Australian Postcode and Addressing Rules for Direct Mail
Getting Australian addresses right is the difference between a postcard that lands in a letterbox and one that's returned or undelivered. This guide covers Australia Post's addressing standards, what to watch for in Shopify customer data, and the address types that cannot receive addressed marketing mail.
Standard Australian address format
Australia Post requires a specific address format for addressed mail. The correct order is:
SUBURB STATE POSTCODE
Example:
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Key formatting rules:
- The recipient's name goes on the line above the street address
- The last line (suburb, state and postcode) is written in capital letters
- State abbreviation (NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, ACT, NT) not the full state name
- Postcode follows the state abbreviation on the same line
- Unit number precedes the street number: "UNIT 3 / 42 PITT STREET" or "3/42 PITT STREET"
- No commas or full stops, and no indented or staggered lines
Source: Australia Post addressing guidelines, checked 26 September 2026.
State abbreviations reference
| State / Territory | Abbreviation | Postcode range |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | NSW | 1000–2999, excluding the ACT ranges |
| Victoria | VIC | 3000–3999 |
| Queensland | QLD | 4000–4999 |
| South Australia | SA | 5000–5999 |
| Western Australia | WA | 6000–6999 |
| Tasmania | TAS | 7000–7999 |
| Australian Capital Territory | ACT | 0200–0299, 2600–2618, 2900–2914 |
| Northern Territory | NT | 0800–0999 |
Some postcodes cross the NSW and ACT border. In Australia Post's postcode search, 2618 covers Hall in the ACT and Wallaroo in NSW, and 2620 covers Tharwa in the ACT and Queanbeyan in NSW. For those, the suburb decides the state, so check the suburb, state and postcode together rather than the postcode alone.
Address types that cannot receive addressed marketing mail
Not all Australian address types accept addressed marketing mail. The most common exclusions for Shopify brands are:
Parcel lockers
Australia Post's parcel locker service provides customers with a secure locker address for receiving parcels. From September 2026 Australia Post is moving these to a shorter format: "Parcel Locker" and a 2-digit ID (for example "Parcel Locker 10"), then suburb, state and postcode. Older locker addresses carry a 10-digit customer number and a street address. Australia Post does not accept letters for Parcel Lockers. TouchDrop automatically filters these from postcard sends.
Parcel collect
A variation of the parcel locker service where customers collect parcels from a Post Office counter. The new format follows the locker one: "Parcel Collect" and a 2-digit ID, then suburb, state and postcode. Not suitable for addressed flat mail.
PO Boxes
PO Box addresses (e.g. "PO Box 123, SYDNEY NSW 2000") do receive mail, but are often business addresses rather than residential delivery points. These can be included in postcard sends but conversion rates tend to be lower than residential delivery.
Incomplete addresses
Addresses missing the street number, suburb, or postcode — common in Shopify stores where checkout address validation is lenient — will be filtered by TouchDrop's validation before the send.
Shopify address data quality
Shopify's checkout collects addresses in a relatively freeform way. Customers can enter suburb names with incorrect capitalisation, abbreviated state names, incorrect postcodes for their suburb, or parcel locker addresses as their shipping address. TouchDrop validates this data against Australia Post's addressing requirements before queuing postcards for print — invalid addresses are excluded rather than sent.
Common issues in Shopify address data for Australian stores:
- Suburb spelled incorrectly or using a local colloquial name
- Postcode not matching the suburb-state combination
- Parcel locker or parcel collect addresses used as shipping addresses
- ACT postcodes listed with NSW or vice versa (common border area confusion)
Related reading
Address validation handled automatically.
TouchDrop filters invalid addresses before every campaign send.
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