Postage Australia Price in 2026: Letter and Parcel Rates, Plus Cheapest Options
Right now in Australia, a small letter costs $1.70, a large letter starts at $3.40, and Parcel Post starts at $9.70. Those figures took effect in mid-2025 – and they’re already on track to change again. Australia Post has lodged a draft Price Notification with the ACCC proposing to raise the Basic Postage Rate from $1.70 to $1.85 in mid-to-late 2026, which would mark the second increase in under 12 months.
Whether you’re pricing a one-off birthday card or budgeting shipping costs across thousands of e-commerce orders, the postage Australia price you’ll pay depends on more than just weight. Size, packaging type, service speed, and destination zone all shift the final number – sometimes dramatically. A 12mm-thick envelope that looks like a letter? That’s a parcel, and the minimum just jumped from $3.40 to $9.70.
This guide covers every current Australia Post price for letters and parcels, explains exactly how those prices are calculated, tracks what changed in 2025 and what’s coming in 2026, and walks through the cheapest option for each common shipment type. You’ll get exact dollar figures, worked examples, comparison tables, and a decision framework – not a calculator redirect.
TL;DR
Small letter stamp: $1.70 – Effective 17 July 2025. Large letters start at $3.40 (up to 125g), and Parcel Post starts at $9.70 (up to 250g). A further increase to $1.85 is proposed for mid-late 2026.
Postage is driven by classification, not just weight – Letter vs parcel classification, cubic weight, packaging type, service speed, and destination zone all affect the final price. A thick envelope can jump from $3.40 to $9.70 overnight.
Flat-rate packaging can save money on heavy items – Australia Post’s flat-rate satchels and boxes are priced by size, not weight, making them cheaper for dense parcels under 5kg.
Courier platforms beat Australia Post on metro parcels 1kg+ – Aeros Couriers quotes from $7.46 for a 1kg Sydney-to-Melbourne parcel vs $15.25 through Australia Post retail Parcel Post.
Business rates aren’t always better – MyPost Business offers discounts, but SMBs shipping under 50 parcels per month may get better per-shipment economics from a pay-per-parcel courier platform with no account lock-in.
The ACCC doesn’t approve prices – it decides whether to object – Australia Post must notify the ACCC before raising reserved letter prices, but parcel prices are set commercially with no regulatory review.
Australia Post postage prices at a glance
Here’s what you’ll pay across the most common postage types as of April 2026, based on prices effective from July 2025.
| Item Type | Current Price | Size/Weight Limit | Typical Delivery Time | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Letter | $1.70 | 130mm x 240mm, 5mm thick, up to 250g | 3-5 days same state, 4-7 interstate | Personal letters, invoices, cards |
| Large Letter (125g) | $3.40 | 260mm x 360mm, 20mm thick | 3-5 days same state, 4-7 interstate | A4 documents, thin magazines |
| Large Letter (250g) | $5.10 | 260mm x 360mm, 20mm thick | 3-5 days same state, 4-7 interstate | Heavier documents, brochures |
| Large Letter (500g) | $8.50 | 260mm x 360mm, 20mm thick | 3-5 days same state, 4-7 interstate | Catalogues, bulky paperwork |
| Parcel Post (250g) | $9.70 | Up to 105cm length, 0.25m³ | 2-4 days same state, 3-6 interstate | Small e-commerce items |
| Parcel Post (1kg) | $15.25 | Up to 105cm length, 0.25m³ | 2-4 days same state, 3-6 interstate | Standard online orders |
| Parcel Post (5kg) | $23.30 | Up to 105cm length, 0.25m³ | 2-4 days same state, 3-6 interstate | Bulky products, multi-item orders |
| Express Post (500g satchel) | From ~$12.80 | Up to 5kg (satchel) | Next business day (covered areas) | Urgent documents, time-critical sends |
| International Economy Air (NZ) | $3.00 | Small letter to NZ | 6-10 business days | Trans-Tasman correspondence |
On 1 July 2025, Australia Post increased Parcel Post postage prices by a weighted average of 1.95%. The ACCC notification process also saw a proposed 8.8% increase for reserved ordinary letters from mid-2026, following a 13% increase from mid-2025. All prices in the table are postage-only (excluding packaging) – and as you’ll see below, packaging type can shift the total cost significantly.
How postage is calculated in Australia
The first fork in the road is letter vs parcel. A letter must stay within defined size and thickness limits. Anything outside those limits – too thick, too heavy, or too large – gets classified as a parcel and priced on a completely different scale.
From there, five factors drive the final price:
Weight bands – Letters are priced in gram tiers (up to 250g, up to 500g). Parcels use kilogram tiers (250g, 500g, 1kg, 3kg, 5kg, then zone-based up to 22kg).
Cubic weight – Parcels sent using own packaging up to 5kg are charged according to their actual weight or cubic weight equivalent, whichever is greater. The cubic weight is the parcel’s volume in cubic metres multiplied by 250.
Flat-rate packaging – Flat rate postage is based on size, not weight, and prices are for postage within Australia only.
Service speed – Regular Parcel Post, Express Post, or courier express each carry different rates.
Add-ons – Signature on delivery, extra cover (insurance above the included $100), and registered post all add to the base price.
Cubic weight formula
Length (cm) × Width (cm) × Height (cm) ÷ 4,000 = Cubic weight (kg)
Worked example: A box measuring 30cm × 20cm × 15cm with an actual weight of 1.2kg has a cubic weight of 2.25kg (9,000 ÷ 4,000). You’d pay for the 3kg band at $19.30, not the 1kg band at $15.25 – that’s a $4.05 difference from dimensions alone.
When a “small” item becomes a parcel: An envelope that’s 12mm thick exceeds the large letter maximum of 20mm thickness… wait, it doesn’t. But if it exceeds 5mm, it’s no longer a small letter ($1.70) and moves to large letter pricing ($3.40+). And if it exceeds 20mm thickness, it’s reclassified as a parcel at a minimum of $9.70. That single centimetre of extra padding can nearly triple the cost.
Australia Post letter prices in 2026
Australia Post splits letters into two categories: small letters ** andlarge letters**, each with weight bands and delivery speed options.
| Letter Type | Current Price | Max Size | Max Weight | Delivery (Same State) | Delivery (Interstate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Letter – Regular | $1.70 | 130 × 240mm, 5mm thick | 250g | 3-5 business days | 4-7 business days |
| Large Letter – Regular (125g) | $3.40 | 260 × 360mm, 20mm thick | 125g | 3-5 business days | 4-7 business days |
| Large Letter – Regular (250g) | $5.10 | 260 × 360mm, 20mm thick | 250g | 3-5 business days | 4-7 business days |
| Large Letter – Regular (500g) | $8.50 | 260 × 360mm, 20mm thick | 500g | 3-5 business days | 4-7 business days |
| Small Letter – Priority | ~$2.70 | 130 × 240mm, 5mm thick | 250g | Next business day (covered areas) | 1-3 business days |
A single stamp for a small letter costs $1.70, and stamps are available individually or in booklets at post offices and online. There is no change to the price of concession stamps – $3.00 for a booklet of five stamps – or the seasonal greeting card price, which will remain at $0.65 each.
One important delivery change to note: regular letters are now being delivered on an every-second-business-day schedule, which Australia Post has been progressively rolling out. Priority letters still get next-business-day delivery in covered metro areas.
A small letter must be no more than 130mm × 240mm, no thicker than 5mm, and weigh no more than 250g. Exceed any of these and it becomes a large letter or – if it exceeds 20mm thickness or 260mm × 360mm in size – a parcel.
Australia Post parcel prices in 2026
Parcel pricing has two distinct paths: postage-only (you supply the packaging) and flat-rate packaging (you buy Australia Post’s satchel or box and the price is set by size, not weight or destination).
Postage-only price ladder (own packaging, up to 5kg)
| Weight Band | Parcel Post Price | Express Post Price (est.) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 250g | $9.70 | ~$13.40 | Lightweight e-commerce items, accessories |
| Up to 500g | $11.15 | ~$14.70 | Small boxed products, cosmetics |
| Up to 1kg | $15.25 | ~$18.95 | Standard online orders, books |
| Up to 3kg | $19.30 | ~$23.80 | Multi-item orders, electronics |
| Up to 5kg | $23.30 | ~$28.20 | Heavy products, bulk items |
You can send up to 22kg, up to 105cm length, and up to 0.25 cubic metres within Australia. Postage for parcels over 5kg up to 22kg is based on the weight or cubic weight (whichever is greater) and the destination.
Flat rate postage is usually the least expensive option but is only available if your item weighs less than 5kg and fits in one of the packaging options.
Worked example 1 – 1kg parcel, Sydney to Melbourne: Using your own packaging, Parcel Post costs $15.25. A medium flat-rate satchel (including packaging and postage) runs around $15.65 – roughly the same, but the satchel includes the bag. If your item weighs under 1kg and fits, the flat-rate option saves you buying separate packaging.
Worked example 2 – 5kg parcel, own packaging: $23.30 for Parcel Post. A large flat-rate box (postage only, excluding box cost) is around $17.50 for regular postage – but you still need to buy the box. For heavy, compact items that fit a flat-rate box, this route saves several dollars on postage even after the packaging cost.
What changed in 2025, and what may change in 2026
Pricing timeline
| Date | Change | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2025 | Parcel Post +1.95% | Parcel Post postage prices increased by a weighted average of 1.95%. |
| 1 July 2025 | International parcels +3.25%, letters +5% | International parcels increased by a weighted average of 3.25% and international letters by a weighted average of 5%. |
| 17 July 2025 | BPR +13% ($1.50 → $1.70) | Australia Post received ACCC approval, and the basic postage rate rose from $1.50 to $1.70. |
| Mid-late 2026 (proposed) | BPR +8.8% ($1.70 → $1.85) | Australia Post has lodged a draft Price Notification with the ACCC, proposing an increase to the BPR for small letters from $1.70 to $1.85, with effect from mid-late 2026. |
The ACCC doesn’t have a role in approving the proposed price increase. Instead, Australia Post must notify the ACCC when it proposes to increase the price of a notified letter service, and the ACCC then notifies Australia Post on whether it objects to the proposed price increase. The 2024 notification was not objected to, and the 17 July 2025 increase proceeded.
Why the increases? Letter volumes dropped 11.7% during FY25, reaching levels not seen since the late 1930s. The Company reported a $230.4 million loss in its letters service during FY25. Fewer letters mean the fixed costs of maintaining a universal delivery network are spread thinner, and price increases are Australia Post’s primary mechanism to close that gap.
The ACCC doesn’t regulate the prices of Australia Post’s parcel delivery services – those are set commercially without the same notification process.
Cheapest way to send a parcel in Australia
The cheapest option changes based on what you’re sending, where it’s going, and how fast it needs to arrive. Here’s a decision framework:
| Parcel Profile | Cheapest Option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Light document under 250g, fits letter size | Small or large letter postage ($1.70-$5.10) | Saves $4.60+ vs the $9.70 parcel minimum |
| Small e-commerce item under 500g | Flat-rate satchel (~$11.50 incl. packaging) | Fixed price, no cubic weight surprise |
| Medium item 1-3kg, compact | Compare flat-rate satchel vs postage-only | Satchel wins if item is heavy relative to size |
| Bulky lightweight item (cubic > actual weight) | Own packaging + courier platform | Australia Post’s cubic weight calc can push the price up |
| Regional or remote delivery | Get quotes from courier platform | Surcharges vary widely by carrier |
| Time-sensitive (next day) | Express Post or courier express | Compare total cost including any pickup fee |
When flat-rate beats own packaging: If your item is dense and heavy but fits in a flat-rate box, flat-rate wins because the postage is locked to the box size. If your item is light but bulky, own packaging with postage-only pricing (or a courier quote) is usually cheaper.
When a courier platform beats retail Australia Post: For metro-to-metro parcels 1kg and above, businesses shipping five or more parcels per week, or parcels to regional addresses where Australia Post zone surcharges apply. Aeros Couriers, for example, starts from $4.90 for a box up to 25kg and shows live quotes across carriers and speeds before you book. For a 1kg Sydney-to-Melbourne parcel, their standard 2-5 day service starts from $7.46 – well under the $15.25 Australia Post Parcel Post rate. Insurance up to $500 per consignment is included, and there’s no account application required.
Australia Post vs courier pricing – when each is cheaper
Five factors drive the real-world comparison between Australia Post retail and courier platforms:
| Factor | Australia Post Retail | Courier Platform (e.g. Aeros) |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup | Drop to post office | Door pickup included |
| Price transparency | Calculator required | Upfront quote before booking |
| Metro 1kg parcel | From $15.25 (Parcel Post) | From $7.46 |
| Regional surcharges | Fixed zone pricing | Varies by carrier – compare quotes |
| Insurance included | Up to $100 standard | Up to $500 per consignment |
| Business account required | No (retail), yes (discounts) | No – pay per parcel |
| Reward program | No | Points per shipment |
Australia Post wins when: you’re sending letters (no courier equivalent for letter-format items), very light parcels under 500g where flat-rate satchels are competitive, or to remote addresses where Australia Post’s universal service obligation keeps pricing predictable.
Courier platforms win when: you’re sending parcels 1kg and above to metro addresses, bulky items where cubic weight inflates the Australia Post quote, or you ship regularly and want per-shipment pricing without account lock-in. Aeros Couriers’ pay-per-parcel model gives businesses wholesale-level rates without monthly minimums, which suits SMBs with inconsistent shipping volumes.
Business postage prices – what SMBs need to know
MyPost Business is Australia Post’s free business pricing tier, offering lower rates than retail across most weight bands with discounts deepening as volume grows. All retail price changes for parcels are reflected in MyPost Business rates.
The gap between retail and business pricing can be significant – particularly in the lighter weight bands where volume shippers send the most parcels. However, the discount structure only delivers real savings once you’re shipping consistently.
What to check before choosing a postage provider
Before locking in a provider, run through this checklist:
Rate transparency – Can you see the final price before booking, or do you need to log in and navigate a tariff PDF?
Tracking – Is end-to-end tracking included in every shipment, or is it an add-on?
Insurance – Is cover included in the base rate, or charged separately? Australia Post includes $100; Aeros Couriers includes $500.
Pickup options – Does the service collect from your premises, or do you drop to a depot?
Lock-in and minimums – Are there monthly minimum spend requirements or penalties for low-volume months?
For businesses sending under 50 parcels per month, a pay-per-parcel courier platform often provides better per-shipment economics than MyPost Business retail discounts. Aeros Couriers also offers reward points on every dollar spent – redeemable for future bookings or branded merchandise – which helps offset ongoing postage costs for regular shippers.
International postage from Australia
For readers comparing overseas rates, here’s a compact summary of International Economy Air letter prices effective 1 July 2025.
| Zone | Starting Price (Small Letter) |
|---|---|
| New Zealand | $3.00 |
| Asia Pacific | $3.50 |
| USA and Canada | $4.10 |
| UK and Europe | $4.35 |
| Rest of World | $4.80 |
International parcels increased by a weighted average of 3.25% and international letters by 5% on 1 July 2025. International Economy Air parcels start at $11.15 to New Zealand for items up to 50g, with prices rising by zone and weight. For full weight-band tables, see the Australia Post pricing updates page.
The Bottom Line
The postage Australia price landscape in 2026 is straightforward once you know the classification rules: small letters cost $1.70, large letters start at $3.40, and Parcel Post starts at $9.70 – but cubic weight, packaging type, and service speed all shift the final number.
For letters and very light parcels under 500g, Australia Post remains the default choice. For parcels 1kg and above – especially metro-to-metro – courier platforms like Aeros Couriers can cut the cost significantly, with rates starting from $4.90 and transparent quotes before you commit.
With a proposed increase to $1.85 on the horizon for mid-late 2026, now is the time to review your shipping mix. Compare your most common parcel profiles against both Australia Post retail rates and courier quotes, and make sure you’re not paying parcel prices for items that could go as letters.
FAQ
What is the current postage price in Australia?
As of April 2026, a small letter costs $1.70, a large letter up to 125g costs $3.40, and Parcel Post starts at $9.70 for items up to 250g. These prices took effect in July 2025. A further increase to $1.85 for small letters is proposed for mid-late 2026, pending the ACCC notification process.
How much is a small letter stamp in Australia?
A standard small letter stamp costs $1.70. To qualify as a small letter, your item must be no larger than 130mm × 240mm, no thicker than 5mm, and weigh no more than 250g. Exceed any of those limits and it’s reclassified as a large letter (from $3.40) or a parcel (from $9.70).
How much does it cost to post a 1kg parcel in Australia?
Through Australia Post retail Parcel Post, a 1kg parcel costs $15.25 using your own packaging. Flat-rate medium satchels can be competitive for items that fit. Courier alternatives like Aeros Couriers start from $7.46 for a 1kg metro-to-metro standard service – roughly half the retail Australia Post rate.
When does a letter become a parcel?
A letter becomes a parcel when it exceeds 260mm × 360mm in size, 20mm in thickness, or 500g in weight. At that point, minimum postage jumps to $9.70 (Parcel Post up to 250g). Even exceeding the small letter limits (130mm × 240mm, 5mm thick) moves you from $1.70 to large letter pricing starting at $3.40.
Why did Australia Post prices increase in 2025?
Letter volumes dropped 11.7% in FY25, reaching levels not seen since the late 1930s, while the cost of maintaining universal delivery to every Australian address continued to grow. The letters service reported a $230.4 million loss in FY25. Australia Post notified the ACCC of the proposed 13% increase, the ACCC did not object, and the new $1.70 rate took effect on 17 July 2025.
