Does Australia Post Deliver on Weekends or Just Saturdays?

Millions of Aussies rely on Australia Post for sending and receiving parcels, letters and other mail. And we don’t stop at weekends, so you might be wondering if Australia Post delivers on weekends – or even just on Saturdays?

The short answer is that Auspost offer Saturday delivery year round, and deliver on both Saturdays and Sundays during the Christmas holiday season to accommodate increased demand at that time of year.

However, not all regions and types of mail qualify for weekend deliveries. For the longer answer, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about Australia Post’s weekend delivery options.

 

Weekend Deliveries in Australia

Australia Post offer limited weekend delivery in certain circumstances. Standard deliveries are typically restricted to business days (Monday to Friday). But if you’re sending via Express Post, parcels can be delivered during the limited Saturday delivery window of between 9am and 1pm.

For the end-of-year holiday season, Auspost often extends its delivery days to both Saturday and Sunday. The exact period when full weekend deliveries are available is not fixed year to year, so you’ll need to watch out for updates like this one, which stated that Australia Post would be offering Saturday and Sunday deliveries from mid-November up to 20th December 2024.

This decision to offer full weekend delivery was based on the increased demand for Auspost’s services leading up to the holiday period, particularly for parcel deliveries of Christmas gifts. With online shopping becoming more and more popular in Australia every year, it’s possible that we could see an even longer seasonal window for full weekend deliveries at the end of 2025.

 

Express Post and Saturday Delivery

Express Post deliveries are known for their next business day delivery promise. This guarantee also includes Saturdays, provided the sender meets certain requirements:

• Auspost receives the Express Post letter or parcel before the cut-off time of 5pm on Friday. As the sender, you can either take it in person to an Australia Post office branch, place it in an Express Post street posting box, or arrange for a scheduled pick-up.
• The sender adds a Saturday Delivery sticker to their Express Post mail, which does not incur an additional cost over the normal price of sending Express Post items. Saturday Delivery stickers are available at Australia Post offices, or you can get them online with bulk orders of prepaid Express Post satchels.
• The sender and the recipient are located in the same state.
• The recipient address is residential or business, or a post office or parcel locker. Saturday deliveries are not offered to PO Box or Locked Bag addresses.
• The recipient address is within the Express Post Saturday Delivery area.

The Express Post Saturday Delivery area varies by postcode, so you’ll need to check this page on the Australia Post website to confirm if the recipient address falls inside it. But generally, parcels sent to addresses in capital cities and major centres will qualify for Saturday express delivery. Some regional and rural postcodes are also inside the Saturday Delivery area.

 

Holiday Season and Public Holidays

During Christmas season peak times, Australia Post often increases its services to accommodate high parcel volumes. In 2024, Auspost were offering weekend delivery for more than a month in the leadup to Christmas Day.

While Express Post parcels may be delivered on weekends during these times, keep in mind any national public holidays such as Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day, when no deliveries are made. Local public holidays can also delay deliveries.

 

Factors Affecting Delivery Times

While many areas can benefit from Australia Post offering Saturday delivery, factors like national public holidays, local public holidays, and same-state or interstate shipping can affect delivery times. For example:

• Public holidays: No deliveries occur on public holidays (Good Friday, Easter Monday, Australia Day, Anzac Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Day).
• Next day delivery: This applies to business days only and excludes weekends unless you opt for Express Post items with a Saturday Delivery sticker.
• Delivery area: Parcels sent to remote regions, including areas in the NT, may experience longer delivery times.

 

Options for Businesses

For businesses, MyPost Business offers tailored solutions to streamline shipping. eCommerce services, such as parcel lockers and flexible delivery methods, make it easier for customers to receive parcels quickly. Businesses can also buy Express Post satchels in bulk to ensure timely delivery during peak shopping seasons.

 

Tips for Faster Weekend Deliveries

1. Opt for Express Post: This service offers next business day delivery. It also provides options to deliver on Saturdays in major centres and business hubs.
2. Check the Cut-Off Time: Make sure to post your parcel before the cut-off date of Friday at 5pm to qualify for the fastest delivery time.
3. Use Parcel Lockers: These are a convenient way to receive parcels outside of standard post office hours.
4. Plan Ahead for Public Holidays: During Christmas and other national holidays, delivery times may be delayed.

 

Active Mail and Australia Post

Australia Post weekend delivery can be useful for urgent parcels and time sensitive items, but not every mail type is delivered on Saturdays or Sundays. For businesses, this makes it important to understand which service is right for each campaign before sending.

If you are sending customer letters, invoices, statements, promotional mail, catalogues, brochures or other high volume business communications, Active Mail can help you plan the most efficient way to prepare and lodge your mail. As a verified Australia Post Bulk Mail Partner, we work with businesses to streamline the entire process, from data preparation and print production through to mail fulfilment, sorting and Australia Post lodgement.

Our team can help you choose the most suitable postage option based on your delivery timeframe, campaign volume and budget. This may include Regular Post for cost effective business mail, Express Post for urgent communications, or bulk mail services for larger direct marketing campaigns.

With decades of experience across direct mail, digital printing, offset printing, variable data printing, envelope inserting, fulfilment and distribution, Active Mail gives businesses a simpler way to manage important mail without relying on multiple suppliers.

Whether you are planning around weekend delivery, preparing a large customer mailout or looking for a more reliable mailing partner, contact Active Mail today to discuss the best approach for your next campaign.