If you’re running a Shopify store in Australia, shipping isn’t just a logistics decision; it’s a direct lever on your customer experience, your margins, and how smoothly your business scales. Australia Post dominates the domestic delivery landscape, and within its ecosystem, there are three services that Shopify merchants typically find themselves weighing up: MyPost Business, eParcel, and StarTrack.
Each serves a different kind of seller. Getting the choice wrong can mean overpaying for services you don’t need, or undershooting your customers’ delivery expectations. This guide breaks down how each service works, who it’s built for, and how to connect them seamlessly to your Shopify store.
In This Article:
- MyPost Business: Best for Small and Growing Shopify Stores
- eParcel: Best for Medium to High-Volume Shopify Stores
- StarTrack: Best for Fast Domestic Delivery and Heavier Shipments
- Shopify Shipping With Australia Post: Service Comparison
- How to Make Shopify Shipping To Australia Easier
- Which Australia Post Service Should You Choose in Shopify?
- Conclusion
- FAQ’s
MyPost Business: Best for Small and Growing Shopify Stores
MyPost Business is Australia Post’s free, no-contract shipping solution designed for small businesses and startups. It’s the most accessible entry point for Shopify sellers who are just getting started or shipping fewer than 2,000 parcels per year.
How pricing works:
MyPost Business uses a tiered, spend-based discount system. The more you ship over a rolling period, the higher your discount:
- Discounts of up to 40% off domestic shipping rates
- Discounts of up to 30% off international shipping rates
- Discount tiers are determined by your spend over the past 4 weeks or 12 months
- No upfront costs, no setup fees, no contracts required
For example, if your business has spent between $500–$999 over the past 4 weeks (or $5,000–$9,999 over the past 12 months), you can unlock discounts of up to 30% off domestic and 25% off international rates.
Key features:
- Web-based portal for managing shipments and printing labels
- Supports both scheduled pickups and drop-offs at Post Offices, Parcel Lockers, and street boxes
- Access to Parcel Post and Express Post domestic services
- No account manager or approval process required, you can get started immediately
Best for:
- New Shopify merchants are testing the market
- Stores sending fewer than 200 parcels per month
- Businesses that want shipping flexibility without long-term commitments
Limitations:
- Per-parcel rates become less competitive at higher volumes compared to eParcel
- No dedicated account support
- Discount tiers require consistent weekly spend to maintain
eParcel: Best for Medium to High-Volume Shopify Stores
What it is: eParcel is Australia Post’s contract-based shipping service designed for medium to large businesses with significant and consistent parcel volumes. It offers deeper, customised discounts in exchange for a committed shipping relationship.
How pricing works:
Unlike MyPost Business, eParcel pricing is negotiated directly with Australia Post based on your annual parcel volume. To qualify for an eParcel contract, a business typically needs to ship at least 2,000 domestic parcels per year.
Key features:
- Contract-based, volume-negotiated rates typically lower per-parcel cost at scale
- Full access to Parcel Post, Express Post, International Express, and International Standard services
- Branded shipping labels and advanced tracking capabilities
- Returns management and a wide network of drop-off points
- Dedicated account support once onboarded
Best for:
- Established Shopify stores shipping 200+ parcels per month
- Businesses where per-parcel cost savings have a material impact on margins
- Merchants wanting access to the full breadth of Australia Post domestic and international services
Limitations:
- Requires a formal application and onboarding process
- Needs consistent volume to justify the contract commitment
- Setup takes more time compared to MyPost Business
StarTrack: Best for Fast Domestic Delivery and Heavier Shipments
What it is: StarTrack is a premium, contract-based domestic freight service owned by Australia Post. It’s designed for businesses that need fast, reliable delivery across Australia, especially for heavier, bulkier, or time-sensitive shipments.
How pricing works:
StarTrack pricing is typically contract-based and negotiated depending on shipment volume, weight, delivery speed, and service type. Costs are generally higher than standard parcel services but become competitive for heavier consignments or high-priority deliveries where speed and reliability are critical.
Key features:
- Next-business-day delivery through StarTrack Premium across most metro areas
- Road Express for heavier and bulkier shipments with full tracking and proof of delivery
- Next Flight option for urgent interstate deliveries using priority air cargo
- Strong metro and regional coverage with consistent delivery performance
Best for:
- Shopify stores that ship heavy or bulky products like furniture, gym equipment, or large cartons
- Businesses needing fast domestic delivery with next-business-day reliability
- Warehouse-to-warehouse or B2B shipments, including retail restocking
Limitations:
- Higher cost compared to standard parcel services for lightweight shipments
- Requires onboarding and, in most cases, a contract agreement
- Not ideal for low-value, small parcels where cost efficiency is the priority
Shopify Shipping With Australia Post: Service Comparison
| MyPost Business | eParcel | StarTrack | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Startups, low-volume stores | Medium to high-volume stores | Urgent/heavy domestic shipments |
| Volume threshold | No minimum | 2,000+ parcels/year for contract | Contract-based |
| Pricing model | Spend-based tiered discounts | Negotiated volume rates | Negotiated rates |
| Domestic services | Parcel Post, Express Post | Parcel Post, Express Post | Premium, Road Express, Next Flight |
| Setup speed | Immediate | Weeks (approval process) | Weeks (onboarding) |
| Account support | Standard | Dedicated account manager | Dedicated account manager |
| Best parcel type | Standard parcels | Standard to large parcels | Heavy, bulky, or urgent parcels |
How to Make Shopify Shipping To Australia Easier
One of the biggest friction points for Shopify merchants is accessing Australia Post services within Shopify. That’s where the PluginHive Australia Post Ship app comes in.
The app works across all three services covered in this article: MyPost Business, eParcel, and StarTrack. Here’s what it handles for Shopify merchants:
Live shipping rates at checkout. The app displays real-time shipping rates based on the customer’s delivery address, parcel weight, and dimensions.
Label generation inside Shopify. Instead of switching between the Australia Post portal and your Shopify admin, you can generate shipping labels directly from the Orders page. This is a significant time saver, especially during peak periods.
Automatic tracking sync. Once a label is created, tracking numbers are automatically pushed back to Shopify. Customers receive shipping email notifications without any manual data entry on the merchant’s end.
In short, the Australia Post Ship app removes the manual overhead that makes Shopify shipping Australia hard to manage at scale, and keeps fulfillment running from inside the Shopify interface rather than across multiple external portals.
Which Australia Post Service Should You Choose in Shopify?
The decision ultimately comes down to where your Shopify business is right now and where it’s headed.
MyPost Business if:
- You’re new to Shopify shipping in Australia and want to get started without barriers
- You ship fewer than 200 parcels per month
- You value flexibility and want to avoid contract lock-in
- You’re still building volume and want discounts that scale with you
eParcel if:
- Your Shopify store is consistently shipping 200+ parcels per month
- You want deeper per-parcel savings through negotiated rates
- You need access to the full Australia Post service suite, including advanced returns and branded labels
- You have predictable, stable shipping volumes to justify a contract
StarTrack if:
- Your products are heavy, bulky, or high in value
- Fast, reliable next-business-day domestic delivery is central to your customer promise
- You need dependable coverage across metro and regional Australia
- You’re handling urgent or time-sensitive shipments where standard services won’t cut it
For many growing Shopify businesses, the answer isn’t a single service; it’s a combination. Starting on MyPost Business, migrating to eParcel as volumes grow, and layering StarTrack in for specific product types or expedited shipping tiers is a common and sensible path.
Conclusion
Shopify shipping Australia is one of the most consequential decisions a merchant makes, and Australia Post offers a flexible ecosystem that supports you at every stage of growth. MyPost Business helps you get started with minimal friction, eParcel unlocks better rates as your order volume increases, and StarTrack steps in when you need speed or are handling heavier, more complex domestic deliveries.
The key is choosing the right service at the right time so you’re not overspending early or missing out on savings as you scale. When paired with a robust Shopify integration like the PluginHive Australia Post Ship app, you can automate rates, label generation, and pickups across these services. That’s when Shopify shipping Australia shifts from a logistical challenge to a streamlined, scalable advantage for your business.
FAQ’s
Q. What is the best Australia Post service for Shopify beginners?
For new merchants, MyPost Business is the best starting point. It requires no contract, has no minimum volume, and offers flexible, tiered discounts, making it ideal for low-volume Shopify shipping Australia setups.
Q. When should I switch from MyPost Business to eParcel?
You should consider moving to eParcel once your Shopify store consistently ships 200+ parcels per month or around 2,000+ parcels per year. At that stage, negotiated rates can significantly reduce your overall shipping costs.
Q. Is StarTrack better than eParcel for Shopify shipping?
Not necessarily — it depends on your use case. StarTrack is better for fast, heavy, or urgent domestic shipments, while eParcel is more cost-effective for standard parcels at scale, including international shipping.
