Looks like Australia Post has increased their ridiculous prices again for shipping large letters overseas:
$2.35 for <50g
$6.20 for 50-249g
$13.40 for 250-499g
Anything above 500g is considered a parcel and you will need to pay even more.
I think the key with keeping cost down comes down to the following 2 points:
1) Keep the package as flat as possible, that is, no more than 2cm. Otherwise, it will be considered a parcel. A few ways to do this:
- divide cards into multiple piles
- use a bigger envelope, there is no extra charge
2) Keep the weight down. A few ways to do this:
- do not over-use toploaders, no need to use toploader on every card (unless very precious), just put toploaders on the top/bottom ends of the pile while keeping the in-between cards secure
- use the correct size toploader for the card. Toploaders come in different thickness and they weigh different.
- do not use fillers as padding. If you have the correct toploader, you don't need any extra protection.
- use the correct size padded envelope, like toploaders, they come in all sizes and weights.
And here are a couple of general rules to make sure you will keep the postage down:
1) Weigh your package first before you seal the envelope. Ideally, you own a scale or you can always borrow the ones at the fruit/veges section in your supermarket or the post office.
2) Never post anything at the post office over the counter. You can avoid the ring test where your package will be fed through a hole to see if it is a large letter or parcel. You can also avoid being asked too many questions about what is inside your parcel.
3) Buy stamps and decide how many to use yourself. If you have followed all the above steps, you should have a pretty good idea how many stamps you need to put on your package anyway. So there is no need to bother anyone.
4) If your package is a few grams over the limit or 1-2mm too thick for a large letter, don't worry about it. Why? because no one really cares, throughout the journey of your package, it can get wet and increase in weight. With the recent price increase, I would definitely try to keep things under 50g.
5) If you are posting something that is around 80g, you may want to send 2 separate packages instead to save $1.50.
6) Re-use toploaders and padded envelopes. If you buy cards, you should have a lot of them already. Most padded envelopes arrive in pretty decent condition and if you peel them at the mouth (rather than ripped it apart or cutting it), you have just scored a perfectly fine padded envelope for re-use. Not only is this environmentally friendly, you have also just saved yourself $1.
Anyway, I hope these points helped. If you have more questions, feel free to PM me.
