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AusPost deadline: Days left for Aussies to send gifts

Australia Post office and sign, alarm clock. Images: Getty
Are you on track to get your shopping done? Images: Getty

It’s the first day of December, but online shoppers have less than two weeks to finalise their purchases before missing Australia Post’s Christmas delivery deadline.

The national postal service has warned it is facing its busiest period ever and has reminded Australians to send their packages by Saturday December 12 for domestic deliveries.

Shoppers who miss that deadline have until Saturday 19 December for Express Delivery.

If you’re sending parcels overseas, you’ll generally need to have it in the post by Wednesday 2 December and be willing to pay for Express Delivery shipping as the deadline for standard international delivery passed in November.

Chart showing Australia Post international delivery deadlines.
Australia Post international delivery deadlines.

However, those who are sending letters will have the regular delivery times, which is up to five business days within the same state for standard delivery.

Sending between metro areas of two capital cities is also up to five business days, but sending between metropolitan areas of capital cities and regional areas, or between two regional areas, will take up to seven business days.

Australia Post said delivery times would be extended this year as it deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, and the resulting online shopping revolution.

“Sending as early as you can, and by the dates advised, means your letters and parcels will have the best chance of arriving in time for Christmas. We’ll still deliver items sent after these dates as quickly as possible, but it will be difficult to get them to their destinations by Christmas,” it said on its website.

It comes as retailers recover from the biggest weekend in Australian ecommerce history, according to Australia Post.

Australia Post said the recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday would cap off a year that saw online shopping become the norm as locked-down Australians headed online.

It revealed on Thursday that it has retrained 2,700 posties and extended office hours at 500 post offices. The company is also hiring 5,000 people to meet the demand.

“We’re hiring 5,000 extra people to help deliver for our customers across the country, have chartered 18 freighter flights, and will have 3,000 extra vehicles on the road,” said Australia Post executive general manager of deliveries Rod Barnes.

“We also have new automation coming online right across the country in the lead up to the Christmas period to deliver for our customers.”

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