At a glance

Criterion	Australia Post	CouriersPlease
Metro delivery speed	2+ days (Parcel Post); next-day Express Post network; invite-only Metro service (Syd/Mel/Bris)	Next business day at standard rates; 1–3 business days per FAQ; 95.90% metro on-time (Q4 2025)
Regional & remote delivery speed	3–4 days (NSW Country) to 9–26 days (remote islands/NT) via Delivery Estimator	"May take longer" beyond metro; Interparcel cites 2–5 working days regional; 93.91% regional on-time (Q4 2025)
Pricing transparency	Fully public rate cards (MS102 PDF, Post Charges Booklet MS11); free online calculator — no login required	Instant online quote tool for casual senders; contract/volume rates not publicly disclosed
Cost: 1 kg metro parcel (retail)	$15.25 Parcel Post / $17.00 Express Post (own packaging, 500g–1kg band, effective 1 July 2025)	No fixed public rate; use the CP online quote tool — pricing varies by lane, account tier and surcharges
Tracking & delivery visibility	Full scan-based tracking; photo Safe Drop; MyPost dashboard; app/SMS/email alerts; $100 auto cover	Full tracking; proactive milestone notifications; API integrations; $1,000 auto cover ($100 excess)
Shopify integration	Native first-party Shopify integration launched September 2025 — no third-party app required	Own Shopify app (CP Quote & Book); also via Starshipit, ShipStation, PluginHive, Interparcel
PO Box & parcel locker delivery	Yes — PO Boxes and 1,100+ free 24/7 Parcel Lockers nationwide	No PO Box delivery; missed deliveries redirect to 2,200+ HUBBED collection points
Max parcel weight	22 kg dead weight; max length 105 cm; max 0.25 m³	25 kg dead weight (31 kg via Road service); max length 180 cm
Authority to Leave / delivery flexibility	Safe Drop via MyPost with photo confirmation; in-transit redirection available	ATL bookable as a distinct service; missed deliveries to HUBBED; redirection available
Reliability & network coverage	Delivers to all Australian addresses; universal service obligation; 2M+ deliveries/day during 2025 peak	95% of Australia's population; 1,200+ franchisees; 95.90% metro / 93.91% regional on-time (Q4 2025)

Australia Post vs CouriersPlease: Which Carrier Is Right for Your Australian Shopify Store?

Choosing the right domestic carrier can meaningfully affect your shipping costs, customer satisfaction, and the time you spend managing fulfilment. This guide compares Australia Post and CouriersPlease across the criteria that matter most to Australian ecommerce sellers — delivery speed, pricing, tracking, Shopify integration, and more.

Both carriers serve Australian businesses every day. Neither is universally "better." The right choice depends on your parcel profiles, your customer base, and your operational set-up.

How we rate these carriers: Every fact below comes from carrier primary sources or named secondary sources. Where data is unavailable, we say so plainly rather than guess.

Quick Comparison at a Glance

Criterion	Australia Post	CouriersPlease
Metro delivery speed	2+ days (Parcel Post); next-day Express network; invite-only Metro service	Next business day at standard rates; 1–3 days per FAQ
Regional/remote speed	3–4 days (NSW Country) up to 9–26 days (remote islands/NT)	"May take longer" beyond metro; regional figures cited by Interparcel at 2–5 working days
Pricing transparency	Full public rate cards + free online calculator	Instant quote tool; contract rates not published
Retail cost, 1 kg metro	$15.25 Parcel Post (eff. 1 July 2025)	No fixed public rate; use CP quote tool
Tracking cover	$100 automatic cover	$1,000 automatic cover ($100 excess)
Shopify integration	Native first-party integration (Sept 2025)	Own app + Starshipit, ShipStation, PluginHive
PO Box / parcel lockers	✅ Yes — 1,100+ free Parcel Lockers	❌ No PO Boxes; HUBBED collection points instead
Max parcel weight	22 kg	25 kg (31 kg via Road service)
Network coverage	100% of Australian addresses	~95% of Australia's population

1. Domestic Delivery Speed — Metro

Australia Post offers two primary metro tiers. Parcel Post delivers in an estimated 2+ business days, with Sydney-to-Sydney Metro showing as 2 business days on the official Domestic Delivery Estimator. Express Post targets next business day within the Express Post network (between capital cities, excluding Darwin; Perth CBD only). There is also an Australia Post Metro service offering next-day delivery to select retailers in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane — however this was launched in 2023 and is currently available by invitation only to eligible retailers, not open access for all businesses.

CouriersPlease advertises metro-to-metro next business day delivery at standard rates (no express surcharge) for same-state and neighbouring-state metro areas, positioning this as "pickup today and deliver tomorrow." Their own FAQ guide states metro-to-metro transit is 1–3 business days. Importantly, their Q4 2025 Peak Performance report recorded a 95.90% metro on-time delivery rate for the October–December period — their self-reported peak season figure.

Takeaway: For open-access next-day metro delivery at a standard rate, CouriersPlease is more broadly accessible. Australia Post's next-day Metro product exists but is restricted to invited retailers. Express Post's next-business-day guarantee applies between major capital city pairs. Actual transit times for both carriers vary by route and lodgement time.

2. Domestic Delivery Speed — Regional and Remote

Australia Post's official Domestic Delivery Estimator (current as at 1 July 2023, revised periodically) gives clear benchmarks: Sydney Metro to NSW Country is 3–4 days; Sydney to WA Country Far is 7–10 days; Sydney to NT Other is 6–9 days (all via Parcel Post). The most remote destinations — islands off Tasmania, North Queensland and NT — can require 9–26 days. Express Post remains the fastest available option for postcodes outside the next-business-day network. Crucially, Australia Post delivers to every Australian address as part of its universal service obligations as a statutory authority.

CouriersPlease acknowledges on their FAQ that regional or remote areas "may take longer" beyond the metro-to-metro 1–3 day guide, and that cross-country (east to west) routes require "a few extra days." According to Interparcel's comparison data (a secondary aggregator source), CouriersPlease regional/interstate transit is cited as 2–5 working days, with remote areas taking longer. Their Q4 2025 report recorded a 93.91% regional on-time delivery rate. Their network covers approximately 95% of Australia's population — meaning some genuinely remote postcodes fall outside their network entirely.

Takeaway: For businesses shipping regularly to remote or rural Australia, Australia Post is typically the only carrier that can guarantee delivery. CouriersPlease is well-suited for metro and near-metro regional corridors but cannot serve all addresses.

3. Pricing Transparency and Public Rate Cards

Australia Post publishes its full retail rate cards publicly. The Domestic Parcel Post Guide MS102 (effective 1 July 2025) and the Post Charges Booklet MS11 (effective 17 July 2025) are freely downloadable PDFs. An online postage calculator on auspost.com.au provides instant estimates by postcode, weight and dimensions — no account or login required. MyPost Business (volume discount) rates are also published in guides, with discount tiers based on spend.

CouriersPlease provides an instant online quote tool for casual senders (CP Direct) that generates indicative lane-based pricing without requiring account creation. However, contracted or volume business rates are not published publicly — these are negotiated per account. A full downloadable rate card equivalent to Australia Post's MS102 is not publicly available for CouriersPlease.

Takeaway: If pricing predictability and the ability to plan costs without contacting a sales team matters to you, Australia Post's fully public rate cards are a clear advantage. CouriersPlease suits businesses happy to work with account-based pricing and regular quote-tool checks. When comparing carrier costs against your broader fulfilment overhead, it also helps to factor in how well each carrier's app or label solution fits your workflow — see our label printers guide for compatible hardware options.

4. Cost: A 1 kg Metro-to-Metro Parcel

Australia Post publishes fixed retail rates. Using your own packaging in the 500g–1kg weight band, Parcel Post is $15.25 (effective 1 July 2025, per the official domestic rate schedule MS102). Express Post for the same parcel is $17.00. Note that Australia Post applies flat rates up to 5kg, so the same rate applies whether you're sending to a metro or regional destination within the same weight band.

CouriersPlease does not publish a fixed public retail rate for a 1 kg metro-to-metro parcel. Pricing is generated dynamically via their online quote tool and varies by lane, account tier and applicable surcharges (including a fuel surcharge active since January 2023). We do not have a verified, CouriersPlease-published figure for this scenario. Secondary sources exist — for example, the aeroscouriers.com.au blog cites third-party aggregator (Easyship) data suggesting private courier metro rates "starting from $7.46 for a 1 kg Sydney-to-Melbourne parcel" — but this is a third-party estimate, not a CouriersPlease-published figure, and should not be treated as a reliable baseline. Use the CouriersPlease online quote tool directly for accurate pricing on your specific lanes.

Takeaway: Australia Post's $15.25 Parcel Post retail rate is a firm, verifiable figure. CouriersPlease pricing can only be confirmed via their quote tool. Volume shippers with a CP account may receive rates meaningfully different from retail estimates.

5. Tracking and Delivery Visibility

Australia Post includes scan-based tracking on all Parcel Post and Express Post shipments. MyPost account holders can view all parcels in a single dashboard, receive notifications via the AusPost app, SMS or email, and receive photo proof of Safe Drop delivery. In-transit parcel redirection to a different street address, Parcel Locker or Post Office is available via MyPost up until the parcel is onboard for delivery. Automatic cover of up to $100 is included with standard Parcel Post and Express Post.

CouriersPlease also provides full tracking from collection to delivery across all services. In Q4 2025 they upgraded to include automatic receiver notifications providing proactive milestone updates at key stages. Tracking integrates with their website, CP Direct portal and API connections including ShipStation and Starshipit. CouriersPlease includes automatic cover of up to $1,000 AUD per consignment — significantly higher than Australia Post — though the first $100 of any claim is not covered (i.e., there is a $100 excess).

Takeaway: Both carriers deliver solid tracking experiences. Australia Post's photo Safe Drop and in-transit redirect via MyPost add meaningful consumer-side flexibility. CouriersPlease's $1,000 automatic cover (vs Australia Post's $100) is a notable advantage for higher-value shipments — just be aware of the $100 excess. Tracking quality and how each carrier handles customer queries post-dispatch can also affect your store's reputation; our guide to customer service quality in shipping apps covers what to look for.

6. Shopify and Ecommerce Platform Integration

Australia Post launched a native, first-party Shopify integration on 1 September 2025. This allows MyPost Business merchants to book shipments, print labels and have tracking numbers automatically assigned directly within Shopify admin — no third-party app required. Around 40% of MyPost Business customers already use Shopify, making this a significant ecosystem fit. The integration is free for eligible Shopify plan holders. Additional third-party apps (PluginHive, SellerDash/AMP, Joovii) also support MyPost Business and eParcel (contract) accounts.

CouriersPlease offers its own Shopify app — "Couriers Please Quote and Book" — available on the Shopify App Store for direct booking from Shopify admin. It also integrates via third-party platforms including Starshipit (supporting Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento and WooCommerce), ShipStation via API/ShipEngine, PluginHive and Interparcel. Their API supports domestic label creation, return labels, rate shopping and tracking updates. No native, carrier-direct built-in Shopify partnership equivalent to the September 2025 Australia Post–Shopify integration has been announced by CouriersPlease.

Takeaway: For Shopify-first merchants, Australia Post's September 2025 native integration is a genuine differentiator — fewer moving parts, no middleware, and direct carrier-to-platform data flow. CouriersPlease's Shopify integration through its own app and multiple third-party platforms is capable and flexible, especially for multi-carrier operations.

7. PO Box and Parcel Locker Delivery

Australia Post delivers to PO Boxes and operates a network of 1,100+ free 24/7 Parcel Lockers nationally, located near post offices, supermarkets and train stations. Parcel Lockers accept parcels up to 16 kg and no larger than 39 × 36 × 64 cm. Recipients have 48 hours to collect from a Parcel Locker or 10 business days from a Post Office. Both Parcel Post and Express Post deliver to PO Boxes without additional surcharges.

CouriersPlease, as a private courier network, does not deliver to PO Boxes — this is standard practice for courier-model carriers. For missed deliveries, CouriersPlease redirects parcels to the nearest HUBBED collection point. According to the Interparcel blog (a secondary source), CouriersPlease's HUBBED network encompasses 2,200+ locations including newsagencies, pharmacies and convenience stores, many with extended trading hours. CouriersPlease does not operate its own parcel locker network.

Takeaway: If a meaningful proportion of your customers use PO Boxes (common in regional areas and apartment buildings), Australia Post is the only option. For customers