Australia Post vs other carriers: how small businesses can compare shipping costs more easily
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
For many Australian ecommerce businesses, Australia Post is often the carrier used from the beginning. It is familiar, trusted by customers, and widely available. But as order volumes grow, many small businesses start asking the same question:
“Am I paying too much for shipping?”
Finding the answer isn’t always straightforward. Comparing Australia Post shipping costs against other carriers sounds simple, but it quickly becomes frustrating and time-consuming. Every carrier has different pricing structures, delivery speeds, surcharge rules, and label systems.
Without the right tools, it becomes difficult to know which option is actually best for each order.
This is where shipping software like ReadyToShip can help.
In this article we'll cover:
Why comparing shipping costs is difficult
The hidden costs beyond label prices
Why many small businesses stay with one carrier
How ReadyToShip simplifies carrier comparisons
When multiple carriers make sense
Why comparing shipping costs is difficult
Many Australian online sellers start by using MyPost Business because it is easy to access and integrates with popular ecommerce platforms. But problems start appearing when businesses try to compare MyPost Business shipping costs with alternatives like Aramex, CouriersPlease, or eParcel Contract
Each carrier calculates pricing differently based on:
Parcel weight
Cubic weight
Delivery zones
Fuel surcharges
Residential delivery fees
Signature requirements
International destinations
A parcel that is cheaper with Australia Post for one suburb may cost less with another carrier for a different destination.
For small businesses manually comparing rates, this often means:
Logging into multiple portals
Re-entering parcel details repeatedly
Switching between spreadsheets
Checking different tracking systems
Calculating surcharges manually
As order volumes increase, this quickly becomes impractical.
The hidden costs beyond label prices
Many businesses focus only on the label price when comparing shipping carriers.
Choosing the cheapest shipping label doesn't always produce the lowest overall cost.
When comparing carriers, businesses should also consider:
Delivery reliability
Late deliveries create customer support issues and refund requests. A slightly more expensive carrier may ultimately reduce support costs and improve customer satisfaction.
Operational efficiency
Using multiple carrier websites can add hours of manual work each week. Those labour costs often outweigh any savings achieved through cheaper labels.
Customer expectations
Australian customers often trust Australia Post because they recognise the brand and already use the AusPost tracking app. For some businesses, paying slightly more for Australia Post may improve customer confidence and reduce “where is my order?” enquiries.
International shipping complexity
International shipping introduces additional challenges:
Customs documentation
Delivery restrictions
Different tracking standards
Regional surcharges
Comparing international shipping costs manually becomes even more difficult as order volumes grow.
Why many small businesses stay with one carrier
Even when businesses suspect they could save money elsewhere, many stay exclusively with Australia Post because managing multiple carriers feels overwhelming.
Common concerns include:
Learning multiple systems
Printing different label formats
Managing separate billing accounts
Training warehouse staff
Handling customer tracking updates
For early-stage ecommerce businesses, simplicity often feels safer than optimisation.
But relying on only one carrier can create limitations:
Higher shipping costs on some routes
Fewer delivery options
Limited regional coverage
No backup during carrier delays
Less flexibility during peak seasons
Using more than one carrier does not need to create operational complexity if the right shipping software is in place.
How ReadyToShip simplifies carrier comparisons
ReadyToShip connects multiple carriers within a single shipping platform, allowing businesses to compare available services without switching between different systems.
From one dashboard, sellers can compare:
Australia Post rates
Alternate courier pricing
Domestic delivery options
International shipping services
ReadyToShip supports Australia Post alongside multiple other carriers, helping businesses choose the best option for each shipment.
For example:
Australia Post may be best for PO Boxes and regional deliveries
Courier services may be cheaper for metro parcels
Express services may suit urgent customer orders
International carriers may offer better pricing for overseas shipments
Rather than committing to one provider for every order, businesses gain flexibility.
ReadyToShip also reduces manual processing by supporting:
Automated label generation
Bulk shipping workflows
Address validation
Tracking updates
Packing slips/picklists
SKU summaries and invoices
This helps small businesses save time while improving fulfilment accuracy.
If a business uses Shopify, ReadyToShip integrates directly with ecommerce orders, reducing manual data entry and streamlining dispatch workflows.
When multiple carriers make sense
Using multiple carriers becomes more valuable as ecommerce businesses grow. Businesses shipping only a few parcels per week may not notice large savings. But businesses sending dozens or hundreds of parcels weekly may be able to reduce shipping costs by comparing services.
Multiple carriers are especially useful for businesses that:
Ship both metro and regional orders
Send international parcels
Sell bulky or heavy products
Need express delivery options
Experience seasonal order spikes
Want backup shipping providers during delays
Having access to multiple carriers also improves resilience. If one carrier experiences delays or disruptions, businesses can continue shipping orders through alternative services.
Business considerations
Before comparing MyPost Business by Australia Post shipping costs against other carriers, businesses should consider several operational factors.
Order volume
Shipping complexity increases as order volumes grow. A business shipping 50 orders per week vs 500 orders per day will have very different fulfilment requirements. As orders grow, businesses benefit more from automated shipping workflows and carrier comparisons.
Customer location
Some carriers perform better in metro areas, while others handle regional Australia more effectively.
Businesses shipping nationwide should compare performance as well as price.
International growth plans
Businesses planning international expansion should consider whether their shipping software supports:
Customs forms
International labels
Duties and taxes
Multiple carrier integrations
Changing systems later can become disruptive.
Operational simplicity
The goal is not to use as many carriers as possible. The goal is to choose the right carrier for each order without creating unnecessary manual work.
This is where shipping platforms like ReadyToShip become valuable because they centralise carrier management into one workflow.
Final thoughts
For many Australian ecommerce businesses, Australia Post remains an important shipping partner. But relying on a single carrier without comparing alternatives can lead to unnecessary shipping costs and reduced flexibility.
The challenge is that manual carrier comparisons quickly become time-consuming as order volumes increase.
ReadyToShip helps simplify this process by allowing businesses to compare multiple carriers from one platform while automating much of the fulfilment workflow. This gives small businesses greater visibility over shipping costs, more delivery flexibility, and a more scalable dispatch process as they grow.
Whether a business ships five orders a week or hundreds per day, having the ability to compare Australia Post shipping costs against other carriers can help improve margins, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
