What is the difference between pre-paid Australia Post mailers and HEROPACKs?
This is a question we get asked many times a day. I remember when starting my first product business, I would purchase pre-paid plastic satchels from the local Post Shop and write the addresses on top and off they would go to the customer.
The Main Difference:
The cost of the Australia Post pre-paid plastic mailer includes the mailer itself AND the cost of postage.
HEROPACKs are different. When you pay for a HEROPACK, you are paying for the mailer only, not the shipping. For example, a small pink one will cost you 24c for the mailer and shipping will be added on top.
Let’s go through some examples.
Example 1:
Let’s say you are in metro Melbourne and you are shipping your branded swimwear to a customer in Brisbane. You are using small pink HEROPACKs (24c each).
Once you have packed the mailer, you can take it into an Australia Post shop. They will weigh it and print a label for you.
Using our example above, sending a swimsuit (about 400g) from Melbourne to Brisbane will cost $8.95 regular post with tracking. This cost is from the Australia Post website, you can calculate it yourself here.
So, using a small HEROPACK, shipping ($8.95) PLUS the mailer ($0.24) will cost $9.19.
Using a small AUS POST Pre-Paid mailer, it would cost $9.20.
Example 2:
Let’s say you are in metro Melbourne and you are shipping your candle to a customer in Brisbane. You are using medium black HEROPACKs (35c each).
Once you have packed the mailer, you can take it into an Australia Post shop. They will weigh it and print a label for you.
Using our example above, sending a candle (about 900g) from Melbourne to Brisbane will cost $12.45 regular post with tracking. This cost is from the Australia Post website, you can calculate it yourself here.
So, using a medium HEROPACK, shipping ($12.45) PLUS the mailer ($0.35) will cost $12.80.
Using a medium AUS POST Pre-Paid mailer, it would cost $12.45.
Example 3:
Let’s say you are in rural NSW and you are shipping your baby blanket to a customer in Perth. You are using large black HEROPACKs (57c each).
Once you have packed the mailer, you can take it into an Australia Post shop. They will weigh it and print a label for you.
Using our example above, sending a baby blanket (about 500g) from rural NSW to Perth will cost $8.95 regular post with tracking. This cost is from the Australia Post website, you can calculate it yourself here.
So, using a large HEROPACK, shipping ($8.95) PLUS the mailer ($0.57) will cost $9.52.
Using a large AUS POST Pre-Paid mailer, it would cost $15.70.
Note: Why is there such a big difference in price here? Because the price of pre-paid satchels is determined by size of mailer. The price of using your own packaging (HEROPACKs), is determined by weight (if it is under 500g, it is flat rate $8.95 Australia wide).
Alternatives:
- E-Parcel Account: This is where an Australia Post driver picks up parcels from your home or office every day. These rates are slightly different and could be cheaper based on how many you are sending. For an e-parcel account, you will need to print your own labels. If you want to learn more about e-parcel accounts, please click here.
- Sendle: Sendle is an alternative courier company which delivers parcels Australia wide. Sendle requires you to print your own labels, stick it on the HEROPACK and book in deliveries online. Their rates can sometimes be cheaper than Australia Post. Check out their website here.
Hopefully this information is useful for your shipping needs. If you have any other questions, please do email us at hello@heropackaging.com.au.