his phone shows "Parcel delivered at 14:32" with a photo of the courier at the delivery room. He never left his meeting.

The courier

Before: presses a button on an old panel, waits, tries a neighbour, leaves a slip.

After: scans the DoorVi QR code at the gate with their phone camera. A web page opens (no app to install). They tap Delivery, type the last six characters of the tracking number printed on the label, choose apartment 101 and confirm. The delivery room unlocks; they leave the parcel and close the door.

The property manager or síndico

Before: fields complaints about missed and stolen parcels, and pays a porter or concierge to buzz couriers in all day.

After: connects the delivery room door to a relay or to PDK/Brivo in the admin dashboard (multi.doorvi.co), keeps the QR code at the gate, and sees every delivery in the visitor log with time, apartment and photo. Setup follows the property setup guide.

Day 1, week 1, month 1

• Day 1: the delivery room lock is connected and tested, the QR code is placed at the gate, residents get a short "how to pre-approve a delivery" note.
• Week 1: residents start pasting tracking numbers for the parcels they're expecting; couriers learn the "Delivery" button.
• Month 1: the manager reviews delivery traffic in the visitor log and decides whether the delivery room needs shelving or lockers for peak days.

Forgot to add the tracking number? It's okay

Pre-approval is for the deliveries you know about. For everything else, the normal DoorVi flow still works: the courier scans the same QR code and calls you through DoorVi. Your phone rings with live video, you see who's there, tap once, and the delivery room opens remotely, from wherever you are. Nobody waits at the gate, and you still never share your number.

Delivery pre-approval vs other ways to receive parcels

Where DoorVi fits best

• Buildings with a delivery room or a gate that can be fitted with an electric lock, including retrofits with a relay.
• Condomínios moving to portaria remota or autônoma, where nobody is on site to receive parcels.
• Properties already on PDK or Brivo that want delivery access without new readers.
• Residents who forget to add delivery instructions at checkout: the tracking number can be added any time before the courier arrives.
• Support within 24 hours: DoorVi's support team resolves support tickets within 24 hours.

When another solution makes more sense

• Very high parcel volume with no secure room: smart lockers handle storage better; DoorVi can still control the door that leads to them.
• Buildings that need someone to sign for every parcel: a staffed concierge remains the right answer.
• No way to add an electric lock to the delivery door or gate: without a lock that can be released, no remote entry system can open it.
• Deliveries straight to the apartment door: DoorVi's pre-approval deliberately stops at the delivery room or gate.

The same QR code also covers other everyday entry problems, from guests (visitor pre-approval) to parking solutions such as the DoorVi QR tag for cars, which lets anyone reach a car's owner about wrong parking without seeing their number.

What does it cost to keep missing deliveries?

A simple example with labelled assumptions, for a 60-unit building:

• Assumption: each household misses one delivery a month and spends about 30 minutes rebooking or collecting it from a depot.
• That's 60 × 0.5 h = 30 resident-hours a month, plus the courier's wasted trips and the risk of parcels left outside.
• Assumption: a porter spends 5 minutes per courier on intercom calls, at 20 deliveries a day: about 100 minutes a day of porter time just opening the door.

Delivery pre-approval removes most of that time without adding staff. DoorVi is priced per unit per month; book a demo for a quote for your building.

FAQ

Can the courier open my apartment door?

No. Delivery pre-approval only opens the delivery room or the building gate that the property connected. It never opens a resident's apartment door.

Does the courier need to install an app?

No. The courier scans the DoorVi QR code at the gate with their phone camera and uses a web page, or uses the doorman tablet if the building has one.

Why does the courier type only the last six characters?

The full tracking number is long and easy to mistype. The last six characters, combined with the apartment the courier selects, are enough to match the pre-approval the resident created.

What if someone types a wrong code?

Wrong entries are limited. After repeated failed attempts, entry is locked, so guessing isn't practical.

How long is a delivery pre-approval valid?

"Today only" by default. Residents can also choose a specific date, a time window or repeat. Each pre-approval expires after use or when its window ends.

What if I forgot to add the tracking number?

That's okay. The courier can still call you through DoorVi; you see them on video and open the delivery room remotely from wherever you are.

Is a photo taken of the courier?

Yes. DoorVi captures the courier's photo for security when they confirm, with a notice shown on screen first, and sends it to the resident with the delivery time.

What support does DoorVi provide?

DoorVi's support team resolves support tickets within 24 hours.

Related questions

• How do delivery drivers get into apartment buildings with no doorman? (full guide)
• How do I pre-approve a guest or cleaner? (visitor pre-approval)
• What is the best QR code entry system for unattended lobbies? (guide)
• Is portaria remota worth it for a condomínio? (guide)
• Can a smart intercom open a PDK or Brivo door? (integrations)

Let deliveries in without lifting a finger

No calls. No interruptions. No missed deliveries. Watch the 1-minute delivery pre-approval demo, then book a 15-minute demo to see it on your own gate. DoorVi's support team resolves support tickets within 24 hours.