Australia Post provides services to many Australians, and regularly visits over 12.7 million delivery points across the country offering more than just a postal service. Australia Post is renowned for its nationwide coverage and reliable network with several delivery options to meet the growing needs of customers and consumers.
This article covers Australia Post standard and express international services. For information about other Australia Post services, see these articles:
For eParcel domestic, see the Australia Post article.
For eParcel OnDemand, see the Australia Post OnDemand article.
For MyPost Business, see the MyPost Business article.
Services available
Shippit partner account:
Not available
BYO account:
eParcel International Standard = Shippit international standard service level
eParcel International Express = Shippit international express service level
💡NOTE: This article covers Australia Post standard and express international services. For information about other Australia Post services, see these articles:
For eParcel domestic, see the Australia Post article.
For eParcel OnDemand, see the Australia Post OnDemand article.
For MyPost Business, see the MyPost Business article.
Serviceability
eParcel standard international = Worldwide
eParcel express international = Worldwide
Compatibility
Refer to our Carrier services for full compatibility, limitations, and restrictions.
For a full list of restrictions on the eParcel international network please refer to their website.
Australia Post international services are suitable for:
Small consumer products
Alcohol (with prior approval)
Food (non perishable)
Lightweight e-commerce products
Limited dangerous goods (refer to their dangerous goods policy)
Australia Post international services are not suitable for:
Bulky goods and palletised freight
Unapproved dangerous goods
Perishables
Prohibited, restricted, and dangerous goods
For the most up-to-date information, always refer to the Australia Post website.
Packaging guidelines
Items should be wrapped in a way that will ensure safety for the delivery person and the customer. It is your responsibility to package items correctly. Packaging should comply with Australian consumer and transport laws.
See full Australia Post packaging guidelines on their website.
You can also refer to our recommended packaging guidelines.
Surcharges
Surcharges that are included in your BYO rate card or sent through the API are reflected in Shippit quoted pricing. Additional surcharges may not always be included and may be charged by the carrier after booking.
Insurance
If you have insurance included in your own BYO account, this will carry over with your BYO integration. If you need to raise a claim for lost or damaged goods, contact Australia Post directly.
Alternatively, you can enable Shippit Transit Protection to cover the retail value of your goods if lost or damaged during transit.
Duties and taxes
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Duties and taxes can vary from region to region, and depending on your own configuration. Always check the full terms of carriage with your carrier, and the customs requirements for the country you are shipping to beforehand.
Refer to these articles to help with your international shipping:
Pickup and collection
You will need to contact Australia Post directly for all pickup and delivery support.
Activation
Setting up a BYO account
To set up your BYO integration, contact our Configuration Team with your account details. You will need to have all of your carrier account credentials ready.
Our team will review your details and usually get back to you in 1-3 business days however BYO account activation can take 1-2 weeks to complete.
Get your Australia Post API key
To get an Australia Post API key, you need:
An Australia Post eParcel account, or an Australia Post business credit account
Your Australia Post account number
💡 NOTE: If you do not have an account with Australia Post, contact Australia Post to open a business credit account, and ask to include eParcel.
Getting your Australia Post API key
Visit the Australia Post Developer Centre, log in to your account, and click Complete registration.
On the Shipping and Tracking API Registration page, complete your company details. Make sure you include any account numbers you have for your eParcel, StarTrack, and OnDemand accounts. Click Next to continue.
In the Are you accessing the API through a platform partner field, choose Yes and select Shippit from the list. This allows our team to troubleshoot any issues with Australia Post on your behalf. Click Next to continue.
Complete your state or territory. You can also include additional account numbers in the comments field if you could not include them all previously. Click Send to finish your registration.
In the confirmation email that Australia Post sends you, follow the steps to retrieve your API and secret keys.
💡 NOTE: If you have any problems retrieving your API key, you can contact the Australia Post Lodgement Support team directly.
Best practices
Using Australia Post through Shippit can streamline your shipping processes. Here are some best practices for shipping with Australia Post:
Because your account is directly with Australia Post, Shippit don't send you a delivery invoice for orders, your payment arrangement with Australia Post remains the same. You might receive a subscription invoice from Shippit, depending on your Shippit plan. For more information about the different Shippit invoices, see the billing and invoicing article.
When you use carriers directly through Shippit, you can keep your operating hours updated in your Shippit account. However, Australia Post can't access this setting. Make sure you maintain your pick-up arrangement with Australia Post so that you don't miss out.
If you’re shipping dangerous goods, make sure you’ve got the proper approval from Australia Post, and always check the guidelines before you ship.
If you want to ship internationally with Australia Post using Delivery Duty Paid (DDP), you must have an AGPL product code provided by Australia Post.
Make sure you manifest your orders within Australia Post’s cut-off times, especially for express services. Missing these cut-offs could delay your deliveries.