Pack Network and Pack Freight

Platform V2 hides carrier logos behind two merchant-facing services. Pack Network is parcels. Pack Freight (and Pack Freight Express) is everything that has outgrown a satchel. You pick a service; we pick the truck. The underlying carrier is revealed on the label after booking.

Overview

What they are: Managed networks. You do not enable Aramex vs Couriers Please vs TFM vs TNT for each order. Eligible live rates are shopped, the cheapest eligible option is booked, and the real carrier prints on the label.

How to access:

Booking: Open an order → Book. Rates show as Pack Network / Pack Freight (and Express) when those networks are on.
Checkout: Customers see Pack Network as a single option, not a menu of courier brands.
Carriers page: Pack Network is listed as always on. BYO contracts (MyPost, eParcel, StarTrack, TNT, and others) sit alongside it.

Why it matters: A single-carrier login is a single point of failure. A managed pool shops price per shipment and keeps labels moving if one network has a bad day.

Pack Network (parcels)

What it includes: Managed parcel carriers (currently Aramex and Couriers Please), plus Australia Post when you have MyPost connected.

How it books: At quote time we take the cheapest eligible live rate. You are not asked to compare logos. Checkout does the same merge: one customer-facing Pack Network rate.

Eligibility: Standard parcels within those carriers’ weight and size limits. Heavy, skid, pallet, or oversize freight is not quoted here.

Status: On by default for all merchants. Disable only if you have been told to set PACK_NETWORK_ENABLED=false (platform flag — not a normal Settings toggle).

What you can still do: Connect MyPost, connect BYO accounts on Starter+, set handling fees, signature, and insurance in carrier settings. Pack Network does not replace BYO; it sits next to it.

Pack Freight (freight)

What it includes: TFM Xpress and TNT under one brand.

When it appears: The shipment is freight-eligible:

Total weight 30 kg or more, or
Oversize — longest side greater than 120 cm, or
Product AI / freight profile says the SKU ships as a skid or pallet

Parcel networks (Australia Post, Couriers Please) are not asked to quote that load. Pack Freight is not asked to quote a 400 g satchel.

Service names you will see:

Pack Freight — standard freight (cheapest eligible TFM/TNT rate in the standard group)
Pack Freight Express — express / priority / overnight style services from the same pool

What you choose at booking:

Skid (typical for ~30–70 kg) vs pallet (typical for ≥70 kg, or when Product AI recommends pallet)
Delivery type: depot collect, tailgate truck (extra fee), or forklift on site
Dangerous goods, book-in, phone ahead — when they apply to the consignment

Residential: If the address is classified residential, the residential fee is in the quote. See Residential Address Detection.

How a quote is chosen

Dimensions and weight come from Product AI, a saved combination, or what you typed.
Carrier filtering drops networks that cannot carry the load.
Pack Network rates and Pack Freight rates are fetched in parallel.
Rates are merged into the branded names above, cheapest first.
Known accessorials (residential, tailgate, overlength from dims, DG, book-in, phone ahead, fuel) are applied in the quote.
You confirm and book. The label shows the actual carrier.

Mix with your own contracts (BYO)

You can connect your own carrier accounts (eParcel, StarTrack, TNT, DHL, and others) on any plan. Those rates appear next to Pack Network / Pack Freight. You can still pick a BYO service on an order if you want that contract for that shipment.

Free: Full product including BYO carriers, capped at 100 bookings per Shopify billing cycle (multi-parcel bookings count as 1). Starter: Removes the volume cap.

Fees after booking

Quotes include fees we can know up front. Carriers may still invoice waiting time, futile pickup/delivery, redelivery, hand unload, reweigh/redim, or remote on-forward. Those are recorded against the shipment and debited from prepaid balance or the card on file (plus GST and the standard platform margin). The Pack Freight booking notice states this in short form.

See also: Residential Address Detection, Cubic Weight & Chargeable Freight, Carriers Management, Billing & Payments, Orders & Booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which carrier will actually collect? A: The one on the label. Pack Network / Pack Freight is the shopping layer, not a separate courier.

Q: Can I force Aramex or Couriers Please? A: Not as a customer-facing brand while Pack Network is merging them. Book Pack Network and we take the cheapest eligible. Connect a BYO account if you need a specific contracted carrier.

Q: Why don't I see Pack Freight on a small order? A: The order is under 30 kg and not oversize, and Product AI has not flagged the SKUs as freight. That is correct — it would be quoted on Pack Network or AusPost instead.

Q: Is Pack Freight the same as TNT? A: No. Pack Freight is TFM + TNT shopped together. TNT may still appear as a BYO carrier if you connected your own TNT account.

Q: Do customers see TFM or TNT at checkout? A: They see Pack Freight / Pack Freight Express (or Pack Network for parcels), not the underlying brand.

Q: Can I print a PO Box on the label and still collect from the warehouse? A: Yes, for Australia Post only. Set On-label / returns address in Settings → Pack products → Australia Post. Pickup and quotes stay on the warehouse. Pack Network cannot offer this because not every network carrier supports a split sender vs collection address. See Australia Post on-label address.