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 structures its parcel insurance around two levels: limited basic coverage and the "Extra Cover" option, which is subject to a charge.
🔍 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 |
160,000 AUD / $175,000 NZD |
| ⚡Compensation |
Not communicated |
1-2 weeks |
48-72h |
| 🎯Luxe/Tech cover |
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
Profile: Selling electronic equipment in Sydney, average shopping basket $1,800 AUD.
With Australia Post : $42.50 AUD per parcel (2.36% lost margin).
With pro solution: $13.50 AUD per parcel (0.75% margin).
Annual savings (1000 parcels)
29,000 AUD
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
Frequently Asked Questions about Parcel Insurance in Oceania
🤔 Can I combine my Carrier insurance with external insurance?
No, this is generally excluded by the general conditions. You must choose between the Carrier's insurance and external ad valorem insurance. The latter generally offers better conditions.
📱 Are Apple smartphones and products covered by Australia Post and NZ Post ?
Partially. These products are often included in "at risk" categories with restrictive conditions. Specialized insurance covers these categories without any particular restrictions.
🌏 How does insurance work for my shipments to Europe or Asia?
National postal insurances apply different (and often more costly) rules for international business. A global solution uses the same rates and conditions, whatever the destination.
⚡ What happens if I need to compensate a customer quickly?
With national insurers' minimum lead times of 1-2 weeks, you often have to advance the funds. Insurance with 48-72 hour claims settlement protects your cash flow.
🔄 How can I change my parcel insurance without disrupting my operations?
Modern solutions offer connectors with the main CMS (Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop), enabling integration in less than 5 minutes, with no impact on your site.
Practical Guide: Optimize Your Parcel Insurance in 4 Steps
- Calculate the real cost of your insurance over 12 months
- Identify your uninsurable parcels (> Limits)
- Evaluate the time spent on claims management
- Volume < 100 colis → Solution manuelle suffisante
- Volume > 100 packages: auto. integration recommended
- High-value products: Check Limits and exclusions
- Request a comparative quote for 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 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 and Litigation Transorts
- 0.75% of insured value (3x cheaper thanAustralia Post)
- No Carrier constraints
- No mandatory premium service
- Same rate for all your markets (Australia, NZ, international)
- Up to $160,000 AUD / $175,000 NZD per parcel
- All products covered (luxury, art, tech)
- Identical worldwide protection
- Scalable as you grow
- Compensation within 48-72 hours (vs. 10+ in the best case)
- Real-time tracking dashboard
- 100% digital process
- Comprehensive REST API for custom integrations
- Webhooks for advanced automation
- Compatible with all UK carriers
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Free connectors :
📍 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.
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.
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Collaborative tool
Declare your parcels manually or import a simple CSV file. Ideal for moderate volumes.
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Free connectors
Integrate Claisy in 1 click with your CMS (Shopify, PrestaShop, WooCommerce...) for 100% automated insurance.
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API & EDI
For customized needs and deep integration with your WMS or ERP. Our team is at your side.
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