StarTrack tracking
StarTrack tracking statuses explained
StarTrack is the freight and parcel business of Australia Post. It delivers mainly for businesses, from warehouses to shops and direct to shoppers, and the two companies share delivery networks, so a blue StarTrack van can bring an Australia Post parcel and an Australia Post driver can bring a StarTrack one. A consignment is picked up, moves between depots, reaches the depot closest to you and is then loaded onto a local vehicle. Its tracking uses plain depot lines such as 'In Transit', 'At Delivery Depot' and 'On Board for Delivery', and updates reach you through the AusPost app.
Every StarTrack tracking status explained
| Status | What it means | Should you worry? |
|---|---|---|
| In Transit | Your parcel is moving between StarTrack depots, on its way to the depot closest to you. | Normal |
| On Board for Delivery | Your parcel is in a local delivery vehicle and should come today. | Normal |
| Possible delay | StarTrack's system shows a delay to this parcel is highly likely, but the line does not say why. | Keep an eye on it |
| Unsuccessful Delivery | The driver could not complete the delivery, so the parcel goes to a Post Office, a Business Hub or back to a StarTrack… | Take action |
| At Delivery Depot | Your parcel is at the StarTrack depot closest to you and should go out on a local vehicle next. | Keep an eye on it |
| Awaiting Collection | Your parcel is waiting at a Post Office, Business Hub, Parcel Locker or StarTrack depot, not on its way to you. | Take action |
| Delivered but not received | StarTrack shows the parcel as delivered, yet it is not in your hands. | Take action |
StarTrack delays
StarTrack's terms call the delivery time estimates from its systems best estimates only, and say delivery times can be affected by what is sent, its size and weight, and whether it is oversize or needs handling by hand. Premium aims for the next business day only between capital cities (excluding Darwin) and some major centres, so other addresses can take longer without anything going wrong. Australia Post's service updates cover StarTrack too, and have named industrial action by air freight ground staff as a reason some Premium deliveries may run a day late.
Is your parcel from StarTrack late or missing?
Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from StarTrack?
An order bought online from a business is in most cases for the seller to sort out. Section 36 of the Australian Consumer Law requires a business that took your payment to supply the goods within the time it stated, or within a reasonable time if it stated none. There is an exception where the failure came from someone else or a cause outside its control and it took reasonable precautions, and a seller may say a courier's failure fits it. Section 36 itself promises no refund, and the law does not spell out who carries the risk of a parcel lost on the way. Government guidance in Western Australia says the seller is responsible for resolving delivery problems with the courier, and that you are entitled to a refund if it still fails to deliver. StarTrack itself points receivers of a lost or damaged item to the sender first, because the sender can replace it and may have bought Transit Warranty. Sale of goods law in your state and the seller's own terms may also play a part, and this page does not cover them.
If you sent the parcel yourself, your contract is with StarTrack, under its Terms and Conditions. StarTrack sells mainly to account holders, and Next Flight is the only one-off service it sells by credit card. The terms exclude liability for lost or damaged goods unless you bought Transit Warranty, which is capped at $5,000 unless StarTrack agrees another amount, and for delay, non-delivery and mis-delivery. Rights under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded still apply. StarTrack says that in certain circumstances these can include a refund of what you paid for the delivery, and its terms limit them, where the law allows, to resupplying the service or paying what that costs.
Questions about StarTrack tracking
How long does StarTrack take to deliver?
It depends on the service. Premium aims for the next business day between capital cities (excluding Darwin) and some major centres. Road Express has a target of 95% delivered in full and on time, not a fixed number of days. StarTrack's Transit Time tool gives an estimate once a parcel is in transit, and its terms describe such estimates as best estimates only.
What does on board for delivery mean on StarTrack?
The parcel is in a local delivery vehicle, planned for delivery that day. It does not give a time, and StarTrack says it cannot guarantee a window except on services such as Next Flight and Premium.
What does 'Possible delay' mean on StarTrack?
The status list says a delay is highly likely. It gives no reason and no new date, and StarTrack's help pages do not explain the label further. A delay line does not by itself mean the parcel is lost.
What does unsuccessful delivery mean on StarTrack?
The parcel could not be delivered. StarTrack's account on X once told a customer the words mean only that, and that a late scan likely meant the driver ran out of time. 'To be Re-Delivered' means it goes out again on a following day.
What does 'At Delivery Depot' mean on StarTrack?
The parcel is at the StarTrack depot closest to you. It is usually waiting for a local delivery run. It does not by itself mean that a driver tried to deliver it.
Based on
- Australian Consumer Law (Competition and Consumer Act, Schedule 2), section 36: supply within the stated period or a reasonable time
- Government of Western Australia: Missing or damaged products (the seller resolves delivery problems, refund if the goods are not delivered)
- StarTrack help: Delivery for StarTrack receivers (lost or damaged items, the sender first)
- StarTrack help: Delivery for StarTrack senders (Next Flight, Australian Consumer Law, refund of the amount paid)
- StarTrack Terms and Conditions (clauses 6.2, 6.3 and 7.2: liability, Transit Warranty)