As an e-tailer in Australia or New Zealand, you ship valuable products on a daily basis. But are you really protected? Australia Post and NZ Post offer parcel insurance that seems reassuring... until the first major claim.
This guide details the practical limitations of these national solutions and presents you with a professional alternative adapted to the demands of modern e-commerce: whether you're in Wellington, Perth, Melbourne, Auckland or Sydney... You can also find our comparison of carriers' parcel insurance 2025 and the entire ad valorem encyclopedia, with an analysis of CMS offers and logistics solutions.
💡 What you'll discover :
- Detailed analysis of actual costs forAustralia Post and NZ Post
- Comparison with a professional ad valorem insurance solution
- A practical guide to optimizing your parcel protection
Australia Post "Extra Cover": Analysis of Hidden Costs
Australia Post has structured its parcel insurance around two levels: limited basic coverage and the "Extra Cover" paid option.
🔍 Offer deciphering
- Basic coverage: Protection of the first $100 AUD of value is offered by default
- Extra Cover : Beyond this threshold, a premium is applied
- MaximumLimit : $5,000 AUD
The Australia Post extra cover system and its price may seem simple, but the reality of the shipping insurance offered by the Australian economic giant is formidable.
💸 Real Cost: A Tax on Margin
At $2.50 AUD per $100 of value, the effective rate is 2.5%. That's 3 to 5 times more expensive than specialized insurance, and it directly attacks your profitability.
📉 Le Limit de Verre
Coverage is strictly limited to $5,000 AUD. This is a dead end for all sellers of luxury goods, electronics, art or B2B equipment.
🤔 The $100 "Included" Lure
The basic coverage of $100 AUD is marketing bait. For a professional, it's negligible protection that masks the high cost of real insurance above this threshold.
Concrete examples:
- Package at $1,000 AUD: Insurance cost = $22.50 AUD (2.25% less margin)
- 3,000 AUD parcel: Insurance cost = $72.50 AUD (2.4% less margin)
- 6,000 AUD parcel: Impossible to insureLimit exceeded)
⚠️ Points to watch :
- The $5,000 AUD Limit automatically excludes luxury goods, art and certain B2B equipment.
- The list of excluded goods is extensive
- Costs pile up quickly on large volumes
The conclusion is simple: an effective rate of 2.5% of the insured value for the Australia Post offer. Coverage is capped at $5,000 AUD, a limit that can be prohibitive for any company shipping high-value goods. And as usual, don't forget to check which goods are excluded from Australia Post's "extra cover" offer.
NZ Post : Apparent Simplicity, Real Limitations
NZ Post takes a different approach, with compensation included by default depending on the service chosen.
| Criteria |
| Delivery target |
Next working day |
Up to 3 days |
Next working day |
Up to 3 days |
| Price |
$7.20 - $15.50 |
$5.20 - $13.50 |
$7.80 - $192.50 |
$23.00 - $115.00 |
| Indemnity Limit |
2,000 NZD |
250 NZD |
2,000 NZD |
2,000 NZD |
🚧 The $2,000 NZD Wall
Major problem: No option to insure above $2,000 NZD
Sectors affected :
- High-end electronics: computers, premium smartphones, photo/video equipment
- Jewelry: Watches, jewelry, precious stones
- Luxury fashion: designer bags, premium clothing
- Professional equipment: Specialized tools, measuring instruments
Claims processing time: 1 to 2 weeks (faster than many players, but still a cash flow constraint).
⚠️ Don't forget: the list of excluded products may come as a surprise.
Full comparison: National solutions vs. Professional Ad Valorem Insurance
Faced with the limitations of postal insurers, a specialized ad valorem insurance solution meets the real needs of e-commerce professionals. In direct confrontation, the limitations of the national postal insurers of the two main countries in Oceania explode in the face of a specialized, global ad valorem solution like Claisy.
Insurance Comparison: Australia & New Zealand
| Criteria |
Australia Post |
NZ Post |
| 💸 Rates | 2.5% (very high) | Included (but limited) | 0.75% (transparent) |
|---|
| 📈 Limit Max | 5,000 AUD | 2,000 NZD | 160k AUD / $175k NZD |
|---|
| ⚡ Compensation | Not communicated | 1-2 weeks | 48-72h |
|---|
| 🎯 Luxe/Tech blanket | Numerous exclusions | Numerous exclusions | Covered |
|---|
| 🌍 International | Special conditions | Special conditions | Same worldwide rate |
|---|
| 🔧 Integration | Manual | Manual | API/CMS connectors |
|---|
Case studies: When national solutions cost you money
📱 Case n°1: High-Tech e-tailer
Profile: Selling electronics in Sydney, average shopping basket $1,800 AUD.
With Australia Post : AUD 42.50 per parcel (2.36% lost margin).
With pro solution: $13.50 AUD per parcel (0.75% margin).
Annual savings (1000 parcels)
29,000 AUD
💎 Case 2: Online jeweller
Profile: Jewelry sales in Auckland, 30% of parcels > $2,000 NZD.
With NZ Post : Impossible to secure 30% of sales.
With solution pro: 100% of production insured up to $175,000 NZD.
Risks avoided
Total loss on high-value products
Free yourself from the constraints of postal insurance
Your shipments deserve better than expensive, capped protection. Find out how Claisy can transform your approach to parcel insurance.
👋
Collaborative tool
Declare your parcels manually or import a simple CSV file. Ideal for moderate volumes.
🔌
Free connectors
Integrate Claisy in 1 click with your CMS (Shopify, PrestaShop, etc.) for 100% automated insurance.
⚙️
API & EDI
For customized needs and deep integration with your WMS or ERP. Our team is at your side.
FAQ : Parcel insurance in Oceania
🤔 Can I combine my Carrier insurance with external insurance?
No, this is generally excluded. You have to choose: either the Carrier 's insurance (capped and slow), or an external ad valorem insurance like Claisy, which offers much better conditions.
📱 Are Apple products covered by Australia Post and NZ Post ?
Partially. These products are in the "at risk" categories with restrictive conditions. Specialized insurance like Claisy covers these categories without any particular restrictions.
🌏 How does insurance work for my shipments to Europe or Asia?
Postal insurance companies apply different rules and costs to international business. A global solution like Claisy uses the same rates and conditions, whatever the destination.
⚡ What if I need to compensate a customer quickly?
With lead times of 1-2 weeksNZ Post) or 30-60 days (AusPost), you often have to advance the funds. Claisy's 48-72h indemn ity insurance protects your cash flow.
💰 How much does Australia Post insurance really cost?*
The effective rate is 2.5% (AUD 2.50 per AUD 100 of value). This is 3 to 5 times more expensive than a specialized solution like Claisy (~0.75%), which has a direct impact on your profitability.
💎 How to insure valuables such as jewelry or AgriTech?
National insurances have low Limits (5k AUD / 2k NZD) and exclusions. Only specialized insurance with a highLimit (e.g. AUD 160k) and broad coverage can effectively protect these sectors.
✅ How does Claisy manage currencies (AUD, NZD, EUR)?
Our platform is multi-currency. You can declare the value and be compensated in the currency of your choice (AUD, NZD, EUR, USD, etc.), which simplifies accounting for your international flows.
🔄 How can I change my insurance without disrupting my operations?
Modern solutions like Claisy offer connectors with the main CMS (Shopify, WooCommerce), enabling integration in less than 5 minutes, with no impact on your site.
Optimize your parcel insurance in 4 steps
- Calculate the real cost of your insurance over 12 months.
- Identify your non-insurable packages (> Limits).
- Evaluate the time spent on claims management.
- Volume < 100 parcels/month: Manual solution.
- Volume > 100 parcels/month: Auto integration.
- High-value products: Check Limits and exclusions.
- Ask for a comparative quote on your product mix.
- Test integration on a sample of orders.
- Evaluate how easy it is to file a claim.
- Start with your high-value products.
- Gradually expand according to your feedback.
- Train your teams in the new processes.
The Claisy Alternative: Designed for Professionals
Faced with the limitations of traditional solutions, Claisy offers a new approach to parcel insurance, designed to meet the real needs of modern e-commerce.
🎯 Why Claisy Transforms Your Risk Management
- 0.75% of value (3x cheaper than AusPost)
- No Carrier constraints
- No mandatory premium service
- Same rate for all your markets
- Up to 160k AUD / 175k NZD per package
- All products covered (luxury, art, tech)
- Identical worldwide protection
- Scalable as you grow
- Compensation in 48-72 hours (vs. 10+ days)
- Real-time tracking dashboard
- 100% digital process
📍 Oceania coverage with Claisy
Although based in Europe, Claisy insures your shipments to and from Australia and New Zealand with the same advantageous conditions as in Europe. Our network of international insurers enables us to offer uniform protection, whatever your location.
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