Australia Post

Use Australia Post to show shipping quotes based on your products, packaging, origin postcode, and the customer’s delivery address. Configure the method in a shipping zone, then test the services and final charge at checkout.

Before you start

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• Set your store’s base country to Australia and its currency to Australian dollars (AUD) under WooCommerce > Settings > General.
• Enter weights for physical products. Individual and box packing also require product dimensions. Use consistent units under WooCommerce > Settings > Products.
• Have the postcode you ship from and the measurements of the packaging you actually use.
• Configure a shipping zone for the destinations you serve. A customer’s address matches the first applicable zone.

This extension returns shipping quotes. It does not purchase labels or provide your negotiated Australia Post account prices.

Add Australia Post to a shipping zone

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1. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Shipping zones.
2. Open Edit beside the zone you want to use. If you need a new zone, select Add zone, enter its name and regions, then save it.
3. Select Add shipping method, choose Australia Post, then select Continue.

After adding Australia Post, open Edit beside the method and configure:

1. Method Title: the name shown to customers when the selected rate setting uses this title.
2. Origin Postcode: the postcode you ship from.
3. Calculate Rates Excluding Tax: choose how shipping tax is handled, as explained below.
4. Parcel Packing Method: choose individual, weight, or box packing.
5. Satchel Rates: choose whether eligible satchel quotes can be used.
6. Offer Rates: show all returned services, or only the cheapest rate. The cheapest-only option uses your method title.
7. Services: enable the services you want to offer and review optional extras and adjustments.

Select Save changes. Repeat for other shipping zones as needed. Country availability is controlled by the zone’s regions.

Choose a packing method

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Pack items individually

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Each physical unit is quoted separately, and the charges are added together. A quantity of three produces three item packages. Enter the product’s shipping weight and dimensions.

Use this when each item will actually ship separately. It can cost more than packing several items together.

Weight of all items

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Items are grouped by weight, up to Maximum weight (kg) per package. Product weights are required; product dimensions are not used by this packing method.

For example, three items weighing 0.2 kg each with a 0.5 kg maximum are split into a 0.4 kg package and a 0.2 kg package. The quote is the sum of the two package charges. Choose a maximum that matches how you ship the products.

Pack into boxes with weights and dimensions

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The extension tries to fit products into the enabled packaging you configure. Enter each physical product’s dimensions and weight, then select Add Box to add your packaging.

• Outer dimensions describe the package sent to Australia Post for the quote.
• Inner dimensions describe the space available for products.
• Weight of box adds the empty packaging’s weight to its contents.
• Max Weight includes both the packaging and its contents.
• Type identifies the packaging, such as Box, Envelope, Packet, or Tube.
• Enabled determines whether that packaging can be used.

Under WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Australia Post, Box Packer Library selects the packing calculation. Speed Packer primarily uses volume; Accurate Packer checks individual dimensions and can take longer with large quantities.

Test representative carts against packages you can actually pack. Items that do not fit enabled packaging can be quoted individually.

Letter rates

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Use box packing and configure an enabled Envelope with its actual dimensions, packaging weight, and maximum weight. The C5 envelope in the example is 22.9 × 16.2 × 0.5 cm outside and 22 × 15 × 0.4 cm inside; it is an illustration, not a recommended size for every product.

Products must fit inside the envelope. Check Australia Post’s size and weight guidelines and the rules for the contents and destination. A returned quote alone does not establish that particular goods can be sent as a letter.

Satchel rates

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The current predefined packaging uses Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large satchels. Review their measurements in the method settings and compare them with the packaging you use.

• Enable Satchel Rates compares eligible satchel and ordinary quotes and uses the cheapest quote within each service.
• Prioritize Satchel Rates prefers an eligible satchel quote, even when an ordinary quote is cheaper. When several satchel quotes are available, it chooses the cheapest eligible satchel quote.
• Disable Satchel Rates ignores satchel quotes. Box packing still uses the packaging enabled in the box settings.

Choose services and optional extras

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Enable the services you want to offer. Only services returned by Australia Post for the package and destination can appear at checkout.

Review Extra Cover and Signature / Registered before saving. These options can add charges, and availability depends on the service. Clear options you do not intend to include. Signature on Delivery is not added to letter-service quotes.

Use Adjustment ($) for a fixed adjustment and Adjustment (%) for a percentage adjustment. With no adjustment, the carrier quote is unchanged. For example, a 10 AUD quote with a 5 AUD fixed adjustment becomes 15 AUD before any tax conversion. A 15% adjustment makes it 11.50 AUD before tax conversion.

Configure shipping tax

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Calculate Rates Excluding Tax controls whether this shipping method is taxable in WooCommerce.

• Off: the method uses the returned charge, including any configured adjustments, and WooCommerce does not add shipping tax to it.
• On: for domestic quotes, the extension removes the included 10% tax before WooCommerce calculates shipping tax. International quote amounts are not reduced, but WooCommerce can still add shipping tax if your configured tax rules apply.

For a domestic 11 AUD quote, enabling the setting gives 10 AUD net shipping. With a matching 10% WooCommerce shipping tax rate, the result is 10 AUD shipping plus 1 AUD shipping tax. Without a matching rate, no replacement shipping tax is added. Exemptions and your price-display settings can also affect the checkout result.

Configure your WooCommerce tax settings for the rules that apply to your store. No code snippet is needed for this checkbox.

The disabled Tax Status field can show a value that does not match the method’s tax behavior. Use Calculate Rates Excluding Tax and verify the actual shipping and tax amounts at checkout.

Verify the checkout charge

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1. Add a physical product with known measurements to the cart.
2. Enter a complete delivery address that matches the intended zone.
3. Confirm that the expected enabled services appear.
4. Compare the package measurements, selected service, optional extras, adjustments, and final tax with the charge you expect.
5. Repeat with several products, different quantities, and an international destination if you offer international shipping.

If the packing method creates several packages, compare the sum of those package charges. A single-package carrier quote is not a like-for-like comparison.

Troubleshoot missing or unexpected rates

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No rates appear

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• Check the customer’s matched shipping zone and confirm Australia Post is enabled there.
• Check the Australian store base, AUD currency, origin postcode, and delivery address.
• Check product weights and the dimensions required by your packing method.
• Check that your enabled packaging can hold the products and that the carrier supports the service for that package and destination.
• Review the Australia Post debug log for a carrier response or connection error.

Find debug information

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Under WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Australia Post, enable Debug Mode, save, and repeat the calculation. Then open WooCommerce > Status > Logs and select the woocommerce-shipping-australia-post source.

Inline debug notices appear only for store administrators using the classic cart or checkout. For Cart and Checkout blocks, use the log. Turn Debug Mode off after testing. You do not need to enable WordPress development debugging for this workflow.

The charge is higher or lower than expected

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Check the number of packages, product and packaging measurements, selected service, cover/signature options, adjustments, satchel preference, and shipping tax. Compare the same package and options with Australia Post. Test a smaller cart to identify which item or setting changes the result.