Barcoding

Barcoding your mail allows us to efficiently process it resulting in cheaper postage rates for you. If you are using our PreSort, Charity Mail or Acquisition Mail delivery services, barcoding is a requirement.

How do I barcode my mail?

Barcoding is a 3-step process:

Step 1 - Choose whether to barcode your mail in-house or through a mail house

Barcoding in-house - If you decide to barcode your letters in-house you'll need to purchase Address Matching Approval System (AMAS) certified software which is used to generate a unique 8-digit number, known as the Delivery Point Identifier (DPID) for each address. The DPID can then be turned into a barcode.

Using a mail house - Mail houses specialise in preparing and sorting your mail. They can help manage a single part of your mail, such as barcoding, or your entire mailing from creation to lodgement. Find a mail house with Australia Post Bulk Mail Partner status.

Step 2 - Validate addresses and add the Delivery Point Identifiers

Validate the addresses in your database against Australia Post's Postal Address File (PAF) to determine the DPID for each address. The PAF is a database of Australian postal addresses within our delivery network and is usually provided with your AMAS certified software.

Step 3 - Create and print the barcode

Next the DPID is converted into a barcode using standard barcode generation software. AMAS software usually comes with a barcode font installed.

Where do I place the barcode on my mail piece?

The preferred position for the barcode is above the name and address, however some flexibility is given. For further information refer to our guide to barcode printing (pdf 620kb).

We also offer a Barcode Quality Program to help check your barcoding software and printers to ensure they accurately produce Australia Post-ready barcodes.

Need more help?

If you have a barcoding query or would like more information, please email us.

If you would like us to assess your mail piece to make sure it fits within service requirements, we also offer an article layout approval service.