PUBLISHED 7 APRIL 2021
Note: This feature is only available for Australia Post and StarTrack customers.
CSV templates
Explainer and example spreadsheets
The explainer guides are helpful if you’re setting up for the first time as they contain example data and descriptions for each row in the same format as your CSV template. Please note they are a guide only and cannot be imported into Parcel Send.
Australia Post
File structure
- The first row of the CSV file must contain the headers as shown on our template.
- Australia Post customers can delete the ‘Payer account’ column, which is only used by StarTrack customers.
- The rows under the header row are for your shipment data, with one shipment per row.
- Multiple parcels can be combined into a single shipment. See 'Combining shipments' below.
- Imported CSV files can have a maximum of 1,001 rows, including the column header row. If you’re importing over 1,000 rows of data, you’ll need to divide your import into multiple CSV files.
Note: If you’re setting up, use one of the explainer and example spreadsheets above, instead of the table below. The spreadsheets contain the same information as this table, but they also
- are formatted in the style of the CSV template,
- contain example data with explanations, and
- are specific to your account type.
| Column header | Description | Mandatory/Optional |
|---|---|---|
| Row type | Description Within Australia:
In the first row of every shipment, enter 'S' (for shipment). Enter the details of the shipment and the first parcel in this row.
If you have multiple identical parcels, enter the amount in the 'Quantity' column.
For additional parcel types in the same shipment, enter the letter 'P' (for Parcel) in subsequent rows. In parcel rows, only fill in the 'Parcel detail' columns.
The maximum number of parcels per shipment is 99 (total of parcel rows and 'Quantity').
International:
In the first row of every shipment, enter 'S' (for shipment). Enter the details of the shipment (including parcel dimensions) and the first item in this row. Include the weight, length, width and height of the parcel.
If you have multiple identical items, enter the amount in the 'Item quantity' column.
For additional item types in the same shipment, enter the letter 'I' (for Item) in subsequent rows. In item rows, only fill in the 'Item detail' columns.
International shipments can only have one parcel (entered in the S row), and up to 20 items (total of item rows and 'Item quantity'). |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory |
| Sender account | Description StarTrack customers with multiple linked sender accounts must specify which 8-digit sender account number to use.
Australia Post customers and StarTrack customers with a single sender account can delete this column. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for StarTrack customers with multiple linked sender accounts.
N/A for Australia Post or StarTrack customers with a single sender account.
Not applicable for international. |
| Payer account | Description StarTrack only.
Enter the 8-digit account number to be billed, if it is different to the sender account.
Australia Post customers can delete this column. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for StarTrack.
N/A for Australia Post. |
| Recipient contact name | Description Enter the name of the recipient.
Maximum 40 characters. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory |
| Recipient business name | Description Enter the recipient's business name.
Maximum 40 characters. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional |
| Recipient country/region | Description The two-character ISO code for the country or region the shipment will be sent to. E.g. 'GB' for the United Kingdom (Great Britain).
If this column is left blank, the default will be AU for Australia. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for international.
N/A for domestic. |
| Recipient address line 1 | Description Enter the first line of the address where the item will be sent.
Maximum 40 characters. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory |
| Recipient address line 2 | Description Enter the second line of the address where the item will be sent.
Maximum 40 characters. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional |
| Recipient address line 3 | Description Enter the third line of the address where the item will be sent.
Maximum 40 characters. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional |
| Recipient suburb | Description Enter the town, city or suburb where the item will be sent.
Maximum 30 characters. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory |
| Recipient state | Description Enter the state, province, or region code for where the item will be sent. E.g. 'VIC' or 'NY'. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for domestic.
Optional for international. |
| Recipient postcode | Description Enter the postcode or ZIP code for where the item will be sent.
|
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for domestic.
Optional for international, with the following exceptions. Mandatory for:
|
| Send tracking email to recipient | Description Enter YES or NO.
Enter YES to send tracking emails to the recipient.
The recipient's email address must be entered if YES is entered.
If left blank, the default is NO. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for domestic.
Optional for international, but either recipient email or phone must be supplied. |
| Recipient email address | Description Enter the recipient's email address.
Even if tracking emails aren't requested, entering the recipient's email address helps Australia Post match parcels to recipients in the MyPost app.
50 characters maximum. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional – unless "Send tracking email to recipient" is YES. |
| Recipient phone number | Description Enter the recipient's phone number. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for domestic.
Optional for international, but either recipient email or phone must be supplied. |
| Delivery/special instruction 1 | Description Enter instructions or information that you want to print on the parcel's label.
Maximum 25 characters (StarTrack) or 128 characters (Australia Post). |
Mandatory/Optional Optional |
| Special instruction 2 | Description More space for additional instructions or information that you want to print on the parcel's label.
Maximum 25 characters. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for StarTrack.
N/A for Australia Post. |
| Special instruction 3 | Description More space for additional instructions or information that you want to print on the parcel's label.
Maximum 25 characters. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for StarTrack.
N/A for Australia Post. |
| Sender reference 1 | Description Enter instructions or information that you want to print on the parcel's label. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional |
| Sender reference 2 | Description More space for instructions or information that you want to print on the parcel's label. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional |
| Product ID | Description The 3-4 character Product ID code that specifies the shipping method.
E.g. 3P85, EXP, 7C53
A list of product codes for your account is available in Parcel Send under Settings > CSV import.
|
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory |
| Authority to leave | Description Enter YES or NO.
Enter YES to allow authority to leave (ATL) for the item.
If the field is left blank, the default depends on the chosen shipping method. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional.
N/A for international. |
| Safe drop | Description Enter YES or NO.
Enter YES to allow safe drop for the item if it is requested by the recipient.
If the field is left blank, the default depends on the chosen shipping method. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for Australia Post.
N/A for international.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Quantity | Description Enter the number of identical parcels, between 1 and 99. If left blank, the default is 1.
You can specify a parcel quantity in shipment rows and parcel rows, but not in item rows - for international items use the 'Item Quantity' column instead. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional. N/A for international. |
| Packaging type | Description Enter the item's packaging type. This must be an item from the list of choices within Parcel Send. Options are Carton, Satchel, Pallet, Jiffy bag, Skid (up to 500g), Bag and Bundle. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for StarTrack.
N/A for Australia Post. |
| Weight | Description Within Australia:
The individual parcel’s weight in kilos, up to 3 decimal points.
For example, if you have 10 identical parcels which weigh 525g each, enter 0.525
International:
The total weight of the shipment in kilos, up to 3 decimal points.
Must be equal to or greater than the sum weight of all items, up to 20kg.
For example, if you have 10 items which weigh 525g each, enter '5.25 |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory |
| Length | Description Enter the length of the item in centimetres, up to 1 decimal place. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for StarTrack.
Optional for Australia Post customers using cubic weight pricing.
Optional for international. |
| Width | Description Enter the width of the item in centimetres, up to 1 decimal place. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for StarTrack.
Optional for Australia Post customers using cubic weight pricing.
Optional for international. |
| Height | Description Enter the height of the item in centimetres, up to 1 decimal place. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for StarTrack.
Optional for Australia Post customers using cubic weight pricing.
Optional for international. |
| Parcel contents | Description A description of the parcel contents.
For international parcels use the 'Item Description' column instead.
Maximum of 50 characters. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for domestic.
N/A for international - instead use Item Description. |
| Transit cover value | Description Enter the dollar amount of transit cover required, up to 2 decimal places. Don't include the $ symbol.
Note: transit cover may not be applicable for all products. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for Australia Post.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Comments | Description Use this field to include any additional comments on international labels. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Importer's reference number | Description Enter any relevant importer's reference number. This will be printed on the label. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Licence number | Description If you are supplying certificates with your customs forms, you can include the certificate numbers in this field. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Certificate number | Description Enter any relevant certificate number. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Invoice number | Description Enter any relevant invoice number. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Digital declaration | Description Enter a name to be printed on the label in place of a signature for the customs declaration. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Commercial value | Description Enter 'YES' if the item has a commercial value (i.e. the goods are for resale) or 'NO' if they don't.
This is generated by the merchant and will be shown on the customer's form and label. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Reason for export | Description Enter the reason for export.
If commercial value is YES, you must enter:
If commercial value is NO, you may enter:
|
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Other reason for export | Description If you entered 'Other' under 'Reason for export', enter your reason here. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for international if 'Other' is entered as 'Reason for export'.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Export declaration number | Description Enter the Export Declaration Number (EDN) generated by the merchant. This field is mandatory for item contents worth more than AUD $2000. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for international if the total item value is greater than AUD $2000.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Non-delivery preference | Description If the shipment or item can't be delivered, it can either be abandoned or returned to sender.
Enter ABANDONED or RETURN.
If left blank, the default is to return the item by the most economical route or by air. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Item - Quantity | Description Each item row can have a quantity of up to 9999.
Each shipment may have up to 20 different item types. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Item - Unit weight | Description The weight of one individual item, in kilos.
For example, if you have 10 items which weigh 500g each, enter '.5' |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for international.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Item - Individual unit value (AUD) | Description The value of each individual item in AUD. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for international item rows.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Item - Description | Description A description of the item type. |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for international item rows.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Item - Origin | Description The two character ISO code for the country or region the item originated in.
E.g. 'GB' for the United Kingdom (Great Britain). |
Mandatory/Optional Mandatory for international items wtih 'Yes' entered for 'Commercial value'. Optional for items with no commercial value.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
| Item - HS tarrif code | Description The HS tarrif code for the item. |
Mandatory/Optional Optional for international item rows.
N/A for domestic.
N/A for StarTrack. |
Combining shipments
When you have multiple shipments addressed to the same recipient you can combine them into a single shipment by creating one shipment row, and adding the parcels for all the shipments underneath. The shipments you’re combining must have the same recipient name and address, special instructions, references and shipping method.
For shipments or parcel rows with multiple identical parcels you don’t need to add each identical parcel on its own row – instead, enter a number between 1 and 99 in the Quantity column.
The maximum number of parcels per shipment is 99, and existing parcel limits for certain shipping methods still apply.
To combine shipments in a CSV import:
- Begin a shipment row by entering ‘S’ (for shipment) in the Row type column. Then enter the full shipment details and details of the first parcel.
- In the next row, enter a ‘P’ (for parcel) in the Row type column, then enter the details of the second parcel.
Don’t enter any details except for the parcel details, and leave all other columns blank. - Create parcel rows for all the remaining parcels in the shipment.
When you import your file, all the parcel rows will be combined into one shipment with the shipment row.
Useful information
- If you manage your CSV files with spreadsheet software, remember to save or export your file in .csv format – not the application’s default format (such as .xlsx).
- When you edit CSV files, some spreadsheet applications (such as Excel) remove leading zeros from numbers. This can cause phone numbers and other data to become invalid.
To avoid this, add an apostrophe before the number, eg: ‘0400123456. Parcel Send will ignore the apostrophe when you import your CSV file. - If you don’t want to import certain rows of data, add a hash symbol (#) as the very first character in the rows you want Parcel Send to skip.
- Shipments with dangerous goods can’t be imported with a CSV import template.
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