Australia Post international transfer. Fees, rates and transfer time

Australia Post, commonly referred to as AusPost, is Australia’s main postal service, delivering packages all around the country and abroad. With around 4,271 Post Office locations and 12.7 million delivery points around Australia, customers can conveniently pop in to send or pick up parcels or take advantage of a range of other services on offer.¹

One such service is international money transfers. Let’s uncover what is actually on offer and how to send a transfer.

💰 Wise provides you the mid-market exchange rate and low transparent transfer fees shown upfront.

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Wise money transfers

Sending international transfers with Australia Post

Unlike sending a package, international money transfers are done a little differently. While you may tap or hand your cash over to Australia post initially, your transfer will actually be facilitated through a partnership with Western Union (WU).²

Who is Western Union – WU?

WU is an international financial corporation that helps individuals and businesses move money abroad. WU has been transferring money around the world for 140 years and currently has over 550,000 agent locations. In Australia, utilising WU online service portal is operated under Western Union Financial Services (Australia) Pty Ltd.²

The benefits of sending money with AusPost

Some benefits that customers will access through the partnership between AusPost and WU are²:

• Being able to send money to 200 countries
• Accessing online money transfers 24/7
• In-person transfers at 2700 Australia Post branches
• A range of ways to pay for the transfer
• Cash pick up for recipient
• Transfer tracking

There are a few ways that a transfer can be paid for by you, and collected by a recipient. Here is a quick breakdown of the methods available.

Paying for your transfer	How a Recipient can receive funds
Debit card	Cash
Credit Card	Bank transfer
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Australia Post international transfer fees vs Wise

International transfers usually attract fees to use this type of service. Knowing what to expect can be hard if you’ve never actually made an overseas transfer before.

We’ll cover some of the common fees that you may encounter sending money with Australia Post, and compare this with Wise, an alternative provider of international transfers.

Main fees*	Australia Post/WU³	Wise
Sending an international transfer	Varies by payment method and pick up method	Fixed fee + a variable fee starting at 0.43%
Fees for different methods	Pay with Debit or Credit card to bank = $2.90 Pay with Debit or Credit card to cash pick up = $15.00 Cash drop off and pick up in location = $12.00	Example of a bank transfer payment to Wise fee = $5.13. See the Wise Pricing Calculator

*Fees indicative of 9th November 2023

Australia Post international transfer exchange rates

If you need to convert any money when making a transfer, your transfer will need to go through a currency conversion. Some providers can include an extra fee incorporated into the exchange rate they used. This is known as a margin and will decrease the amount a recipient can receive.

As Australia Post uses Western Union to make international transfers, the exchange rate used is subject to Western Unions terms.⁴

WU states that they make money off their exchange rates.² Let’s see what this means by comparing a transfer with AusPost and Wise when sending an AUD to GBP transfer.

Rates*	Australia Post/WU²	Wise⁵
Exchange rate	1 AUD = 0.5169 GBP	1 AUD = 0.52091 GBP
Type of rate used	Western Union	Mid-market rate

*Rates indicative for 9th November 2023

To see how both options really compare, we’ll do an example transfer to see the difference when sending $1,000 AUD to GBP.

Australia Post/WU²	Wise⁵
When paying with a debit card for the transfer, you’ll pay a fee of $2.90 on top ($1002.90) and access the exchange rate of 0.5196 GBP per $1 AUD. The recipient will receive 516.91 GBP (minus any potential intermediary bank fees for transfers to bank accounts)	When you pay with a debit card with Wise for this same transfer, you’ll pay a combined debit and Wise fee of 8.99 taken off your initial amount ($991.01) and access the exchange rate of 0.5218 GBP per $1 AUD. The recipient will receive 517.22 GBP

As you can see, you could be saving money by shopping around and using another provider such as Wise.

How do you make an international bank transfer with Australia Post

Before you go to make an international transfer, you’ll need to present either of these key identification documents⁶:

• Passport
• Drivers licence
• Proof of age card (except the South Australian version)

Once you gather these documents, there are three ways to make international transfers with AusPost. You can choose to²:

• Transfer the money at a Australia Post store
• Make the transfer online
• Do both - start online and finish in store

When you visit a store, an AusPost customer service representative will help facilitate the transfer for you, so instead, we’ll focus on the steps to make the transfer online.

To send an international transfer online, you will need to:

1. Visit the Australia Post International transfer dedicated page
2. Click “Get Started”
3. Choose the destination you want to send money to
4. Choose your preferred payment method and delivery
5. Enter your recipients details
6. Pay for your transfer

If it’s your first transfer with Australia Post and Western Union, you’ll need to register an account and complete a one-time verification check of your identification documents before you can make your transfer.²

What recipient details do you need in order to make an international money transfer?

Depending on where and how you want your recipient to receive the transfer will determine what details you will need to have handy. If you want your recipient to pick up cash, you’ll need⁷:

• Recipients full name
• Recipients address including town, city, postcode and country

If you want to make a direct bank transfer, you’ll need the above personal details and:

• Bank name
• Bank code/BIC code
• Bank location
• Account name
• Account number or IBAN

To send money to a mobile wallet, you’ll need:

• Valid country code
• Mobile phone number

It’s important to note that once a transfer is completed, you’ll receive something called a Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN). This number allows you to track your transfer with WU, and is used to collect funds if you end up being the recipient of a WU or Australia Post international transfer.⁶

How long does an international bank transfer with Aus Post take?

The speed of your fund transfer depends on a range of factors including²:

• Amount sent
• Destination country
• Currency
• Time Zone differences
• WU agent location opening times
• Delivery method

Despite these factors, there are some averages listed for transfer times. Here is how long it can take for cash pick up, direct bank transfer and mobile wallet deposit.

Cash Pickup²

For cash pickup, the recipient can have access within minutes. However, this can be affected by system delays and agent locations around the world.

Direct Bank Transfer²

When transferring directly to a bank account, it can take between 1 hour to 2 business days for the recipient to receive the funds.

Mobile Wallet²

If you make the transfer using a mobile wallet, the transfer is usually completed within 1 hour to 2 business days.

Australia Post international transfer limits

There is a transfer limit of $9,000 when sending money abroad with Australia post.⁶

Contacting Australia Post

There are a few ways to contact Australia Post. These are by:

• Calling from within Australia on 13 POST or 13 7678
• Calling from overseas on +61 3 8847 9980
• Through the online chat
• Sending an enquiry online

For money transfers specifically, you may need to contact Western Union with your MTCN.

Send money the Wise way

Send money with Wise and you get the mid-market exchange rate, which means no surprise mark-up on your currency conversions. Fees are clear, shown upfront and secure.

Wise is a specialist in sending large amounts overseas, securely. The added bonus is that with a sliding fee scale, the more you send, the more you save. The exchange rate is always based on the mid-market rate.

In Australia, Wise is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and holds an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL number 513764).

It’s super easy to arrange a payment with Wise. Once your account is approved, you can set one up in minutes, without the need to visit a physical branch in person.

Join over 16 million customers currently enjoying Wise. It’ll only take a few minutes to register and see what’s inside.

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Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.

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Sources:

1. AusPost about us
2. AusPost int transfers
3. AusPosttransfer and exchange
4. WU exchange
5. Wise conversion
6. AusPost FAQs
7. AusPost WU brochure

Sources checked on: 09 November 2023