Skip to content
File a complaint
File a complaint

Australia Post tracking status

Australia Post “Possible delay”: what it means

The short answer

Keep an eye on it

Australia Post knows this parcel is running late, but expects it to arrive. It says most late parcels arrive within 5 business days of the expected date, and it looks further after 10 business days.

When to act: If the parcel has not arrived 10 business days after its expected delivery date, or 15 business days for a parcel coming from overseas, file a complaint and we send it to Australia Post.

Bizzy online

Tell me what happened. I write your complaint with you and we send it to Australia Post.

Also shown as: “Delayed” · “Delayed - waiting to be processed for delivery” · “Delayed - waiting to be sorted at facility” · “Your parcel has been delayed” · “There's been a delay and your parcel won't arrive by the expected delivery date” · “Exception” · “Held by courier”

What to do now

  1. Note the expected delivery date and count 5 and 10 business days from it.

  2. Check whether the date has changed, and keep a screenshot of both the old and the new date.

  3. Look in 'Tracking history' for the last facility and the time of the last scan.

  4. If it comes from overseas, watch your mail and messages for a notice about customs or duties, as Australia Post says it tells you directly about an extended hold.

  5. Keep your tracking number and order number together, with the screenshots.

  6. Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to Australia Post, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

    Start my complaint

Running late with another courier

What does “Possible delay” mean?

'Possible delay' means a service interruption, such as extreme weather or a public emergency, or a mistake by the sender when sending the item. Australia Post says that in either case the item will still arrive, possibly later than estimated. For an item from overseas, it can also mean customs has held it.

You may also see a 'Delayed' badge beside the expected date, an email headed 'Your parcel has been delayed', or the line 'Delayed - waiting to be processed for delivery'. 'Delayed - waiting to be sorted at facility' appears in one tracking history people share. Australia Post's notification guide uses the label 'Exception' for a delay, an inability to deliver or another problem. Australia Post says a delay does not mean the parcel will not arrive or has gone missing.

Why does Australia Post show it?

  • Extreme weather or a public emergency
  • A mistake by the sender when sending the item
  • Customs has held an item from overseas
  • Congestion in the network at busy times of year
  • A local event listed in Australia Post's service updates, such as industrial action

How long does it last?

Most late parcels arrive within 5 business days of the expected delivery date, and the tracking may show a new date. Australia Post looks further at a domestic parcel 10 business days after that date. For a parcel coming from overseas, its help page gives both 10 and 15 business days to wait. Customs clearance alone may take up to 15 days, and longer if duties are payable or it has to be held.

Other Australia Post statuses

All Australia Post statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from Australia Post?

If you bought online from a business, it is in most cases for the seller to put right. The Australian Consumer Law (section 36) says a business that took your payment must supply the goods within the time it stated, or a reasonable time if it stated none, unless the failure was due to someone else or a cause beyond its control and it took reasonable precautions and due diligence to avoid it. A seller may argue that a failure by Australia Post falls under that exception. Section 36 does not itself set out a refund, and the Australian Consumer Law does not say in so many words who carries the risk of a parcel lost in the post. Government guidance in Victoria and Western Australia says the seller is responsible for resolving delivery problems with Australia Post, and that you are entitled to a refund if the seller still does not deliver. State sale of goods law and the seller's terms can also matter and are not covered here. Australia Post generally pays the sender for a lost domestic parcel, but its terms leave the claim with the addressee, up to $100, on parcels a business lodges under Business Standard or Business Express Delivery.

If you posted the parcel yourself, you have a contract with Australia Post, and its General Terms and Conditions apply. Most parcel services include compensation of up to $100 plus a refund of the postage when a parcel is lost or damaged and Australia Post is at fault, and Extra Cover bought when posting can raise that. It pays nothing for delays, except a refund of the postage when Express Post misses its next business day guarantee. Its terms say any rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law apply in addition to them.

Questions about “Possible delay”

What does 'Possible delay' mean on Australia Post?

There is a service interruption, such as extreme weather or a public emergency, or the sender made a mistake when sending the item. For an item from overseas, customs may be holding it. Australia Post says the item will still arrive, possibly later than estimated.

How long do AusPost delays last?

Australia Post says most late parcels arrive within 5 business days of their expected delivery date. It looks further at a domestic parcel after 10 business days. For a parcel from overseas, its help page gives both 10 and 15 business days to wait.

Does 'Delayed' mean my AusPost parcel is lost?

Not by itself. Australia Post says a delay does not mean your parcel will not arrive or that it has gone missing. It has no fixed number of days after which a parcel counts as lost.

What does 'Held by courier' mean?

Australia Post's developer status list says only that the item has been held by the courier, with no reason. Treat it like a delay and go by the expected delivery date.

Do I have to wait 10 business days for medication or something urgent?

No. Australia Post does not ask you to wait for essential medication, or for urgent, high-value or sentimental items such as a passport for urgent travel. File a complaint on Complain.biz as soon as you think the item is late, and we send it to Australia Post.

Based on

  • Australia Post help: Delays and disruptions ('Possible delay')
  • Australia Post help: Taking longer than expected (5 and 10 business days, urgent items)
  • Australia Post help: International delays and disruptions (10 and 15 business days, both for parcels from overseas)
  • Australia Post help: Customs ('possible delay', up to 15 days, longer if duties are payable or the item is held)
  • Australia Post: Trusted tracking and notifications guide ('Exception', delay messages, 'A delay doesn't mean your parcel won't arrive')
  • Australia Post developer reference: Statuses ('Possible delay', 'Held by courier')
  • Australia Post: Tracking service (network congestion, time of year)
  • Australia Post: Domestic service updates (local disruptions)
  • OzBargain: a tracking history a customer shared ('Delayed - waiting to be sorted at facility')
  • Australian Consumer Law (Competition and Consumer Act, Schedule 2), section 36: supply within the stated period or a reasonable time
  • Government of Victoria: Products missing or damaged in transit (the seller resolves delivery problems, refund if the goods are not supplied)
  • Government of Western Australia: Missing or damaged products (the seller resolves delivery problems, refund if the goods are not delivered)
  • Australia Post General Terms and Conditions, clauses 3.1 to 3.8 (delays, lost items, included compensation, claims by addressees on business parcels)
  • Australia Post: Compensation (generally who is paid, amounts, Express Post refund)

Parcel still not here?
File a complaint about Australia Post.

Start my complaint