Skip to main content
Get to know NZ Couriers
Updated over 5 months ago

NZ Couriers has been one of New Zealand’s most renowned courier companies since 1964, providing a friendly, results-focused service to NZ customers, NZ wide.

NZ couriers has been helping Kiwis get their deliveries sorted for over 50 years – right around the country and the globe. They are proud to serve the local communities they work in, ensuring your business and personal sending needs are met, taken onboard and expertly delivered. Their motto is simple: they don’t just deliver packages, they deliver reliability. As part of the Freightways brand, their technology supports a seamless integration with Shippit.

Services available

  • NZ Couriers standard = Shippit standard service level

  • NZ Couriers express = Shippit standard service level

Compatibility

See the carrier overview matrix for full compatibility, limitations & restrictions.

Suitable for:

  • Apparel, clothing & footwear

  • Small consumer goods

  • Small homewares

  • Foods & beverages

  • Alcohol

  • Dangerous goods - limited with prior approval from the carrier ensuring you are compliant with dangerous goods packaging and labelling guidelines. For more information, see the dangerous goods matrix.

Not suitable for:

  • Furniture

  • Heavy bulky freight or pallets

  • Consolidated freight (palletised)

Surcharges

Charges that can be identified at the time of booking are included in the API quote at the time of booking however additional surcharges may apply for undeclared goods, or special goods. For more information, see the surcharge matrix.

Insurance

Complimentary loss or damage insurance is not included when booking with NZ Couriers through Shippit unless you have it included in your own BYO account. Alternatively you can enable Shippit Transit Protection to cover your orders for loss and damage.

Freight Profile

Freight Type

Best fit for

Not suitable for

  • Cost effective domestic deliveries

  • Smaller sized consumer goods

  • Goods under 25kg & 1.8m

  • Liquids and alcoholic beverages

  • Limited DG that are suitable for road & air transport see carrier DG guide here

✓ Satchels

✓ Cartons

✓ Alcohol

✓ Liquids

✓ Perishables

✓ Fragile

✓ Medicinal

✓ Dangerous goods

  • Bulky freight (long, oversized, unpackaged freight or furniture flatpacks)

  • Palletised freight

  • Perishable or live goods

✘ Pallets

✘ Consolidated freight on pallets

Customer Type

Best fit for

Not suitable for

  • Fashion & apparel

  • Variety stores

  • Non-bulky homewares & furnishings

  • Health & beauty (limited DG)

  • Arts & entertainment

  • Computers & electronics (limited DG)

  • Pet supplies

  • Food & beverage

  • Liquor & tobacco

  • Sports & fitness equipment

  • Automotive, aviation, mechanical

  • Industrial & agricultural

Prohibited Goods

These items cannot be sent through the New Zealand Couriers network:

** Items marked with this can only be carried if being sent by an account holder where the carriage of these items has been approved.

  • Animals (except bees) – Dead or Alive**

  • Antiques

  • Ammunition

  • Bicycles (unless boxed and undersized / approved)

  • Body Parts / People / Human Remains / Cremation / Ashes

  • Stocks or Bonds

  • Bullion

  • Cabinets

  • Car Bumpers (unless boxed and undersized), Doors, Windows, and Bonnets**

  • Cash or coins

  • Chairs**

  • Negotiable Instruments (i.e., Vouchers, Travellers Cheques)

  • Precious Stones

  • Deer Velvet (as it bleeds)

  • Dangerous Goods – unless compatible with our Dangerous Goods Policy

  • Whole Engines/Gearboxes

  • Explosives - matches, fire starters, flares etc.

  • Firearms (unless the firing mechanism travels separately & National Operations Manager has approved)

  • Containers previously used to contain Dangerous Goods (unless certified as empty)

  • Flowers, Plants, Trees

  • Food – perishable goods with a life span (meat, chocolate) – refrigerated goods**

  • Fuel Tanks - new and unused (unless certified as empty)

  • Fragile items can be carried but are carried at the sender's risk**

  • Furniture

  • Gift Baskets & Hampers (unless boxed)**

  • Helium Balloons

  • Jewellery / Cash / Travellers cheques / Cheques / Bonds

  • Large Whiteware Home Appliances

  • Paintings or any Artwork**

  • Passports unless pre-approved

  • Tyres**

  • Wet Batteries (i.e. containing acid)

  • Any class 8 Liquid Dangerous Goods

Size and shape restrictions:

  • Nothing heavier than 25 kgs

  • Nothing larger than 0.125 m cubed

  • Nothing longer than 1.80 m

  • No irregularly shaped freight or insufficiently packaged freight

See full terms of carriage on the NZ Couriers site.

Activation

We currently only offer a BYO account configuration with NZ Couriers through Shippit, using your own BYO carrier account. To set up your integration, email [email protected] with your account information. Our team review your details, and usually get back to you in 1-3 business days. However, account activation for BYO can take 1-2 weeks to complete.

Remember, you'll need approval from the carrier before shipping any dangerous goods, alcohol, fragile, or restricted items. Ensure you have this approval before contacting our team to configure your BYO account.

Important note for BYO account holders when shipping special or dangerous goods:

  • BYO accounts must be pre-approved by the carrier prior to shipping for all alcohol or dangerous goods

  • A dangerous goods flag must be configured and indicated in the API when booking through Shippit

  • Dangerous goods surcharges that apply will be charged directly by the carrier

  • All fragile, liquid, alcohol, or dangerous goods shipments must comply with packaging guidelines and dangerous goods compliance.

Did this answer your question?