Australia Post tracking

Australia Post is a postal operator which has been providing postal services in Australia for over 200 years. Known before under the name “Postmaster-General’s Department”, the current name of the company changed in 1989. Today, Australia Post offers its customer postal, retail, financial and even travel services.

What is Australia Post?

Australia Post is the largest government-owned logistics provider network in Australia, which caters to the everyday needs of citizens postal, retail, financial, and travel services at an affordable cost. Australia Post prides itself on its commitment to strive for excellence and ensure reliable postal services to its citizens both regarding domestic and international postage.

Australia Post, also known as AusPost, is operating as the successor of the Post Master's General Department, a custodian for the traditional postal services, and has been connecting Australia with the world for more than 200 years. It has also continued to strive for excellence by keeping up to date with technological and social advancements, such as through operational innovation, digitalization, and maximizing customer satisfaction through postal efficiency.

Essentially, it is evolving and fulfilling community needs because of the changing dynamics of the postal and logistics business. Australia Post is an international postal service that competes and works with the likes of DHL, TNT, China Post, FedEx, UPS and so on.

What are the postal services Australia Post provides?

As a leading service provider, Australia Post has introduced several different services over time such as the Australia Post Parcel, the Australia Post Package, Australia Post Express Shipping, Australia Post Tracking (and its tracking application), and the Australia Post Online shop as well as others. It also continues to widen its coverage both within the vast Australian rural outback as well as through international delivery options and last-mile logistics.

Australia Post has shown it is a dedication to minimising its environmental impact by introducing a unique and carbon neutral delivery service and use of electric vehicles in its fleet.

How does Australia Post work?

Although Australia Post is focused on its core operations, namely logistics (including letters, and parcels), retail delivery services (such as eCommerce), and last-mile delivery services, it also operates a large staff team, a fleet of vehicles including air freight transport and several subsidiaries, such as Star Track.

In fact, Australia Post has a professional workforce of some 80,000 personnel between both Australia Post and Star Track and is responsible for processing and handling more than 90 million parcels a year across its 461 facilities. It operates around 7,000 postal outlets and stores within the country. Australia Post also delivers to 214 countries worldwide with a staggering 12.1 million delivery points.

Domestic parcels and mail are delivered across a nationwide network of Australia Post post offices, licensed post Offices, community postal agencies, and Australia Post franchises and picked up from street post boxes, parcel lockers, express post box as well as a parcel pickup service being offered in some areas. Australia Post has also developed a Digital Mailbox, automation of shipments, and other online services complementing its traditional services but with a modern twist.

Some of the most popular Australia Post services include the Australia Post Order, Australia Post Shipping, Australia Post Parcel, Australia Post Free Shipping for orders from online stores and Australia Post Package, Australia Post Express shipping, and Australia Post Standard shipping.

Does Australia Post deliver every day?

Australia Post delivery services are operational seven days a week, managing to operate even during the pandemic in 2020 much to the relief of a locked-down population during this period. To meet the increased demands for the post at the time, Australia Post actually went about hiring additional human resources, redeploying its workforce in areas in which it was most needed, and exploring additional transport alternatives. It also established new processing and delivery facilities across the country, as a testament to its commitment to delivering domestic posts at the time.

An example includes Australia Post using other options other than air delivery while flights were mostly grounded.

However, Australia Post deliveries can still be delayed for reasons out of their control. Some of these reasons are explained below:

Customs processing issue: If a parcel contains a prohibited item when it enters Australia or enters another country (if a parcel is originating from Australia and being sent overseas), then it will likely be seized at customs by officials.

Alternatively, if an item of value is being sent abroad, it may be subject to Value Added Tax (VAT), which will need to be paid before the parcel can be released by customs and continue on its journey. Please make sure your item is not on the prohibited items list by checking the Australia Post website.

How do I track my parcel with Australia Post?

Two options are mainly chosen by customers and merchants using Australia Post to track their parcels. The first, and most traditional method, is direct with Australia Post. This can be done by visiting the website, logging in, and connecting through the chatbot, or by accessing the MyPost account dashboard. You will then need to enter some information regarding your parcel.

As you are logging into the Australia Post website, this method means you can only track Australia Post parcels and may encounter tracking issues when parcels are handled by other couriers, as is a common occurrence when parcels are sent overseas or originate from overseas.

This has led to the emergence of a second and more preferable option, tracking with Ship24. Ship24 is a multicarrier tracking site that offers tracking on more than a thousand different couriers and logistics companies across the world. With Ship24, you don't need to log in or enter any personal information about your parcel as the platform has an inbuilt auto-recognition system that identifies which courier your tracking number belongs to.

For instance, when you enter an Australia Post tracking number, you don't need to specify that the parcel is being sent with the postal operator, as Ship24 will automatically recognize it from the unique set of letters and numbers within the Australia Post tracking code.

All you need to do when you purchase Australia Post delivery services (or if a merchant you are purchasing a product from us using Australia Post to deliver your order or you are a merchant sending a parcel using the postal operator) is make sure you obtain your Australia Post tracking number. An Australia Post tracking number will be assigned to each registered parcel sent with the service and it will be unique to the package in question.

Therefore, copy and pasting or entering this into the Ship24 site will get it everything it needs to know to start scanning the world wide web for information regarding your parcel. It doesn't matter which courier you are searching for or the size, weight, and service with which you sent the parcel (such as express or standard), Ship24 makes it easy to track your parcel worldwide.

Where can I find my Australia Post tracking number?

You can find the Australia Post tracking number on the receipt given by the post office, the barcode of the parcel being sent, or the confirmation email that you have provided.

The Australian Post tracking number is a combination of 13-digit numbers and letters. The format usually goes with 2 capital letters, in the beginning, followed by a 9-digit number and ends with AU. An example of the tracking number is:

• SH 123 456 789 AU
• IP 444 321 567 AU

With the tracking number, you can copy and paste it onto the Ship24 homepage. Ship24's tracking system covers more than 1200 couriers and allows you to track up to 10 parcels at the same. This means that if your parcel is handled by another courier in another country, you can still track your parcels with the same tracking number.

How long does standard Australia Post shipping take?

Australia post shipping time for a standard post takes 2 to 6 days within Australia and around 10 to 14 days for international deliveries. Express delivery times are usually faster, with delivery to some destinations able to be done within as little as 24 hours.

As always, Australia Post delivery times vary depending on the service chosen, the method of dispatch (such as parcel pickup), size and weight of the package, customs processing times, general delays, and in some cases, external reasons such as freak weather accidents or unforeseen circumstances. National holidays, such as Australia day and around Christmas, can also delay package delivery timeframes. Always check with Australia Post directly for an estimated time of delivery when purchasing.

However, the best way to keep up to date with the progress of your parcel is with Ship24. Ship24 delivers 100 per cent of notifications and event updates regarding the progress of your parcel so you will be kept up-to-date in as close to real-time as possible about the movements and status of your parcel, allowing you to know any potential delays as they happen.

How do I send IOSS parcels to Australia Post?

A new import scheme has been introduced in the EU, called the Import One-Stop-Shop (IOSS), as part of the bloc's new initiative to simplify cross-border sales.

The introduction of IOSS will also mark the end of the 22 EUR tax threshold, meaning all goods sold to EU buyers will now be subject to VAT. The IOSS has been brought in to help distance sellers - particularly those who deal in the sale of low-value goods (150 EUR or less) - gain some benefits from the changes.

The IOSS scheme will also make it the responsibility of the seller or marketplace registered for the scheme to collect, declare and pay VAT in one single payment for all sales across the EU, in the interests of better transparency and simplified tax remittances.

To register, non-EU businesses who sell to the EU - such as those which use Australia Post to send goods to the EU from Australia - must do so via an IOSS intermediary which is based in Europe.

Ship24 IOSS Solution

Ship24 now offers complete IOSS intermediary solutions for non-EU businesses, such as those which use Australia Post. Our intermediary services include:

• Rapid registration to the scheme (with turnarounds in just 2 days) as well as the facilitation of VAT payments in the EU and ongoing support to make sure your business meets IOSS obligations.
• Instant release customs processing on all IOSS registered items meaning faster delivery
• Prepaid VAT obligations ending hidden processing fees for customers, improved consumer confidence and boosted sales
• Potentially cheaper import costs due to the removal of handling/customers processing fees going forward
• EU-wide tax payments consolidated into a single remittance

Find out more about our IOSS solutions on our dedicated page or for more information on how to get an IOSS number or achieve IOSS registration, see our comprehensive FAQ pages.

How much is Express shipping Australia Post?

Australia Post shipping fees are different from standard fees as the delivery service is much quicker, boasting an average delivery time of between 24 hours and 3 days. Most Australia Post express shipments within Australia are done by the next business day.

Australia Post Express postage costs start from $11.95 and may vary subject to the inclusion of additional fees depending on the specifics of the parcel being delivered (such as size, weight, and location). Express shipping with Australia post is only available for parcels weighing up to 5 kgs and further restrictions apply depending on the size of packaging selected.

Customers can also upgrade their express services or in fact, any Australia Post postal service, to include extras such as insurance/cover, proof of delivery (which will require a signature on delivery), carbon-neutral parcel delivery, and parcel pickup services, and so on. Please note, that prices are subject to change and may no longer be the amount stated in this article.

For the latest Australia Post prices and services, please visit the Australia Post website or contact your nearest Australia Post branch.

How do I find my lost Australia Post tracking number?

When you purchase Australia Post services, you will receive an Australia Post tracking number which you can use to track your post. You will receive this in many ways depending on how you purchase the delivery services. These are listed below:

• Direct delivery service purchase: If you have physically been to an Australia Post post office, you will likely receive a receipt that will have your Australia Post tracking number on it.
• Online direct delivery service purchase: If you have booked the service online and opted for parcel pickup (where available), you will likely receive your Australia Post tracking number in a confirmation email
• Purchase through a marketplace or merchant: If you have made an order online, you will either receive your tracking number after the point of purchase directly on the website or in a confirmation email.

If you have lost your Australia Post tracking number, you need to contact the service from which you received the number originally. So if you are a seller or marketplace, check in the "My Orders" section or reach out to their customer service team. Alternatively, if you have lost your receipt or did not receive/cannot find your Australia Post confirmation email, you need to contact the postal operator directly.

You can contact Auspost Customer Contact Centre either online or by calling on 13POST(13 76 78).