Before colonial control of the Post started in 1809, posts were usually passed on by ad-hoc arrangements made between transporters, storekeepers, and settlers. These arrangements were flexible and depended on co-operation of the country people. It was common for early settlers to ride many miles out of their way to deliver neighbors’ post that had been collected from informal distribution points.
However, as time passed, people realized this wasn’t the most efficient way of exchanging parcels, letters, and other deliverables. They needed a systematic way to manage their deliverables efficiently and in a timely manner.
25th April, 1809, this is when the Australia Post commenced its journey in Australian counterparts. Today, they are the largest retail logistics network in Australia processing around 2.6 billion letters a year and delivering them to 11.7 million delivery points across Australia.
As Amazon has now entered the diaspora, the market share for the ecommerce parcels’ delivery for them is going through a serious scrutiny. They had to come out and find new ways to keep their edge – their market share. They chose to be innovative with their methods of delivery.
They started trialing the use of robots to deliver parcels. Billy the Box. Yes! That’s what they call the tiny postie robot. The purpose of this new invention is to deliver the goods faster and quicker. Currently, this robot is mainly used as an option to re-deliver the parcels out of business hours when the recipients are most likely to be home.
“We know that receiving a ‘Sorry We Missed You’ card can be frustrating. So we’re looking at new ways to re-deliver parcels after hours.” -Tien-Ti Mak, Australia Post’s Chief Technology Officer.
The Australia Post is striving hard to make things better with innovation and new techniques. It is crushing the entire logistics industry across Australia with a total revenue of $6.8 billion in 2017 only. With new innovations, they are revolutionizing the “traditional” shipping industry. Just as they always have.
They are a brand that thrives on perfection, process and innovation. As a merchandiser or an online store owner, Australia Post is one of the must-have logistics partners for your deliveries. And, there you require the perfect extension to integrate one to your websites.
We went through this trial and enrichment process a long ago. And earned the status as the Official Technical Partner for Australia Post in June 2017. Our Australia Post Shipping Extensions are reviewed by the Australia Post, and through various rounds of enrichment, we have gained the trust of the brand itself. Our partnership with Australia Post reflects the world-class quality of our extension.
We have Australia Post Shipping extensions for Magento 1, Magento 2, WooCommerce, and Odoo.
Here are some enticing features that will lure you to consider having our extension integrated in your website:
Live Shipping Rates:
The logistics rates vary as per the distance of the customer and based on the dimensions of the product. A few ounces here & there, and a few miles more, the rates change. We have taken the surprise out of the equation. We use the Australia Post API to fetch the rates on your site while your customer is on the check-out pages. Based on the pin-code entered by the customer, and the product dimensions added by you, the extension will fetch you the live shipping rates. And, they will be added to the cart as shipping cost.
Just that? Not exactly. Admin has the freedom to set his own rates or use the official rates. Know more about other features of Magento Australia Post extension here.
Real Time Tracking:
Your customers can track whereabouts and shipment details of their parcels – right from their accounts. The real mess is to ensure that the customer receives the tracking details as soon as the docket ID is entered in your system. The Admin has the option to configure the extension to push the customer details to Australia Post. And, Australia Post will trigger an email to the customer automatically.
Address Validation:
When was the last time you sent a shipment and it came back to you because the address wasn’t precisely perfect? This incurred you shipping and handling cost, with no sale – and at the end this peeved you up a little. With our Magento Australia post extension, this won’t happen anymore. The moment a customer enters an incorrect pin code while writing the address, our extension prompts them with the right pin-code according to the state they have selected.
Just that? No again. Our extension can also help you set up handling fees and warehouse postcode on your Magento Store. Admin can opt for Satchel service and set COD as a payment method with Australia Post Shipping.
Label Printing Services:
Australia Post Label Printing Service enables the merchant to generate shipment label having Australia Post logo in predefined sizes and format. Merchants can create a layout of the label for parcel & express post. The paper is of A4 size & the merchant can decide the number of labels per paper from the available options.
Just that? Now you know the answer, Not exactly. Magento 2 Australia Post Shipping module lets you to set up domestic and international services for parcels and letters.
Final words, without bragging, we have been serving the industry for 11+ years. The Australia Post has rewarded our extensions for the sheer quality of our product and our after sales support standards. We also have an extension for Australia Post eParcel services and the standard Australia Post service. More so, explore our demo and see how conveniently you can manage the complexities of your logistics setup.
