Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia Post is a government-owned corporation that operates Australia's postal system. Allowing its residents to mail and get packages inside the country and to destinations worldwide.
With the support of a workforce of 64,000 strong, Auspost has over 4,300 sites and handles more than 7,950 routes around the country, even in the most rural and remote areas. They offer customers in over 220 countries easy and affordable sending services.
Australia Post tracking helps the delivery concerns brought on by stolen or lost orders, customs clearance problems, or other difficulties. Read on to learn how to track an Auspost order.
About Australia Post tracking
There is an Australia Post tracking order service on Auspost’s site, where you can track up to ten different packages. You can also use the Circuit Package Tracker app to get status alerts.
Whether you are sending or receiving orders, you can track their progress online and choose how Australia Post will handle them.
An Auspost package number is an encrypted code that identifies packages and contains the details of their trip from origin to destination.
Below are common questions about how to use Auspost order tracking and solutions to common issues.
How to find your Australia Post tracking number
Standard Australia Post tracking numbers consist of 13 digits and letters. It starts with two letters, then nine digits, and finishes with "AU" most of the time.
For example, an Australian Post 13-digit tracking number looks like this: AA 777 777 777 AU.
The Australian Post Office will typically include a tracking ID on a receipt. You can also find the number for tracking on the barcode or sticker attached to the product.
Sellers should send you a confirmation email with an invoice that includes the number after you buy something online.
How to track your Auspost location
If you've found yourself looking up “track my Auspost package,” you’re not alone. With your tracking number in hand, you can type or copy and paste it into the tracking box above.
Circuit Package Tracker will follow each item and show you the available delivery options.
Lost Australia Post tracking number
Without your Australia Post tracking number, it's impossible to follow your package progress. But that doesn't mean your package won't be delivered—it just means there will be no way for you to know exactly when it will arrive.
How to track an Australia Post package without a tracking number
Auspost uses tracking numbers to follow an item's progress as it moves through its network. Using information such as name or address to track items is impossible.
Ask for one if you have bought an item online and your seller does not send a tracking number. In the meantime, you can relax and wait for your package to arrive.
Solving Australia Post tracking issues
Although Auspost has an advanced and secure delivery system, it cannot guarantee a delay to your package. Most delays are minor—caused by customs or overseas weather problems – but they're common enough to warrant concern.
You can find service updates and delivery disruptions to discover why they may make any changes to your delivery.
You should contact Australia Post customer support as soon as possible if they have not delivered your package past your expected delivery date.
Why you can't track your Australia Post package
There might be various reasons why you cannot trace your Auspost delivery. Please make sure you get your tracking number right by entering it carefully.
The problem might lie with Australia Post if your tracking number is accurate. Their system might be unavailable or may be having an update when you try to track your package.
The problem may also be on the sender's end. Some sellers print out the sending labels and tell you that they have sent your item before handing your package to Auspost.
If Australia Post hasn't collected your order yet, it means they have not entered your delivery information into their system. Once they hand your package over, tracking updates should start.
If it's still within the first few days since you made a buy, give the sender and Australia Post time to start the tracking process.
Or you can contact the merchant and ask for an update. Some businesses will send you two separate messages: one with the tracking details and another to confirm that they have shipped your order.
If you're using an overseas service that doesn't include tracking, you'll get the "product not trackable" status.
Why your Australia Post package is not updating or moving
Your Australia Post package tracking might not update or appear to move for many reasons, including software updates, weather, and shipper delays.
Even the most remote areas of Australia are reached by mail with Auspost. Delivering domestically and internationally by land, air, and sea means it may take some time to get to the post. Weather, vehicle maintenance, and customs are beyond the control of Australia Post and may affect delivery times.
The Australia Post tracking system is a complex piece of technology, which means there are many ways it can go wrong. Software updates may prevent status updates from appearing, but those rarely last for more than a few hours.
If you've been tracking your package for days and find no movement, it's also possible that the order has not yet reached Auspost's network.
Your package may not be picked up immediately or scanned by the driver directly. In this case, you should contact your shipper to get an update on when they expect delivery.
Australia Post tracking status explained
The order history page includes a column labeled "Tracking Status" that updates in real-time with the latest information available from Australia Post.
Learn about the status of your package by familiarizing yourself with the various statuses below.
Before the final delivery status, you may find the in-transit or pending status.
In transit
When your package is in transit, it's been given to or picked up by Australia Post. Your item arrives at a sorting facility, and a courier will transport it to your location. Transit can take a few days to weeks, depending on where it's going and how far away the shipper is.
Auspost estimates arrival times based on thousands of deliveries, but these times are not guaranteed. Australia Post factors delays and disturbances in their network into their projections.
You should note that an "in transit" package is not the same as a package with a "coming today" status. Auspost will load your package into the vehicle for delivery within two hours and may alert you through SMS.
Why your Auspost package is still in transit
The time your package is in transit depends on several factors, including where it's going and how far away the shipper is.
Because of customs delays or further checks in Australia Post facilities, they may pause your package. However, in most cases, packages are cleared and released to their final destination.
Australia Post's customs clearance usually takes less than a day to complete, but it can take longer. It depends on whether or not Australia Post needs to perform further checks on your package before releasing it for delivery.
How long an Auspost package can stay in transit
How long an Auspost package can stay in transit depends on whether they send your package within the same state, interstate, or internationally.
Domestic delivery of regular and priority letters within the same state usually takes up to four business days.
Delivery times vary between states but usually arrive between three and six business days.
Times for International delivery depend on which country you are sending to. Estimates for international delivery range from two to 25 business days.
For domestic delivery, packages originating in South Australia, Tasmania, or the Northern Territory must make at least one stop in another state before leaving the country. Plan to add three to seven business days for these states and territories packages.
Pending
Before finding the order in transit, you will probably find your item is in pending status. The status "pending" shows that the sender has not yet delivered the product to an Australia Post location.
A pending status signifies that Australia Post has been alerted and expects to get the item from the sender soon.
Why your Auspost package may be pending
If your item's status is "Pending," it hasn't yet been scanned by Australia Post.
The sender may have posted your package in a street post box, or your item was part of bulk mail delivery to the Post Office.
If that's the case, the mail may not have been processed and scanned.
Within 24–48 hours, you should get an updated tracking status. Australia Post should scan your package by then.
If your package's status stays "pending" for more than a few days, it may be because something is wrong with it, the contents are illegal to transport, or the packaging is incorrect.
If there are more delays, Australia Post will notify the vendor and contact you. If not, you should contact the sender to find out more details.
If there are no updates to a package for two months, then the status may change to "pending." A pending status, in this case, shows that Australia Post has archived your order.
Australia Post delivery times
Delivery times will vary depending on where Australia Post is sending the order. Within Australia, delivery should happen within a week.
For most countries overseas, the average time for delivery is about 15 days. But some destinations take much longer—sometimes more than 25 days.
Auspost delivery times: What time will your package arrive
The Australia Post delivery time frames depend on whether or not they passed off your package and to whom. You may find expected delivery timeframes on their websites from several courier companies.
Delivery windows for StarTrack Courier, an Auspost third-party delivery partner, are Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm, with after-hours delivery alternatives available within a specified metropolitan region of Australia's capital cities.
If the tracking information shows that the order will arrive the same day, you can anticipate delivery before 6 pm.
How late does Australia Post deliver
Australia Post's domestic delivery service starts at 7 am local time and wraps up at 5 pm local time. For a surcharge, they will also deliver on Saturdays; however, only until 1 pm in your time zone.
When sending overseas, Australia Post will transfer the delivery to your country's designated courier. Contact your area's courier service for more precise delivery estimates. Your delivery time may also affect your address type (urban, rural, or business).
International Australia Post delivery times
Australia Post has four international sending tiers, each affecting how quickly they will send your delivery to its destination.
Shipping times for the Economy Sea Package (their most affordable option) might be as long as three months.
The Standard Shipment is the next rung down, and it might take anywhere from 10 business days to 15 business days to get your package there.
If you need your order sooner, they offer an Express Package to get it to you in 7–12 business days.
Their fastest and most costly option is the Courier Shipment, which is ideal if you need your package within a week but can afford to pay more. The Courier Service guarantees delivery in two to four working days.
Lost and missed Australia Post deliveries
If you have not bought the additional package insurance that Australia Post sells, you may be eligible for reimbursement of up to one hundred Australian dollars.
On the other hand, if the value of your delivery was more significant than that amount and you got insurance from Australia Post, they will refund you up to the maximum sum of 5,000 Australian Dollars.
If your item's status was last updated in the country of origin, however, you will need to contact the regional courier in that area for further details.
What happens if you miss an Australia Post delivery
Australia Post will leave your package at your door if no one is around to accept it. Suppose a delivery needs a signature, however, or the courier is unable to gain access to your home.
In that case, the box will be sent to an Australia Post locker and made available for pickup within 48 hours. If your order has arrived at its final destination, you should contact the country's local courier service.
How long will Australia Post hold a package?
You can have your package delivered to a secure Australia Post locker if the post office cannot get it to you. They'll hold your package at that location for 48 hours before forwarding it to the following Australia Post Postal Office.
Once Australia Post delivers your package to a Postal Office, they may store it anywhere between one week to a year. After which, Australia Post will return the package to the sender.
However, Australia Post will transfer the delivery to a local courier after your international item clears customs. If Australia Post delays your item, the local courier may have a waiting period, so it's best to contact them directly for details.
What to do if you haven't got your Australia Post package
If Australia Post has sent your package, but you have not collected it, find its status using your tracking number
Contact Australia Post if your package was last outside of Australia. Contact the local courier if you know your package was last updated in the delivery country.
However, your delivery may be stuck at customs or face another kind of delay. It's also possible that you were out of reach throughout the delivery process since your order needed a signature.
Australia Post tracking FAQs
Here are some more frequently asked questions for your reference.
Is Australia Post delivery fast?
Auspost delivery is fast and reliable, even with Covid-19 challenges changing timetables and expanding package volumes.
Can I track an Australia Post package by address?
You cannot track an Auspost package by address or name. Instead, you need your package s tracking number, consisting of 13 letters and numbers.
How do I know if my Australia Post package is stuck in customs?
When you check the status of your order with Australia Post, you may discover that they have suspended your delivery date as customs need to clear it.
In most cases, international and local customs agencies inspect mail from abroad before it can continue on its delivery path.
Quarantine and customs officials may need to keep your package for an extended time. Usually, this is because more inspection is needed, or you must pay import taxes.