By Pacer Logistics5 min read
A quick overview before you dive in:
To send a parcel in Australia, you pack it securely, measure and weigh it, compare courier options for your route, book and pay online, have it ready for pickup, then track it to delivery. Whether you call it shipping a package or sending a parcel, it takes a few minutes once you know what details you need.
This guide walks through each step in order, with the details that help you avoid delays and surprise charges.
Before you pack, make sure the item can go by courier. Some dangerous goods can be sent with a declaration and a surcharge, subject to the courier's approval, including some dry batteries, consumer goods, small quantities of aerosols and paints. Explosives, fireworks, firearms, ammunition, illegal drugs, radioactive materials and unregistered hazardous chemicals can't be sent. Internationally, perfume can't go by air freight. If you're not sure about an item, ask our team before you book.
Measure the packed parcel's length, width and height in centimetres, and weigh it in kilograms. Use these packed measurements, not the item's.
Couriers price on size as well as weight. A light but bulky parcel can be charged on its cubic weight, which converts its volume into a weight. Australia Post, for example, calculates cubic weight at 250 kg per cubic metre and typically charges whichever is greater, the actual weight or the cubic weight. A 50 x 40 x 30 cm box is 0.06 cubic metres, so its cubic weight is 15 kg. Couriers use their own conversion rates, so the quote is the best guide to what you'll pay.
Accuracy matters. Your price is based on the details you enter, and couriers can adjust it if the size or weight they collect doesn't match what you declared.
Different couriers can give very different prices and delivery dates for the same parcel and route. A comparison platform such as Pacer Logistics lets you enter your details once and see live options from 50+ Australian couriers side by side.
When you compare, look at:
Residential and remote addresses usually cost more than business addresses in cities, so enter the addresses accurately. For more ways to bring the price down, see our guide to sending a parcel for less.
Choose the option that suits you and book online. You don't need an account. You can pay by debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express), processed securely by Stripe. Bookings are made online; if you get stuck, the team can help by phone or email, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm Sydney time.
If your plans change, cancel before the courier attempts pickup. You'll get a refund, less any cancellation fee the courier charges.
*Content Writer Note:* Confirm with the client whether senders print a label or consignment note after booking, or whether the courier brings it. If senders print one, replace the first bullet with: "Print your label* from your booking confirmation and attach it to the largest side of the parcel."*
Once your parcel is on its way, you can follow it with Track a Parcel using the tracking number. It works with any tracking number from the couriers we cover, including parcels booked directly with a courier, and you don't need an account. Updates show the courier's scans in real time.
Standard bookings within Australia also include a transit warranty of up to $350, and for something more valuable you can add extra cover of up to $100,000 within Australia at checkout, before you pay. Shipment Cover explains what's included and what isn't.
No. Bookings are made online, which takes a few minutes. While you book online, the team can help with questions by phone or email during business hours.
Weigh it with a bathroom or kitchen scale before you book. Guessing low can lead to a price adjustment later, and guessing high means paying for weight you're not sending.
Once you have your packed measurements and weight, the rest takes minutes: compare the options, book the one that suits you, and track it to the door.