EZOZPlenty of Australian stores use both prepaid satchels and eParcel. The trick is knowing which orders go in which: this guide shows you how to decide, how to check it against your own contract, and how to run both in Shopify with tracking on every order.
Satchel or parcel: how each one works
Australia Post gives you two quite different ways to send the same order: one paid for up front, the other priced parcel by parcel.
Prepaid satchels
You buy prepaid satchels from Australia Post ahead of time, in set sizes. Each size has one price for anywhere in Australia and covers items up to 5 kg that fit inside the satchel. The postage is paid when you buy it, and every satchel carries its own tracking barcode.
eParcel
eParcel is Australia Post's contract account for businesses. As of October 2026, Australia Post says it's for businesses that send more than 2,000 domestic parcels a year, and you need to apply and be approved. You get negotiated rates, priced mainly by each parcel's weight and where it's going, and Australia Post bills the postage to your account. Domestic services include Parcel Post and Express Post, with or without signature on delivery.
Each parcel gets a label with its tracking number. At the end of the day, a manifest lodges all the labelled parcels, and you print its summary for the driver or the counter. Our guide to shipping with Australia Post eParcel on Shopify covers the setup step by step.
| Compared on | Prepaid satchel | eParcel |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing basis | One price per satchel size, anywhere in Australia, paid up front | Your negotiated contract rates, mainly by weight and destination, billed to your account |
| Weight limit | Up to 5 kg, and the item must fit | Up to 22 kg per domestic parcel |
| Sizes | Set satchel sizes | Your own boxes, bags and mailers |
| Tracking | Each satchel has its own barcode | Each label carries a tracking number |
| Paperwork | No postage to work out; record the barcode against the order | A label for every parcel, plus a daily manifest |
| Best for | Small, light items, especially going a long way | Heavy, bulky or multi-parcel orders, and nearby destinations |
When a prepaid satchel usually wins
Whether a satchel beats a parcel depends on your contract rates, so treat these as patterns to check rather than rules.
- Small, light items that fit comfortably. Clothing, accessories, small spare parts, cosmetics, books: anything that slides into a satchel with room to seal it. The satchel is its own packaging, so there's no box to buy or fold.
- Destinations a long way from you. Contract parcel rates usually depend on where the parcel is going, so the far side of the country often costs more than the next suburb. A satchel costs the same either way, which is where it tends to come out ahead.
- Costs you can predict. You know exactly what the postage costs the moment you buy the satchel, which makes it easy to price at checkout or to build into free shipping.
On the checkout side, Shopify's shipping settings support flat rates and rates by weight, so you can offer a rate for light orders that roughly matches what a satchel costs you. Our guide to Shopify shipping in Australia walks through those settings.
When eParcel usually wins
- Anything over 5 kg. A prepaid satchel stops at 5 kg. A domestic eParcel parcel can weigh up to 22 kg.
- Items that don't fit a satchel. Boxed products, rigid items, awkward shapes and anything fragile that needs padding go in your own packaging.
- Nearby destinations. Because contract rates usually vary by destination, a parcel to a nearby postcode can cost less on your contract than a satchel.
- Orders that ship in several parcels. With eParcel, each parcel in the order gets its own label and tracking number, and they all go on the same manifest.
- Express or signature. eParcel includes Express Post and services with signature on delivery, so you can match what the customer paid for or protect a valuable order. Without a signature, the parcel can be left safely under Authority to Leave.
How to compare the two for your store
The only reliable answer comes from your own contract rates and your own order mix. An hour with a spreadsheet is usually enough:
- List your 10 to 20 best-selling items with their packed weight (product plus packaging).
- Note which satchel size each one fits, if any.
- From your eParcel rates, look up the price for that weight to a nearby postcode and to the most distant place you regularly send to.
- Compare each against the satchel price, adding the cost of a box or mailer to the eParcel side.
- Mark where the satchel wins and where it doesn't. That line becomes your routing rule.
Here's an example with made-up figures. Say a satchel costs you $10, and your contract price for the same item is $8 to a nearby postcode and $14 to the other side of the country. The satchel loses locally and wins on the long trip, so you'd send that item by eParcel to nearby postcodes and by satchel everywhere else. There are more ideas like this in 12 proven ways to save on shipping.
Not sure about one order? Try the quick check
Answer three quick questions about an order below and you'll get "satchel" or "eParcel", with the reason why.
One price anywhere in Australia, so a long trip doesn't cost more. Scan its barcode and the customer gets tracking.
Running satchels and eParcel side by side in Shopify
Using Australia Post prepaid satchels with Shopify alongside eParcel comes down to a few habits at the packing bench. Your customer sees the rates from your Shopify shipping settings at checkout; how you send the order is decided when you pack it.
Write down a simple routing rule
Keep it short enough to pin above the bench. For example:
- Over 5 kg packed, or doesn't fit a satchel: eParcel.
- Customer paid for Express Post, or the order needs a signature: the matching eParcel service.
- Fits a satchel and is going somewhere your contract rate is higher than the satchel: satchel.
- Everything else: eParcel Parcel Post.
A rule based on weight, size and destination means a new packer makes the same call you would. It only works if your Shopify products have accurate weights. A product with no weight counts as weighing nothing, which also under-quotes postage at checkout.
Keep satchel stock by size
Because satchels are bought ahead, running out of one size means a delay, or squeezing an item into a size that doesn't suit it. Keep each size in its own labelled bin, count them weekly, and set a reorder point for each size based on how many you use.
Record every satchel's barcode against its order
The satchel's barcode is its tracking number, and your customer only gets tracking if that number is on the Shopify order. Fulfil the order with the barcode as its tracking number and Shopify sends the customer its shipping confirmation email with the tracking link, the same as for an eParcel order. Scanning beats typing, because a number typed by hand is easy to get wrong by one digit.
How EZOZ handles satchels
In EZOZ, you move an order to Satchels, type or scan the satchel's barcode, and the order is fulfilled with that tracking number, so Shopify emails the customer. There's no label to buy. Orders you send by eParcel get one-click labels and go on the daily manifest instead.
If your packers write satchel barcodes and weights on a dispatch sheet by hand, warehouse sheet import (on the Standard + Live support plan) reads them from a photo of the day's sheet, for you to check and save.
Common mistakes when you use both
- Overfilling a satchel, or going over 5 kg. A satchel stuffed past the point where it seals properly can split in transit, and one over 5 kg is outside what it covers. Weigh the packed satchel, not just the product, and leave a margin. If it's close, send it by eParcel.
- Forgetting to record the barcode. The parcel still arrives, but the customer never gets a tracking link and you get the "where's my order?" emails. Make recording the barcode part of sealing the satchel, not a job for later.
- Using a satchel when two orders could share a parcel. When a customer places two orders to the same address, sending two satchels can cost more than one parcel with both orders in it. Check for other open orders to the same address before you pack.
- Setting the rule once and forgetting it. eParcel rates are reviewed periodically. Rerun your comparison after each review, or a rule that saved money last year may now be costing you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I track a prepaid satchel in Shopify?
Yes. Every prepaid satchel has its own tracking barcode. Fulfil the Shopify order with that barcode as the tracking number and Shopify sends the customer its shipping confirmation email with a tracking link, just as it does for a labelled parcel.
What's the weight limit for an Australia Post prepaid satchel?
Prepaid satchels are for items up to 5 kg that fit inside the satchel. Anything heavier, or that won't fit, needs to go as a parcel; on eParcel a single domestic parcel can weigh up to 22 kg. For a borderline item, check Australia Post's current conditions.
Are prepaid satchels cheaper than eParcel?
It depends on your contract rates and where your orders go. A satchel costs the same anywhere in Australia, so it often wins for small items going a long way, while your contract rate is often lower for nearby postcodes. Compare your best sellers both ways to find out for your store.
Can I use prepaid satchels and eParcel in the same Shopify store?
Yes, and many stores do. Your customer sees the rates from your Shopify shipping settings at checkout, and you decide at packing time whether the order goes in a satchel or by eParcel. As long as every order is fulfilled with its tracking number, customers get the same tracking email either way.
Should I charge a flat rate for orders that fit a satchel?
You can. Shopify supports flat rates and rates by weight, so you can set a rate for light orders that roughly matches your satchel cost. Make sure every product has a weight, because a product with no weight counts as nothing and can drop a heavy order into the light-order rate.