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Shipping to Australia can be an expensive prospect, as any shipper who has ever obtained a rate quote online knows. Needing to send a package to Australia is becoming more common for individuals in the U.S. who aren’t familiar with the ins and outs of international shipping. For example, some Australian clothing companies don’t offer free returns for their products…and their customers who need to send a return package scramble to find the cheapest way to ship it back. This article is about the cheapest way to ship to Australia, and which “secret” services will help you keep the most money in your pocket.
Don’t Go to the Post Office, UPS Store, or FedEx Office to Send a Package to Australia
Before you plan a trip to your local Post Office, UPS Store, or FedEx Office to send a package to Australia, think twice! When you do this, you’ll end up paying Retail Rates for your postage costs, and purchasing postage for international shipping to Australia can get very expensive, very fast.
Instead, look into buying your shipping label(s) through online shipping software companies that sell domestic and international postage from the major carriers at the deepest discounts possible.
Taking Advantage of Shipping Software Discounts is the Cheapest Way to Ship to Australia
As we said above, if you need to send a package to Australia, the cheapest way to do so is by taking advantage of shipping discounts through online shipping software companies. The tier of discounts USPS offers to shipping software customers is known as Commercial Pricing; UPS also offers pre-negotiated discounts to shipping software customers that the carrier typically reserves for huge commercial shippers who send more than 50,000 packages per year.
When you use online shipping software, you get access to all of the domestic and international services from the major carriers such as USPS and UPS…but at a fraction of the cost you’d pay at the Post Office or local UPS Store. On top of that, you can also print your label from the comfort of your home and schedule pickups for your packages. This way, you won’t have to wait in line at the Post Office or trek to the UPS Store, if you don’t want to!
In some cases, the USPS and UPS discounts you get from buying your label with shipping software can save you up to 89% off what you’d pay to ship the same package at the Post Office or UPS Store. When sending a package to Australia, these levels of savings can sometimes put dozens of dollars back in your pocket!
Some Companies Offer Specially Discounted Services for Lightweight International Shipments
Once you’ve resolved to use shipping software to buy postage for your Australian-bound shipment, another step to save even more money is to see whether your shipping software company of choice offers specially discounted international services for lightweight shipments.
One example of a service like this is Simple Export Rate, which is found only on the shipping software Pirate Ship. Simple Export Rate is one of the cheapest international shipping services on the market for lightweight packages, featuring affordable flat rates for packages weighing up to 4 pounds.
In the case of sending a 15-ounce clothing poly mailer, one Simple Export Rate shipment going to Australia would only cost $16.99 (based on 2024 prices). After Simple Export Rate, the next most affordable service would be USPS First Class Package International, which would run you just under $40 for the same package. Considering that price difference, there’s no reason not to take advantage of special shipping software services like Simple Export Rate when shipping to Australia!
Looking for the right shipping software for you?
To get the deepest discounts on international shipping labels, check out our guide:
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