Australia Post Delivery Times

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How Long Does It Take To Deliver Your Mailers Through Australia Post?

Have you ever wondered how long it takes for your customers to receive direct mail from your business? It is often confusing to understand Australia Post delivery times. In fact, it is one of the reasons why many companies are reluctant to use direct mail communication for their business communication.

However, direct mail is one of the most promising marketing channels today, with an incredibly high response rate. It is not hard to understand why it stands out today when most companies solely depend on digital channels for their marketing needs.

At this point, it is vital to get a comprehensive understanding of Aus Post delivery times for streamlining your direct mail communication. Furthermore, companies that send communications like billing statements should also understand the delivery time for their postal mail communications.

Australia Post Delivery Times

Australia Post offers several different postal delivery services to its customers. As you can imagine, each service has varying characteristics, including different delivery speeds and postage. Businesses can choose a postal delivery service with the most suitable Australia Post delivery times and budget.

The different postal services offered by Australia Post are

• Regular Letters
• Priority Letters
• Parcel Post
• Express Post parcels and Express Post letters

Australia Post Delivery Times For Regular Letters

The Australia Post delivery time for Regular Letters can vary based on the origin and destination of the mailer. It also implies that the delivery time for the same state and interstate deliveries can vary.

Same State Delivery Times

• When sending the Regular Letters within a metropolitan area of a capital city, the delivery time is just 2-3 business days
• A Regular Letter sent within the city or town or to the city/town adjacent to it has a 2-3 business days delivery time
• When sending a Regular letter from a metro area of a capital city to a country location, the Australia Post delivery time becomes 3-4 business days
• A Regular Letter sent between two country locations has a delivery time of 3-4 business days

Interstate Delivery Times

• The delivery time for Regular Letters sent between metro areas of capital cities is 3-4 business days
• The delivery time for Regular Letters sent between metro areas of capital cities and country locations are 4-5 business days
• When sending a Regular Letter between country locations in different states, the delivery time ranges from 5 to 6 business days

Australia Post Delivery Times For Priority Letters

As the name implies, Priority Letters get priority over Regular Letters during the processing and delivery process. Hence, the Australia Post delivery times for Priority Letters are usually less than that of Regular Letters.

Same State Delivery Times

• When  Letters are within a metropolitan area of a capital city, the delivery time is just 1 business day
• A Priority Letter sent within the city or town or to the city/town adjacent to it has a delivery time of just a single day
• When sending a Priority letter from a metropolitan area of a capital city to a country location, the Australia Post delivery time becomes 2 business days
• A Priority Letter sent between two country locations has a delivery time of 2 business days

Interstate Delivery Times

• The delivery time for Priority Letters sent between metro areas of capital cities is 2 business days
• The delivery time for Priority Letters sent between metro areas of capital cities and country locations are 3 business days
• When sending a Regular Letter between country locations in different states, the delivery time is 4 business days

Australia Post Delivery Times For Parcel Post

Australia Post’s Parcel Post is the best and most convenient way for individuals and businesses to send larger mailers. It offers an affordable and fast Australia Post delivery with a $100 compensation.

Same State Delivery Times

The delivery time for Parcel Post mailers can vary depending on their origin and destination. In general, the Parcel Post mailers get delivered within 2 to 5 business days. However, Parcel Post can take around 8 to 14 business days for delivery if it is sent within Western Australia.

Interstate Delivery Times

The Australia Post delivery time for sending a Parcel Post between two metro areas is about 3 to 6 business days.

Destination	Australia Post Delivery Time
Australian Capital Territory	3 to 11 business days
New South Wales	4 to 10 business days
Northern Territory	7 to 14 business days
Queensland	5 to 11 business days
South Australia	6 to 9 business days
Tasmania	6 to 14 business days
Victoria	2 to 8 business days
Western Australia	9 to 15 business days

Australia Post Delivery Times For Express Post Parcels and Express Post Letters

As you may know, an Express post is the fastest way to mail an item from point A to point B. In other words, it has the shortest Australia Post Express delivery time. According to Australia Post, Express Post can provide next day delivery to every address in the Express Post network.

The Express Post network covers 80% of Australian addresses. It includes business addresses, private addresses and Post Office Boxes.

Same State Delivery Times

As we mentioned, the Express Post service has a delivery time of 1 business day to most locations. However, the Australia Post Express delivery times can go up to 5 days due to current circumstances. But, the chances of this happening are scarce.

Interstate Delivery Times

The table below shows the delivery time for interstate delivery of your mailer using Australia Post’s Express Post service.

Destination	Australia Post Delivery Time
Australian Capital Territory	2 to 7 business days
New South Wales	2 to 6 business days
Northern Territory	3 to 8 business days
Queensland	2 to 6 business days
South Australia	2 to 5 business days
Tasmania	3 to 11 business days
Victoria	2 to 8 business days
Western Australia	3 to 7 business days

How To Optimise Australia Post Delivery Times Using PostGrid?

There are many options for businesses to send their postal mail via Australia Post, including Express Post, which offers next-business-day delivery. As a result, you can choose the best postal service suitable for your budget and Australia Post delivery times.

Businesses can ensure optimal postal service delivery for their communications by employing PostGrid’s direct mail automation. Postal delivery services often face delays due to various factors such as unstandardised addresses, improper packaging, etc.

PostGrid takes care of the entire direct process, including standardising addresses. Furthermore, it takes care of your bulk mailing needs by printing and delivering personalised mailers and sending them economically via Australia Post.

Conclusion

Businesses use direct mail communication for a variety of reasons. Healthcare organisations and insurance companies use it to send billing statements, realtors send marketing postcards, etc.

The delivery requirements for each of these cases vary. Some require a faster Australia Post delivery time, while others may not require fast delivery. Thankfully, Australia Post offers different postal services that can meet the needs of all types of businesses.

Regardless of the postal mail requirement of your company, you can use a tool like PostGrid to optimise your direct mail communication. It fully automates your postal mail process and even schedules your mail delivery.

As a result, you can ensure that your direct mail process is never interrupted and the communication is always on time.

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What is Privacy Act 1988?

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Privacy Act 1988 Australia: How to Abide By It and Avoid Data Frauds?

On 21 August 1996, the United States introduced the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law is like a package of all patient data security and privacy rules—to restrict data breaches and frauds. Every organisation dealing with Protected Health Information (PHI) needs to follow HIPAA to regulate its collection, storage, use, and distribution.

Today, several countries have privacy laws that are equivalent to HIPAA. For example, the Privacy Act 1988 Australia is the Australian HIPAA counterpart and covers every healthcare service provider in the country.

This article will help you understand the importance of this act and help you become compliant with it. Also, we hope to bust some common myths about the HIPAA law in Australia to enable you to take better measures to follow the same.

What is the Australia HIPAA Equivalent?

At PostGrid, we get many questions, like- does HIPAA apply in Australia. The answer is partly yes and here is why:

In Australia, the Privacy Act 1988 works similarly to HIPAA because its prime purpose is the same. However, this act covers a broader spectrum of personal data than HIPAA. 

Let us start with why the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) created the Privacy Act 1988 Australia. The reason was to safeguard people’s healthcare data from misuse. All businesses, irrespective of their size, should take the necessary steps to make their patient interactions, data collection, etc., compliant with this law. 

The act saw several amendments to expand its extent and cover more entities. All parties that handle patient data are automatically obliged to follow the rules and regulations of this act to avoid paying fines. Also, no party can opt-out unless they stop managing patient information altogether. 

The Privacy Act 1988 Australia laid down 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Their purpose is to:

• Set specific standards for all stages of patient data processing
• Dictate the obligations of organisations and agencies subject to this HIPAA Australia law

Currently, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) overlooks the act and investigates the associated data breaches. The OAIC can:

• Accept enforceable undertakings
• Charge civil penalties if a covered entity fails to comply with the requirements of the law
• Conduct privacy performance assessments for government agencies and companies

Therefore, you need to learn about HIPAA compliance Australia and incorporate it into your daily operations. It can help you significantly, from building trust among patients to avoiding legal consequences. 

Please note that HIPAA and Privacy Act 1988 are often used interchangeably because of their shared resemblance.

Why Is It Essential to Comply With Privacy Act 1988 Australia?

The maximum penalty you may have to pay for repeat and serious data breaches is $2.1 million. Hence, it is better to draft internal policies and strategies that help your organisation comply with HIPAA Australia and not take such a massive risk.

Even a few minor mistakes can put you in legal trouble as the regulations of this act are very stringent. You must limit access to team members and build secure storage rooms for patient files.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says that every medical practice or other organisation handling patient data must have a proactive program for privacy compliance. In 2018, several new legal mandates came into force, and the number of data breaches started rising. Hence, you have to be more careful now and update yourselves frequently to avoid missing any new requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 Australia.

Furthermore, the AMA states that complying with the confidentiality law is not limited to respecting patient privacy. It also includes the compulsory data breach notification and managing patient information throughout its life cycle. It is a code of conduct and a legal requirement for healthcare professionals.

What Types of Patient Data and Entities Does the Privacy Act 1988 Australia Cover?

The initial impression of this act is that it only regulates the processing and distribution of a patient’s health information. However, it also covers other details that can help identify the person.

This information consists of, but is not limited to:

• The patient’s full name
• Signature
• Residence or mailing address
• Other contact information like phone number and email address
• IP address
• Date of birth
• Credit details
• Photographs
• Employee record information
• Medical examination reports
• Patient conversations with the healthcare provider and its staff
• Admission and discharge data
• Medicare number, etc.

The Privacy Act 1988 Australia covers way more information than you may think. Hence, you should consult an attorney to ensure that all your operations are in alliance with this law if you are unsure.

Which Entities Does HIPAA In Australia Regulate?

Now that you have the answer to the question- is HIPAA applicable in Australia, you can move ahead to check if you fall under its jurisdiction. 

Here is a list of entities that need to follow the HIPAA regulations:

• Australian government agencies
• All *organisations that have an annual turnover of over $3 million

Small private sector healthcare service providers with a turnover of less than or equal to $3 million, including:

• Medical practitioners
• Pharmacists
• Day surgery centres
• Private hospitals
• Weight loss clinics
• Gyms
• Allied health professionals
• Private tertiary educational organisations, private schools, and child care centres
• Complementary therapists like chiropractors and naturopaths

*According to the Privacy Act 1988 Australia, an organisation is:

• A sole trader or individual
• A body corporate
• A partnership firm
• A trust
• Other unincorporated associations

If you outsource your services, ensure that the provider also complies with HIPAA Australia. For example, if you use automated direct mail services to mail your medical documents to patients, enquire if the company is lawfully-compliant.

Luckily, our solutions strive to protect personal data and follow the regulations of all privacy laws. Thus, you can draft, print, and mail your items to patients without worry.

Misconceptions Regarding the HIPAA Law Australia

Sometimes, it is hard to determine which parties need legitimate access to patient data and which don’t. The OAIC may find you guilty of a data breach if you give access to your patient data to individuals or organisations without a lawful reason.

Hence, we have listed below the circumstances under which the Privacy Act 1988 Australia makes some exceptions. As per the Medical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS), you can release personal information if:

• It is required for approved research
• It is in society’s best interests. (HIPAA does not have such an exception, and you cannot release patient data without their authorization)
• The law requires its release
• The patient’s condition is serious, or they pose a severe threat to another person

However, there are many myths or misconceptions about doctor-patient confidentiality under the Privacy Act 1988 Australia. For instance, if a person admits to a severe offence while consulting you, you have to alert the authorities. You have the right to disobey the privacy law and reveal this information as it is illegal to conceal such data. However, some organisations might be unaware of this exception.

Here are some more misconceptions about HIPAA compliance Australia:

Healthcare Organisations Can Share Patient Data With Potential Employers

Medical practices cannot do that without their patients’ explicit and written consent. Since a person may have hundreds of potential employers in their lifetime, they cannot share their personal information with everyone. Hence, the Privacy Act 1988 Australia strictly prohibits this practice.

Healthcare Professionals Cannot Share Specific Medical Data With Other Doctors

Doctors don’t need their patient’s consent to share their healthcare records with other professionals. For example, suppose you refer your patient to a physiotherapist. In this case, you may need to send over their details to the physiotherapist for better treatment. There is nothing wrong with sharing medical records between professionals as long as the transfer takes place safely.

The Privacy and Confidentiality Act 1988 Only Applies to Paper-Based Data

The Privacy Act came into enactment in 1988, so most people think it only applies to physical patient files. However, it is not the case! There were several updates in the act to cover all types of patient records, irrespective of how an organisation stores them.

It is Enough to Buy and Use a HIPAA-Compliant Software

A HIPAA-compliant software program can help make your organisation partially compliant with the Privacy Act 1988 Australia. But, you cannot comply with it unless your entire staff cooperates with you and works alongside the compliance system.

For example, if your program is software-protected and you fail to keep the password discreet, you automatically compromise your data privacy. Also, try enquiring about how your software provider handles and stores your personal information.

How to Ensure Printing Security?

As said above, the Privacy Act 1988 Australia applies to paper-based and electronic records. Therefore, you must consider investing in HIPAA-compliant printing systems that can secure your patient documents.

Though you may update most records online, there are always many items like prescription labels and scan reports that need offline printing. But, your staff might easily lose or misplace them. Also, they are susceptible to theft and misuse.

By deploying state-of-the-art and safe printing technology, you can save time, ensure security, and improve overall productivity. It allows you to follow the HIPAA Australia regulations and make patient record sharing a breeze.

You still need to protect your electronic medical records (EMRs) against hackers and other online threats. During 202-21, Australian organisations reported more than 67,500 cybercrime instances, which means you need to tighten your security systems.

You can undertake several steps to safeguard your EMRs and comply with the Privacy Act 1988 Australia, like employing automated backups, encryption, and password-protected access.

How Can PostGrid Help You Achieve HIPAA Compliance Australia?

Our direct mail automation API helps healthcare providers send medical documents to patients and third parties without violating the law. It does so by allowing you to draft, print, and ship items on a HIPAA-compliant platform.

PostGrid is also compliant with PCI DSS Level 1, ISAE 3402, SOC-2 – IRAP (Australia), ISO 9001, and ISO 27001. Hence, we guarantee that your data remains secure and confidential at every stage of your mailing process.

Our API and software are in-built to follow the rules and requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 Australia. We achieve such high levels of data protection by working with trusted and lawfully-compliant print partners. You no longer need to worry about purchasing print equipment and instructing your staff to spend days printing documents.

Furthermore, we mail your items via Australia Post—the most trusted carrier in the country. The Privacy Act 1988 Australia does not dictate Australia Post as a covered entity because it only transports your medical data from one place to another. It does not have access to the contents inside the envelopes.

Below are some of our features to help you protect your personal information:

• API integration: PostGrid’s HIPAA Australia compliant services let you integrate our API into your CRM. It allows you to draft your patient documents and ship them via your own system, enhancing data privacy
• User settings: You can grant or restrict access to your staff members to avoid any potential data breaches. Thus, only authorised users can log into your PostGrid account and handle patient data on our platform
• Per-piece tracking: Using our real-time tracking feature, you can keep checking the status of your sent mail. It helps you ensure that your items reach their destination smoothly and without issues

Conclusion

The Privacy Act 1988 is the Australia HIPAA equivalent, operating for several decades. It safeguards patients’ personal and healthcare data and holds healthcare organisations reliable if there is a breach.

You may have a hard time implementing a HIPAA-compliant system, but it is essential to smoothen data processing. Also, it helps you prevent falling prey to legal complications and paying hefty penalties.

Moreover, you should always try to enquire about the security measures of your outsourced service provider. You can use PostGrid’s direct mail API to send your print advertising and transactional items safely. Plus, PostGrid also helps you verify your mailing addresses in advance to avoid sending mail to incorrect recipients and decrease the chances of malicious activities.

Are you ready to protect your patient data against data breaches and comply with the Privacy Act 1988 Australia with PostGrid? Sign up now to learn more!

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Australia Post Express Mail

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How To Send Super Fast Post Mail Using Australia Post Express Post

Businesses often have to send important and time-sensitive documents. Yet, they often struggle to meet this requirement. Postal mail is not famous for its communication speed, but there are certain exceptions, such as Australia Post Express Post.

The Express Post is one of the best ways to send time-sensitive documents for your business. But many companies are still unaware of its features and how to use it efficiently for their business communications.

Here, we explain everything you need to know about the Express Post service from Australia Post. The article also elaborates on how you can use it for sending your business letter and, more importantly, how you can optimise your business communication.

What is Australia Post Express Post?

The Express Post service from Australia Post is the fastest postal delivery option offered by the Australia Post. The Aus Post Express Post service comes with a next-business-day guarantee. It means the Express Post service assures the delivery of mailers on the very next business day.

So, if your business needs a letter delivered ASAP, Express Post is the best way to go. To make postal communication even easier, faster, and smoother, you can also use Express Post prepaid envelopes. Businesses can even buy prepaid envelopes in bulk and save money on them. 

Note: Australia Post has temporarily suspended its next-business-day guarantee due to the current circumstances. However, Australia Post Express Post remains the fastest way for you to send postal mail across Australia.

 Also Read: How to Send Priority Letters Effectively?

Australia Post Express Post Network

There is no question that the Express Post service from Australia Post is the fastest way to send your postal mailers. However, the next business-day guarantee does not apply to a few remote locations. The Express Post network consists of all the capital (except Darwin) and selected significant towns within which you can avail of next business day delivery.

But, there is little need for concern because the Express Post network covers 80% of Australian addresses. The Aus Post Express Post network includes business addresses, private addresses and Post Office (or PO) Boxes.

As you can see, if we go by the numbers, then the chances are your mailer will most likely get delivered on the next business day. Even if your destination is not listed in the network, the Express Post is still the fastest way you can send your mailer.

How To Send a Letter Via Australia Post Express Post?

Sending a letter via Express Post Australia is the same as sending a standard letter. You can lodge your Express Post letter in one yellow street posting box.

But, if you don’t want to take any chances or be extra careful with your mailer, you can always give your mailer over the counter at the Post Office.

However, keep in mind that there is a lodgement cut off time. In addition to that, you can use Australia Post’s location and hours tool for finding the nearest post office or yellow Express Post box near you.

Pick Up From Business Premises

If you are looking for a more convenient option, you can set up a regular pick up directly from your business.

However, you need to be an Australia Post credit account customer to organise a regular pick up of Australia Post Express Mail.

And if you are an Australia Post credit account customer, all you have to do is make a call at 13 11 18.

Don’t Use The Red Street Posting Box

People make a common mistake when sending Express Post mailers to put them inside a red street posting box.

The red street posting box is not meant for Aus Post Express Post mailers, and using them could delay your mail delivery.

So, it’s a good idea not to use the red posting boxes even if you see one right outside your office or home.

Lodging Time For Aus Post Express Post

If you wish to post your Express Post envelopes over the counter, you should reach there by 5 pm. But, this time, maybe a little earlier in certain provincial and suburban Post Offices. In any case, it is best to lodge your mailer early because you don’t want to cut it close to the closing time.

Sending Aus Post Express Post via a yellow street-posting box also has the same lodging time. It means you need to lodge your mailer in the yellow street-posting box by 5 pm. For some Perth suburbs and provincial cities, the lodging time maybe a little earlier.

Of course, you can only send your Express Post envelope from Monday to Friday. It would be best to keep that in mind unless you want to have any delays in shipping your mailers.

How To Send Letter To Destinations Outside Australia Post Express Post Network?

The best option for you to send urgent mailers to destinations not listed in the Express Post network is still Express Post mail. Express Post is still the quickest way to send postal mailers within Australia when all is said and done. The only concern, in this case, is that you won’t get the next-business-day guarantee.

Using Aus Post Express Post ensures your mailer’s fastest processing, handling, and delivering time. Even if the destination is outside the Express Post network, you still get the quickest possible delivery for your mailers.

How To Speed Up Aus Post Express Post Delivery With The Help of Automation?

We already know that Aus Post Express Post offers the fastest way to deliver your postal mailer. With a guaranteed next business day delivery, you can’t speed up the delivery. But what about the processes before the mailer reaches Australia Post?

Most businesses struggle to get their mailers personalised, printed and delivered to Australia Post in time. This is where automation comes into the picture. An advanced direct mail automation system like PostGrid can ensure that your postal mail is printed and ready for delivery on time.

You can even schedule your mail delivery, so you don’t have to check up on its progress every chance you get. It also means that you don’t have to worry about the lodging time, postage calculation, etc. because PostGrid takes care of it.

Conclusion

There is no better choice than Australia Post Express Post to send time-sensitive or urgent documents. Businesses often depend on Express Post for the super fast delivery of their mailers. However, business calculation often gets disrupted when it comes to personalising and printing the mailers.

Thankfully, there are advanced direct mail solutions like PostGrid that can help businesses optimise their direct mail operations. You get a lighting-fast direct mail process with automated personalisation, printing, and delivery.

Furthermore, PostGrid prints delivery addresses in the standardised format. As a result, Australia Post can sort and deliver the mailer with zero delays. But most importantly, it allows you to sit back and relax. At the same time, the system automatically sends Aus Post Express Post with zero delays.

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Bulk Address Validation & Batch Address Verification

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What is Bulk Address Validation?

Bulk address validation is the process of cleansing, standardizing, and verifying huge numbers of mailing addresses in one go. It saves time and effort and can be used by businesses. With the help of such batch processing, companies can sort and update their mailing lists and put them to use.

Every company has a lot of data, including thousands or even millions of addresses. But, data management is not an easy task. Therefore, batch address verification solutions are used to validate the addresses quickly and efficiently.

• Verify addresses in huge numbers with no manual intervention
• Assure data quality and usability
• Use PostGrid’s bulk address validation solutions to integrate and start validating addresses in minutes

Why Do Businesses Need Bulk Address Validation?

Access to Accurate Addresses

When we talk about accurate addresses, it becomes obvious that these addresses have no errors, missing words, misspellings, wrong abbreviations, or any such issues. An address validation tool can help validate addresses using fuzzy matching methods. Moreover, you can verify them from anywhere and at any time, hereby being flexible.

Cost-Saving

It is always better to cross-verify addresses after receiving any orders. This way, you can be confident that your mail can be delivered successfully. Save yourselves from reshipping and wastages caused due to mailing to invalid or incorrect addresses.

Standardising and validating addresses beforehand allows Australia Post to deliver on time. They don’t have to go through any hassles or delays resulting from missing address parts or incorrect details.

Avail Bulk Mailing Discounts

Australia Post gives huge discounts on bulk mailing. However, in actuality, it is quite difficult to print and mail items in bulk. It takes several weeks to get the mailing lists ready. But, an Auspost address validation API can make it possible. Companies can also presort their mail items to receive additional discounts.

Improve Customer Experience and Brand Reputation

If you opt for manual data entry, the task can affect response times drastically. Customers want timely deliveries, and you can accomplish that by using address lookup services. Provide excellent customer experience by processing orders speedily and systematically. You can also incorporate the address validation API on your website to autocomplete, standardise, and validate addresses at point-of-entry.

Increase Conversions

Conduct successful direct mail campaigns using high-quality mailing lists. These lists assure that your mail will be delivered to the right people, which is very important in the case of personalised and targeted marketing.

Expand your business globally by mailing to any country across the world. Reach out to prospects internationally and drive conversions.

Proper Data Management

Using batch address validation, businesses can capture, store, and update mailing addresses from time to time. It facilitates data management and also eliminates manual effort. Manual inputs are prone to mistakes and are time-consuming. PostGrid’s batch address verification solutions can help you manage your database properly and make the necessary changes as and when required.

Features of PostGrid’s Bulk Address Validation and Batch Address Verification Solutions

Real-Time Verification

All addresses that are passed through PostGrid’s address verification API are parsed, standardised, and verified in real-time. Therefore, even the recent address changes are considered, and the addresses are ready to use. By incorporating the API into your website or other ePOS, you can verify bulk addresses as they are being entered and block wrong addresses from entering your database.

API Integration

As discussed earlier, you can integrate PostGrid’s API and start verifying addresses directly from your own system. The API can be integrated with several marketing strategies, human resource management, payroll, accounting, and eCommerce platforms and software applications. The integration is simple and quick.

AMAS Certification

PostGrid uses the Australia Post address database to return up-to-date and perfectly mailable addresses. Getting an AMAS certification simply means returning addresses as per the official database of Australia Post and PostGrid does exactly that. Hence, businesses know that their processed mailing lists are in accordance with the Australia Post address guidelines.

Address Autocomplete and Formatting

The API does not just validate and verify in the same format as you enter addresses. In case of incomplete and misordered addresses, it completes and parses them automatically. Furthermore, the API is capable of addressing formatting or standardising as per the guidelines provided by the post office. Therefore, along with verification, you get a lot more features.

International Bulk Address Verification

Have problems reached out to your international audience? Say no more, as PostGrid’s bulk address validation solutions also cover international addresses of over 240 countries. You can transliterate, reformat, and validate international addresses according to the destination country’s postal requirements and language.

Geocoding

Geocoding is essential for capturing and returning precise addresses. It is mainly used for on-spot address validation wherein the address lookup Australia API is able to identify users’ addresses through coordinates and can fill in their addresses accurately.

Deduplication

A major part of data management is deduplication. Validating bulk addresses is not enough. Companies need to know how many entries are present in their database. It is particularly important while conducting direct mail marketing campaigns. PostGrid offers free postal address validation and deduplication along with its print and mail API.

Privacy Protection

Be it your privacy or your customers’, PostGrid makes sure that all the necessary rules and regulations are being followed and data security is given top priority. Being compliant with DSS Level 1, ISAE 3402, SOC 2 – IRAP (Australia), ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and Privacy Act 1988, PostGrid protects data confidentiality at all times.

How Does PostGrid’s Bulk Address Verification Work?

Companies can integrate PostGrid’s bulk address verification API with their websites, applications, and software programs. After integration, the API can fetch data automatically and process the mailing lists. Bulk address validation services allow you to validate hundreds and thousands of mailing lists in one go.

PostGrid’s API can help you with that and the process is broken down into several parts:

Autocomplete

It is essential to first complete addresses. Autocomplete is usually used for on-demand or point-of-entry address validation, but it is also used in the case of bulk address verification so that incomplete addresses can be completed and further steps can be carried out.

Parsing

Address parsing is identifying the different components of an address, such as the street name, city name, and so on. In this step, the addresses are broken down into different components and filled in the respective address fields.

Standardisation

All addresses are standardised according to the format provided by Australia Post or other postal organisations around the world in the case of international addresses. Standardisation is done to help the API with deduplication and validation. Oftentimes, valid addresses are marked invalid due to improper formatting. This step solves that problem.

Validation

Checking address validity is to make sure that they exist and are deliverable. In this step, deliverable and undeliverable addresses are separated from each other.

Verification

The undeliverable addresses separated during validation are taken care of by verification. Address verification is done by rectifying addresses using commercial and Australian residential address databases. After this step, all the addresses are precise, updated, and ready to mail.

All the above steps are completed simultaneously within seconds, hence making batch address validation possible.

Conclusion

Businesses must have accurate address data in order to fulfil orders and be able to conduct direct mail marketing campaigns. It is now time to gather all the data that could not be used due to errors, being outdated, and more issues. Validate bulk addresses with PostGrid and use your data productively.

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Letterbox Advertising

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Letterbox Advertising: How to Conduct a Successful Campaign to Increase Brand Awareness

74% of Australians give direct mail their complete attention! Moreover, customers tend to read all the promotional materials they receive in their mailboxes. Hence, we can say that direct mail marketing is still performing great, and people look forward to getting mail.

Direct mail can influence all stages of your prospects’ buying journeys. It enables you to develop new connections and drive more responses. To help you optimise your direct mailing activities, Australia Post offers an excellent option—letterbox advertising!

It is an offline mailing service that allows companies to reach out to their target audience at affordable rates. You can choose any locality or neighbourhood to cover under letterbox drop advertising. Australia Post helps you send your advertising mail to every address in these areas—without you having to compile a mailing list.

Therefore, it is also known as Unaddressed Mail. Unlike personalised targeting, letterbox advertising is a generic type of promoting your products and services.

You may also call it blanketing or mass mailing, wherein you cover the entire locality at once. It is an apt choice for location-based businesses, like retail stores, restaurants, dental clinics, etc. However, letterbox delivery can be employed by other companies as well for specific purposes, like:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Generate new leads
• Promoting seasonal and discount offers, etc.

In this blog, we will cover more features of letterbox advertising and how to get the best out of it. Let’s get started!

Do Letterbox Drops Work?

In short- yes, letterbox drops work very well and help businesses achieve their marketing objectives! Here’s why:

Broaden Your Reach

Australia Post lets companies connect with 11.6 million letterboxes across the country. Thus, you can select several areas to target under your mail marketing campaign and expand your reach.

Depending on your goals and budget, letterbox advertising gives you the freedom to reach out to any number of prospects you want.

Enjoy Higher Deliverability Rates

In the case of personalised mailing, you may face issues of delivery failures. But, mailbox advertising ensures that your mail pieces are delivered effectively.

Hence, there are fewer wastages leading to an improved return on investment. Moreover, as the number of prospects receiving your mail increases, there are higher chances of you getting more engagement.

Increase Brand Visibility

You may have seen people sharing posts on social media all the time. Luckily, direct mail also has this feature because most letterbox drop recipients share these items with other household members. They might also pass on your mail to their relatives and friends, boosting brand visibility.

These factors make letterbox advertising one of the most effective marketing tools. It helps your brand create a buzz and connect with more people than you actually mailed.

Try creating and shipping handy items, like letters, postcards, flyers, etc. These items get saved by recipients for a longer time—hence, you get many chances to grab your audience’s attention and push them to complete the CTA.

Better Customer Relationships

Using Australia Post letterbox drop, you can strengthen your customer relationships. Direct mail is personal and emotional, enabling you to stay ahead of your competitors and convert valuable prospects.

Type of Mail Items to Send for Your Letterbox Advertising Campaign

You can use Unaddressed Mail to ship any of the following direct mail items:

Envelopes

Envelopes are the most standard form of mailbox advertising. They give you ample space to discuss your offerings in-depth. Thus, you can select this option if your message is too long for a postcard or flyer.

Plain, white-coloured envelopes might not attract many leads as recipients might consider them spam mail. But, you can add some customisations, use bright colours, and include teasers to make them exciting.

If you need assistance printing and mailing your letters, try PostGrid’s direct mail API. It can help you automate all the steps and accelerate your campaign. 

Postcards

Postcards are small, intact, and affordable. But, people like them because postcards create a nostalgic effect. Also, almost all recipients save postcards consisting of a relevant offer. They might pin them on a wall or stick them on a refrigerator. Either way, their small size makes them an ideal choice as a mailbox drop.

Here are a few postcard marketing ideas and examples:

• Promoting local events that you are participating in or hosting
• Introducing new business offerings, like a new range of products or added features
• Increasing sales levels by sending discount coupons.*

*Some businesses may attach a perforated coupon to their postcards, whereas others simply incorporate a coupon code into them. 

Letterbox Flyers

Flyers are two-sided, coloured items, usually distributed as hand-outs. However, they are also popular direct mail materials for letterbox advertising. 

There are various flyer sizes you can experiment with, depending on the length of your message and design. Flyers have the same use cases as postcards, but they are considered more informal.

Remember, postcards and flyers don’t need an envelope for mailing. Hence, you can save costs on additional printing. If you wish, you can also send flyers as self-mailers with a wide variety of folds.

Newsletters

These items are often overlooked as letterbox drops because many marketers think they can only send them via email. Yes, e-newsletters are more common, but their printed version can help increase the read rates significantly. 

Your target audience may ignore your emails or move them to the spam folder. Also, you cannot continue to send newsletters or other marketing emails to recipients if they unsubscribe to them. 

Under these circumstances, it is better to use letterbox drop advertising to send newsletters offline and get more responses. You can choose from various topics to draft informative and engaging newsletters, like:

• Add your latest achievements, new additions, plans, etc.
• Share educational industry news
• Include short guides that explain your products and services
• Talk about your company history, vision, etc.

Such a mailbox drop is more likely to generate a valuable readership base and fetch you more leads.

Please note: All items prepared for letterbox drop advertising should not weigh more than 100 grams. Every batch must comprise mail pieces of the same size and weight.

How to Design a Letterbox Drop?

Your mail item may be the first thing a prospect gets from your brand, so ensure that it is of top-notch quality. Even if you are engaging old customers, it is crucial to follow your brand standards.

Paper

While planning a letterbox advertising campaign, don’t forget to select a thicker and heavier paper stock than your competitors. It helps your mail stand out from the crowd and makes an excellent impression. Some businesses also use various finishing touches, like embossing, glossy coating, etc.

Layout

Select a layout that best fits your messaging and mail format—for example, you can select a landscape layout with different sections for postcards. On the contrary, a portrait layout is a preferable choice for flyers.

Artwork

Use eye-catching and appealing visuals for your letterbox advertising strategy. Since a mailbox drop is not personalised, recipients might not think of replying to it. But, you can change that by creating a unique artwork that resonates with your message precisely.

One of the most crucial aspects of your artwork is the imagery. You must use relevant images based on the products or services you are trying to sell. For instance, an auto insurance company may use pictures of a person riding their car happily. Similarly, a fruit juice manufacturing business can add images of people drinking their juice at a party.

Your letterbox advertising audience should be able to relate to your mailpiece and push them to make a decision. Also, use the right combination of colours to make your artwork look balanced. Leave enough white space to help recipients see all the sections of your item.

Offer

Always add an offer to incentivise your audience and push them ahead of the sales funnel. It can be anything from a small discount to free shipping. 

You can add value to your mail by adding an offer in your letterbox drops. Make a reasonable deal with your prospects that helps them trust your brand and take action.

Call to Action

Don’t forget to add an upfront CTA to guide recipients about what to do next. Sending a mailbox drop without a CTA may not help you fulfil your letterbox advertising goals because the recipients are left clueless. They might still contact you using your phone number or email, but your response rates are likely to be very low.

You can add your offer and CTA in the same sentence. Here are a few examples:

• Get a 20% discount now by visiting the link below
• Walk into our store with this item to avail our buy one get one offer
• Scan the QR code below and get 5% cashback on your first purchase

Headline

Another crucial element is your mail copy. Ensure to use grabby headlines that solve the reader’s problem, create excitement, or generate curiosity.

Along with the headline, also focus on the rest of your copy and try dividing it into small sections. Add bullet points, statistics, customer testimonials, etc., to make your letterbox drops more authentic and engaging.

Steps to Conduct a Letterbox Drop Advertising Campaign

targeted strategies. But, there are a few steps you need to take care of for its smooth execution, and they are:

Planning Your Campaign

First, complete the planning regarding the time frame of your campaign—the booking date, delivery date, etc. You need to book a mailing with Australia Post at least ten days in advance if you intend to conduct a mailbox advertising campaign. However, Australia Post also allows you to make bookings up to three months before to help you get everything done on time.

The time durations for lodging articles are:

• Seven days for interstate delivery
• Five days for intrastate delivery

If you need shorter lodging and booking time frames, you can pay extra and choose the premium service. 

The next thing you must plan is the locality you want to cover. You can select your target area by postcode, suburb, or state. Also, you must decide if you need to send your letterbox drop to businesses, residences, or both.

Typically, you should list down the following things before making a booking:

• Your item specifications (size, weight, and thickness)
• Your choice of address types and target area
• The postal office where you are going to lodge your articles
• Delivery dates

Preparing Your Mailbox Drop

Once printed, you need to bundle and label your items. Take care to fix the labels on the front side of every tray and front bundle. Check the Australia Post’s Mail Preparation Advice to understand the requirements in-depth.

Then, sort the letterbox drops into bundles and trays, depending on the delivery office as mentioned by Australia Post. You can get the trays for free at your lodgement office after booking.

Lodging

Remember to lodge your articles at the postal office mentioned in your Booking Confirmation Advice on the specified lodgement date. It allows you to give a head start to your campaign before Australia Post takes over and initiates the delivery process.

You can make the payment for your letterbox advertising campaign using any of the following methods:

• Debit card, credit card, or cash
• Pre-approved cheque
• Australia Post business credit account

If you are a regular mailer, try opening a business credit account by completing the necessary documentation. This account helps you make payments flexibly and have better records of all your campaigns.

Letterbox Advertising Cost and Delivery Period

Australia Post offers two service options under letterbox advertising: standard and premium. As discussed above, the premium service helps you avail of a shorter lodging and booking time frame. Also, the deliveries are completed in just seven days. Therefore, if you need to conduct a campaign urgently, this option is the way to go.

However, the premium service is only available for deliveries within the same state. For interstate deliveries, you need to stick with Australia Post’s standard service- wherein your letterbox drops are delivered within 15 days.

Please note that your articles are delivered only between Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. Also, larger lodgements may take longer delivery times.

The Australia Post letterbox drop cost varies according to the destination, service type, volume of articles, size, and weight. Here are the rates:

Standard Service:

Size	Weight	Same State (Regular and Select)	Other State (Regular and Select)
Small letter	Up to 50 grams	$0.215	$0.255
	Over 50 – 100 grams	$0.325	$0.370
Large letter	Up to 50 grams	$0.340	$0.385
	Over 50 – 100 grams	$0.435	$0.480

Premium Service:

Size	Weight	Same State Regular	Same State Select
Small letter	Up to 50 grams	$0.275	$0.275
	Over 50 – 100 grams	$0.415	$0.415
Large letter	Up to 50 grams	$0.435	$0.435
	Over 50- 100 grams	$0.555	$0.555

Premium Short Week Service:

Size	Weight	Same State Regular	Same State Select
Small letter	Up to 50 grams	$0.325	$0.325
	Over 50 – 100 grams	$0.490	$0.490
Large letter	Up to 50 grams	$0.512	$0.512
	Over 50- 100 grams	$0.653	$0.653

If your articles measure over 100 grams, you need to dial 1300 223 571 and connect with Australia Post’s letterbox advertising booking team. You can also contact them for bulk mailing rates if you need to conduct a large-scale campaign.

No Show Fees

If you need to cancel your letterbox drop advertising campaign, you must do so in advance to avoid paying the no-show fees. Australia Post has specified the cancellation instructions as follows:

Booking Type	Lodgment Date and Time	Cancellation Window
Standard- for same state deliveries	Day: Five working days in advance before the delivery week starts.  Time: By noon.	At least one business date prior to your lodgment date.
Standard- for interstate deliveries	Day: Seven working days in advance before the delivery week starts.  Time: By noon.
Premium	Day: One working day in advance before the delivery week starts.  Time: By noon.

Also, the no-show fee for your mailbox advertising campaigns varies based on the number of items mentioned in your Booking Confirmation Advice. 

Number of articles	No show fee
Up to 5,000	$100
More than 5,000 up to 50,000	$600
More than 50,000 up to 100,000	$1,600
More than 100,000	$3,600

Thus, it is better to cancel your booking via call, email, or the online booking tool and skip paying the no-show fees.

How to Ensure the Success of Your Letterbox Advertising Campaign?

There are several ways to boost the efficiency of your campaign to guarantee better positive results. From planning to lodgement, here are a few tips to help you conduct more successful campaigns:

Target the Right Audience

You cannot segment your letterbox drop mailing list according to advanced demographics, like age, gender, preferences, etc. But, it doesn’t restrict you from targeting a relevant audience. For example, if you are a luxury goods seller, you should only target high-income localities. Similarly, imagine if you plan on launching a new store in an area. In that case, it is best to send your letterbox drops to all the people residing in the vicinity.

Hence, it is advisable to conduct enough market research before selecting your target area. You may also choose customer-dense neighbourhoods where you are likely to find more prospects.

Test Your Campaigns

Before launching a large-scale mailbox advertising campaign, you can conduct a few small ones to test your items. Try sending out a few sample articles and measuring their performance. There are always some areas to improve upon, like your copy, offer, etc.

You can ensure that your letterbox drop can appeal to more people and produce better results with a few minor tweaks.

Testing also enables you to understand which localities are more responsive to your campaign and which are not.

PostGrid’s direct mail API can help you launch measurable campaigns effortlessly. It allows you to access timely reports and analytics for your reference.

Integrate Your Letterbox Advertising Activities Into a Multi-Channel Strategy

In today’s time, a multi-channel marketing strategy works way better than a standalone program. Hence, consider combining your direct mail and online advertising plans to reach a broader audience. 

Marketers can schedule their email, social media, PPC campaigns, etc., post your letterbox drop advertising efforts are completed. It helps reinstate the message, again and again, to garner more attention from the prospects. 

Automate Your Campaigns

Automation is taking over every industry, from healthcare to real estate. Now, all companies are automating as many activities as possible to save costs, manual labour, and money.

Thus, you can also automate your letterbox advertising campaigns using a direct mail solution provider like PostGrid. Our services are crafted to help you design, print, prepare, and mail your items without you having to do anything!

Pros and Cons of Letterbox Advertising

Before making your final decision, you should know the advantages and disadvantages of sending our letterbox drops. Below, we have a compiled a list to help you:

Pros

Tangible and Emotional

Direct mail is a tangible reminder of your products and services. If your prospects need something similar to your offerings, they can pick up your mail and learn more about them.

If your item has an offer, recipients are also more likely to complete the CTA and make a purchase. The tangible nature of a mailbox drop helps people value it more than an email or social media post. 

Also, it feels more emotional because it reaches people directly in their homes. These characteristics are more than enough for your letterbox advertising campaign to succeed!

Less Competition

While more and more marketers promote their brands online, you have very few companies to compete with direct mail. This channel allows you to cut through the noise and make your message heard by your target audience.

Long-Lasting

It is easy to delete an email or scroll through a display ad. But, it is relatively difficult to get rid of a letterbox drop item. Most people keep your mail until they redeem the discount or other offers.

But, some of your recipients might forget to reply even if they wanted to. Hence, make sure to add a deadline to accelerate your response levels.

Appealing to All Age Groups

Direct mail is the best way to communicate with people of older age groups. Though teenagers and millennials might enjoy spending hours online, senior citizens pay more attention to offline correspondence.

However, letterbox drops are known to be appealing to all age groups for the past few years. Thus, you can connect with almost everyone via this channel.  

Cons:

Not Targeted

Some marketers hesitate to employ letterbox advertising due to a lack of targeting. All the mail items are generic and do not consist of personalised details. Hence, they believe that this marketing method may not produce positive results.

Therefore, you must launch a letterbox drop campaign only when you are sure of its performance. It may not work in some cases but perform excellently in others.

Expensive

Another disadvantage of letterbox advertising is its costs. However, it is more of a myth because you can grab very affordable rates by contacting Australia Post. Also, you can get further discounts by sending larger volumes.

Companies can also use PostGrid’s automated direct mail services to reduce costs significantly. PostGrid allows them to launch both targeted and generic marketing campaigns at 75% cheaper rates.

Along with enabling you to conduct mailing campaigns affordably, PostGrid also has several other use cases, like:

• Minimise human error using automation
• Send invoices, cheques, statements, and other transactional mail
• Get paid faster by sending payment due to letters to clients
• Conduct print and mail campaigns with the highest levels of security and confidentiality
• Mail event invitations, announcements, notices, coupons, samples, etc.
• Strengthen employer-employee relationships by sending appreciation letters, thank-you cards, anniversary wishes, etc.

Thus, Postgrid’s automated services for letterbox advertising help you eliminate the cons and optimise the benefits.

How Can PostGrid’s Direct Mail API Help You Conduct an Effective Letterbox Advertising Campaign?

Here are some more ways in which PostGrid can back up your mail marketing efforts:

Mail Preparation

Our solutions are built-in to help you design and prepare your letterbox drops without any manual effort. PostGrid offers several professionally-built templates for you to select from and customise according to your needs. 

As discussed earlier, there are several specifications you need to follow to send mailbox drop items. Luckily, our API can handle everything automatically and smoothly. Hence, you need not read any instructions and struggle with getting everything right. 

Print and Mail Fulfilment

Along with preparation, PostGrid also provides print and mail fulfilment. Your items are printed through our extensive network of printers and lodged automatedly. 

You can place your orders and track the progress of your campaigns by logging into your PostGrid account. Sign up here if you don’t already have one!

Bulk Mailing

PostGrid assists you in launching on-demand and bulk letterbox advertising campaigns. It doesn’t make a difference if you want to send a couple of items or millions of them. Our services are scalable and can accommodate all your requirements.

Our other features include:

• Two-business day SLA
• Per-piece tracking
• Data privacy and security
• Zapier integration
• Flexible pricing
• Helpful API docs
• Address verification
• Reports and insights
• Wide range of collaterals, etc.

Conclusion

Australia Post’s letterbox advertising is the most affordable way of sending direct mail to your prospects. You can plan your campaigns in advance and ensure everything falls into place on time.

There are several things to take care of while conducting mailbox advertising, like the lodgement dates, size, costs, etc. But, using PostGrid, you can skip all the legwork and sit back as our API does everything on your behalf.

Ready to save your precious time and money while conducting an effective letterbox advertising campaign with PostGrid? Request a demo now!

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