Australia Post Satchels vs Buying Your Own Postage Bags

BagMasters Team · Last updated 22 September 2026 · 9 min read

Australia Post prepaid satchels are simple: one fixed price covers the bag and postage anywhere in Australia, up to 5 kg. Buying your own post satchels costs cents per bag instead of dollars, but you pay postage separately. If you send only a few parcels a month, prepaid is easy. Once you send regularly and have a business postage rate, your own bags are usually cheaper, and you can brand them.

We have supplied postage bags to Australian businesses from Melbourne since 1983, and this is one of the first questions new online sellers ask. This guide compares the two options on cost, convenience, branding, sizes and stock control, using Australia Post’s current published prices.

What is the difference between prepaid and plain post satchels?

A prepaid satchel is sold by Australia Post with postage already included. You pack it, seal it, address it and drop it in a post box or at a Post Office. There is no weighing and no zone calculation: if it fits, seals and weighs 5 kg or less, it goes anywhere in Australia for that price.

A plain post satchel (also called a postage bag, mailing satchel or courier satchel) is just the bag. You buy it from a packaging supplier, usually by the carton, and pay postage separately: at the counter, online, or through a business account such as MyPost Business, or with another courier.

Australia Post prepaid satchel prices (2026)

These are Australia Post’s published Parcel Post prepaid satchel prices, effective 1 July 2026.

Express Post prepaid satchels cost more, from $13.55 (extra small) to $33.45 (extra large) each. Buying 10 or more packs brings the pack price down a little further.

Prices change every year. Figures are from Australia Post’s 1 July 2026 pricing update and online shop, checked 22 September 2026. Always confirm current prices on auspost.com.au.

How to compare the real cost per parcel

The fair comparison is not the bag price against the satchel price. It is the total cost to get one parcel to your customer.

To work out which suits you:

1. Find your typical parcel.
   Note the size and weight of what you send most often, and where most of it goes.
2. Check the prepaid price for the satchel that fits it, using the table above.
3. Check your own postage rate for the same size, weight and destination. Log in to MyPost Business or ask your carrier for their rate card.
4. Add the bag cost.
   Divide your carton price by the number of bags in the carton.
5. Compare, then multiply by your monthly volume.
   A small saving on each parcel adds up quickly at 200 or 2,000 parcels a month.

When prepaid satchels make sense

• You send occasionally, say a handful of parcels a month, and don’t want an account.
• You want a fixed, simple price with no weighing or zone calculations.
• You send mostly long distances (interstate or remote), where a flat rate can work in your favour.
• You need Express Post on a one-off basis.

When buying your own postage bags makes sense

• You send regularly. Once you are posting every week, a business rate plus bulk bags usually lowers the cost per parcel.
• You want your brand on every parcel. Plain satchels can be custom printed with your logo; prepaid satchels can’t.
• You use more than one carrier. Your own bags work with Australia Post, couriers and parcel lockers alike.
• You need privacy or security. You choose the film: 100% opaque black satchels and tamper-evident seals keep contents private.
• You need sizes or protection prepaid satchels don’t offer, such as padded mailers in several sizes, or bags larger than 510 × 440 mm.
• You don’t want cash tied up in postage sitting on a shelf.

Branding, stock control and the customer experience

Branding

A custom printed satchel puts your logo on the doorstep and in the hands of everyone who handles it along the way. For a growing online brand, that is advertising you pay for once. Custom BagMasters satchels are made to your size and artwork, with runs starting from 1,000 units. See our customise page.

Stock control

Prepaid satchels mean holding stock that already has postage paid on it, often dollars per bag. Plain satchels cost cents each, so keeping a few months’ supply on hand is cheap insurance against running out in peak season. Stock BagMasters lines usually dispatch from Melbourne within 2 business days.

Size and protection

Prepaid satchels come in a fixed set of sizes. With your own bags you can match the bag to the product: a small satchel for a T-shirt, a padded mailer for a book, or an extra-large bag for bedding. A bag that fits well looks more professional and is less likely to snag or tear.

Our top three postage bags for small businesses

These are the plain postage bags we recommend most often to businesses moving off prepaid satchels. All are sold by the carton, with volume pricing on the product page.

Not sure which bag suits your products? Read our complete guide to choosing postage bags, or browse the full range of postage bags and mailing satchels.

Common mistakes when switching from prepaid satchels

• Comparing the bag price with the satchel price. Always compare the total cost per parcel, bag plus postage.
• Buying one size for everything. An oversized bag can push a parcel into a higher postage band, and a tight one can split. Stock two or three sizes that match your best sellers.
• Choosing thin, see-through film to save a few cents. Cheap film tears, shows the contents and makes a poor first impression.
• Forgetting to weigh parcels. With your own bags, postage is usually charged by weight and size, so a set of scales on the packing bench pays for itself.
• Leaving it too late before peak season. Order stock bags ahead of November and December, and allow 3–4 weeks for Australian-made custom printed satchels.

Before you switch: a quick checklist

• Set up a business postage account (such as MyPost Business) or get a courier rate card, so you have a rate to compare against.
• Match bag sizes to your top products, and order a carton or two of the sizes you use most.
• Test samples first. BagMasters consumable samples are free.
• Check carrier limits: Australia Post’s domestic size and weight guidelines are currently 22 kg and 105 cm maximum length.
• Use up prepaid stock you already hold on heavier or longer-distance orders.

How BagMasters can help

We supply plain postage bags by the carton from our Melbourne warehouse, with stock orders usually dispatched within 2 business days, and we manufacture custom printed satchels to your size and artwork. If you are moving off prepaid satchels, start with the Jet Black satchels for soft goods and the white side-opening padded mailer for anything that needs cushioning.

Post satchels: frequently asked questions