Does Australia Post Deliver On Saturdays? A Complete Guide

Wondering if you’ll receive your Australia Post packages on the weekend? Many Aussies rely on prompt parcel delivery to run their businesses or get goods for weekend projects. But with no posties out on Sundays, what about Saturdays?

Does Australia Post deliver on Saturdays? Yes, but only for Express Post items that meet certain criteria. Keep reading to learn all about Australia Post’s Saturday and weekend delivery services, when you can expect your items, plus tips to ensure your parcels arrive on time.

In this detailed guide you’ll discover:

How Australia Post’s Express Post Saturday delivery service works
Cut-off times to send parcels for Saturday delivery
Whether regular mail gets delivered on Saturdays
If Australia Post offers any Sunday deliveries
Key deadlines for guaranteed Christmas parcel delivery
Other shipping services offered by Australia Post like next business day delivery
What to do if you miss a delivery from Australia Post

Table of Contents

What Is Australia Post’s Saturday Delivery Service?

Australia Post serves over 220 countries worldwide with reliable and affordable postal services. But do they keep trucks rolling on weekends to get Aussies’ parcels delivered on Saturdays?

The post office does offer Saturday delivery, but this is only available for Express Post items that meet specific criteria:

The Express Post item must be lodged in a yellow street posting box before the cut-off time on Friday
It must be posted from and delivered to an address located within the same Australian state
The sending and receiving addresses must lie within Australia Post’s Express Post next business day delivery network

One exception is that Saturday deliveries between Perth metro areas only operate between CBD locations.

So for small businesses sending urgent orders, or online shoppers needing goods right away, Express Post with Saturday delivery is a convenient option. As long as you post from and to a location inside the special Saturday network, orders should arrive on the weekend between 9am and 1pm.

Where is Saturday Delivery Available?

Australia Post’s Saturday delivery network covers metro areas and some regional cities across Australia’s states and territories.

However, delivery times vary in specific cases. For example mail and parcels sent to or from Tasmania, South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia often take longer in transit since they route through sorting facilities in other states first.

To check if your area falls within the Saturday delivery range, you can use Australia Post’s delivery time calculator. Just enter your sending and receiving postcodes and it will indicate weekday and weekend arrival estimates.

Is Regular Mail Delivered on Saturdays?

Unfortunately regular mail and parcel shipments like Parcel Post don’t qualify for Saturdays. Only Express Post deliveries that meet the designated criteria can arrive on weekends, provided they are lodged with Australia Post before the Friday cut-off.

In the lead up to their busy holiday peak times like Christmas, temporary Saturday and sometimes even Sunday deliveries may be offered for a short period depending on parcel volumes. But outside of special circumstances, standard post doesn’t operate on weekends.

Does Australia Post Deliver on Sundays?

Australia Post does not deliver on Sundays except in rare cases during busy periods such as Christmas when temporary weekend services help manage exceptionally high order volumes.

They also do not attempt Sunday deliveries on official national public holidays in Australia. These include:

New Year’s Day
Australia Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Anzac Day
Christmas Day
Boxing Day

So regular mail and parcel delivery services run Monday to Friday year-round, with Express Post Saturday delivery available for eligible items posted from and delivered within the same state.

When Are the Cut-Off Dates for Christmas Delivery?

To spread cheer not delivery woes this festive season, order your Christmas goodies with time to spare. Here are Australia Post’s recommended latest sending dates to maximise the chances of on-time December 25th delivery:

Domestic parcels should be posted by Monday December 18th for most areas
Express Post parcels should be lodged by Thursday December 21st

Build in a few extra transit days when shipping gifts to loved ones in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania. And obviously you’ll need to post international parcels a lot earlier, depending on exactly where parcels are headed.

Check Australia Post’s Christmas sending guide for precise cut-offs particular to each overseas destination.

What Other Delivery Services Does Australia Post Offer?

From next business day delivery to economy shipping that takes 3 months, Australia Post delivers over 2.5 billion mail items annually . Here’s an overview of their main delivery services:

Express Post

Offers urgent next business day delivery to most areas when posted before relevant cut-off times
Includes $100 of complimentary insurance
Saturday deliveries available for eligible Express Post items

Parcel Post

Reliable option for larger packages and non-urgent items
Delivery times vary by origin, destination and parcel route
Compensation up to $100 included

Parcel Post Satchels

Prepaid satchel bags for mailing parcels up to 5kg
Trackable, with delivery usually within 2-8 business days
Offers $100 insurance

Parcel Lockers

Alternative delivery option where parcels are securely held for collection
24/7 access using unique collection code
Ideal for buyers not home during the week

PO Boxes

Private locked boxes housed at the Post Office
Check mail at your convenience when suits you
Protect home address privacy

This covers just a sample of the diverse services Australia Post has available. See their compare delivery services page for all domestic and international postage choices.

Most people are happy sticking with the basics like Express Post and Parcel Post. But there are faster premium and slower economy options to suit different delivery needs and budgets.

How Long Does Australia Post Delivery Usually Take?

Delivery times vary significantly depending on:

Whether an item ships within the same state or interstate
Origin and receiving locations (metro, regional, rural)
Service selected
Time of year – Christmas delays are common

As a rough guide, standard delivery frames for key Australia Post services are:

Express Post – Next business day up to 2-6 days
Parcel Post – 2-14 days
Regular mail – 2-6 days within same state, 3-10+ days interstate

Use Australia Post’s delivery time calculator to check up to date arrival estimates tailored to your specific sending details.

International delivery also varies greatly by country, taking anywhere from under a week up to 3 months.

What to Do If You Miss a Delivery from Australia Post?

Life gets chaotic sometimes. But even if no one’s home when the postie arrives, you needn’t fret about missed Australia Post parcels.

If delivery requires a signature or entry isn’t possible, the driver safely takes undelivered parcels back to the local Post Office. For up to 15 days parcels remain securely held, available for personal collection or authorised proxy pick-up during opening hours.

Alternatively, Post Office staff may attempt second delivery attempts. Or parcels can divert to one of over 1000 24/7 Parcel Lockers around Australia for convenient collection within 48 hours using the unique access code.

So don’t panic if tracking shows failed delivery attempts. Australia Post has processes to ensure you receive orders even when you’re not home.

Key Takeaways: Does Australia Post Deliver on Saturdays

Only Express Post items posted at specific LPOs before Friday cut-off times qualify for Australia Post’s Saturday delivery service.
Regular mail and parcels do not get delivered on Saturdays or Sundays, except temporarily pre-Christmas.
Orders must route within the same Australian state to be eligible for Saturday delivery. Interstate parcels take longer.
Australia Post does not attempt Christmas Day or national public holiday deliveries.
Allow extra transit time around December when parcel volumes peak.
If you miss a delivery, parcels safely divert to your nearest Post Office or 24/7 Parcel Locker.

So while Sunday may be a parcel-free day, Saturday deliveries are an option. Australia Post helps many businesses maintain prompt order fulfillment and gives households weekend gratification – provided you stick to Express Post and your locations fall inside the special Saturday zone.

Have More Questions? Contact Australia Post Customer Service

Hopefully the information above gives you clarity around Australia Post’s weekend parcel delivery arrangements. But if you need any specifics, you can contact their helpful customer service team:

By phone:

From within Australia call 13 76 78
From overseas call +61 3 8847 9045

Via web chat: Go to auspost.com.au and launch the chat from any page.

Using the National Relay Service: Hearing impaired customers can phone the NRS then ask to connect to Australia Post’s hotline number.

The knowledgeable posties at Australia Post should have all the answers around delivery times, available pick-up points, sending options and tracking for your domestic or international mail and parcels.

So does Australia Post deliver on Saturdays? For Express Post parcels posted locally on Fridays the answer is yes. But Sunday remains a parcel-free day for now. Understanding Australia Post’s collection and delivery arrangements lets households and businesses across Australia keep enjoying reliable postal services.

Does Australia Post Deliver on Saturdays? A Complete Guide