Australia Post tracking status
Australia Post “Pending”: what it means
The short answer
Keep an eye on itAustralia Post has not scanned the item into its system yet, and says the status should update within 24 to 48 hours. A number with no activity for over 3 months is archived and can also show 'Pending'.
When to act: If it still says 'Pending' after a week, file a complaint and we send it to the seller.
What to do now
- 1
Compare the tracking number with your order confirmation or receipt, character by character.
- 2
Check the date of your order: a parcel ordered in the last day or two can show 'Pending' until it is lodged.
- 3
If you posted it yourself, keep the receipt or tracking sticker, as it is your proof that you lodged it.
- 4
Add the number to the AusPost app and turn on notifications, so you see the first scan.
- 5
Take a screenshot with today's date, so you can show how long it has said 'Pending'.
- 6
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to the seller, so you do not have to chase it yourself.
What does “Pending” mean?
'Pending' means the item has not been scanned into Australia Post's system. It does not tell you where the parcel is, and it does not mean the parcel is lost or held. Australia Post says tracking should update within 24 to 48 hours.
There is one other meaning. A tracking number with no activity for more than 3 months is archived and may show 'Pending', so an old number can look as if nothing ever happened to it.
Why does Australia Post show it?
- The parcel has not been posted yet
- It was dropped in a street posting box, which takes longer to scan
- It was lodged over the counter in bulk and has not been scanned yet
- The tracking number is over 3 months old and has been archived
How long does it last?
Australia Post says the status should update within 24 to 48 hours, and the headline then changes to 'It's on its way'. It treats more than a week on 'Pending' as a sign the parcel may not have been packed and sent.
Other Australia Post statuses
- Label created by senderKeep an eye on it
- It's on its wayNormal
- Item processed at facilityNormal
- Onboard for deliveryNormal
- Possible delayKeep an eye on it
- Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
- Attempted deliveryTake action
- Awaiting collectionTake action
- Delivered but not receivedTake action
- Returning to senderTake action
- Cannot be deliveredTake action
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 “Pending”
What does pending mean on Australia Post tracking?
The item has not been scanned into Australia Post's system yet. It may not have been posted, it may be in a street posting box, or it may be part of a bulk lodgement that has not been scanned.
How long does AusPost tracking stay on pending?
Australia Post says tracking should update within 24 to 48 hours. More than a week on 'Pending' is the point at which it questions whether the parcel was really packed and sent.
Can a parcel arrive while AusPost still says pending?
Australia Post does not say so for 'Pending', which means the item has not been scanned yet. It does say some scans show late for technical reasons, so tracking can lag behind the parcel. Until a new line appears, tracking simply cannot confirm where it is.
Why does my old AusPost tracking number say pending?
Australia Post archives a tracking number after more than 3 months with no activity, and an archived number may show 'Pending'. It does not mean the parcel was never scanned.
Based on
- Australia Post help: What your status means ('Pending', 24 to 48 hours, 3 month archive)
- Australia Post help: Taking longer than expected (more than a week on 'Pending')
- Australia Post help: No recent update (delayed scans)
- Australia Post: Compensation (proof of lodgement)
- 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)