How to ensure you can deliver in time for Christmas.

Christmas decorations are in stores already and you know it won’t be long before the countdown is on in earnest.

For businesses that ship products to customers, that means it’s crunch time for getting those products in the mail and in customers’ hands – and often, under their trees – by the 25th.

Of course, postage for businesses may be a little more disrupted and a lot more chaotic than usual this year, so you’ll need to keep that in mind when planning for the silly season.

Whilst December Christmas deliveries are always expected to be substantially more than other months throughout the year, the Australia Post Annual report for 2022 reveals how they delivered around 2.7 billion (yes, billion!) parcels and letters in 2022. That’s a 76 million increase from 2021.

So if you’re looking at making an on-time delivery by Christmas, here’s everything you need to know about shipping in Australia and around the world.

Postage dates for parcel delivery for Christmas. 

Sending overseas? Australia Post has locked in dates for international destinations. Keep in mind, the earlier the better, just in case of disruption to the supply chain. If you’re looking for dates for specific countries, be sure to check Australia Post’s country-by-country breakdown of Christmas delivery dates here.

  • New Zealand: Economy air – 27 November 2023; Express – 13 December 2023
  • USA: Economy air – 29 November 2023; Express – 13 December 2023
  • Canada: Economy air – 27 November 2023; Express – 11 December 2023
  • UK: Economy air – 28 November 2023; Express – 12 December 2023
  • Major European destinations: Economy air – 24 November 2023; Express – 8 December 2023
  • China and most of Asia: Economy air – 23rd November 2023; Express – 8 December 2023.

Posting domestically? If your customers are based here in Australia, you have a little more time up your sleeve to get those parcels in the post:

  • Within Australia (except WA and NT): Parcel post – 18 December 2023; Express – 21 December 2023
  • Western Australia: Parcel post – 15 December 2023; Express – 20 December 2023
  • Northern Territory: Parcel post – 14 December 2023; Express – 20 December 2023.

All of these dates are relevant if you are posting from a metro area. If you are posting from a rural address, be sure to post your items a few days prior to the final cut-off to allow for extra time.

How to make your delivery extra special when mailing for Christmas.  

We might be a little short on time this year, but we’re also all in need of a little something extra special as well.

Here are a few ways to make your deliveries a little bit magical for those on the receiving end:

  • Include a hand-written note wishing them a merry Christmas
  • Add a small gift, such as cute koala key-chain for international customers
  • Offer free Christmas wrapping for time-poor customers
  • Include a discount voucher for their next purchase.

Securing more orders for Christmas.

We can’t help with the postage itself, but Yellow Pages can help you secure more orders this season with better online advertising and digital marketing. View our full suite of services to see how we can help your customers find you online, or drop us a line to receive a call back from one of our experts.

Need help with your Christmas marketing? Talk to the experts at Yellow Pages.

Product enquiry.

Your business.

Your contact details.

Validating phone number...
Please enter a valid phone number.
Validating email address...
Please enter a valid email.

Best time to contact you.


This is a required field.

By entering my contact information, I consent to receiving telephone calls, text messages, and/or electronic promotional and marketing messages from or on behalf of Thryv about its products and services. I understand consent is not required to purchase goods or services and I may withdraw my consent at any time by contacting Thryv at marketing@thryv.com, or at Thryv, Locked Bag 2910, Melbourne, Vic, 3001. I further understand that I can opt out of receiving email marketing directly on Thryv's unsubscribe page and can opt out of receiving text messages by replying "STOP." For more information on how Thryv handles your personal information, please see our privacy policy.