From 1 March 2025, StarTrack now requires item dimensions, packaging type, and weight for every consignment lodged via its API. The change brings the API channel into line with requirements that already apply to shipments created through StarTrack’s Parcel Send portal, closing a long-standing gap between the two booking methods.
What’s Changing
Previously, shippers using the StarTrack API could lodge consignments without providing complete parcel dimension data. That is no longer the case. Every API-submitted shipment must now include:
- Length, width, and height for each item in the consignment
- Packaging type (e.g. carton, satchel, pallet)
- Weight per item
Consignment requests that omit any of these fields will be rejected at the API level. The requirement applies to all StarTrack services accessed through the Australia Post Developer Centre, which uses OAuth 2.0 authentication and supports integrations with more than 100 e-commerce platforms.
Why It Matters
StarTrack, Australia Post’s dedicated business logistics division, has operated since 1974 (originally as Multigroup Distribution Services) and today runs more than 1,000 daily national flights to over 65 destinations from 55-plus depots across the country. Accurate dimension data at the point of booking feeds directly into load planning, vehicle utilisation, and sort-lane allocation across that network.
Without reliable dimensions, carriers must estimate cubic weight at the depot, which introduces delays and billing disputes. By enforcing the data at source, StarTrack can improve the efficiency of pick-up and delivery services while reducing the volume of manual corrections downstream. For shippers, providing accurate dimensions upfront should also mean fewer unexpected surcharges for items that exceed standard size thresholds.
The change also signals a broader trend among Australian carriers toward stricter data quality requirements on API channels. Businesses that integrate with multiple carriers should expect similar mandates to follow across the industry.
What Shippers Need to Do
Audit your integration. If your warehouse management system or e-commerce platform sends shipments to StarTrack via API, confirm that dimension fields are populated for every item. Any hardcoded defaults or placeholder values should be replaced with actual measurements.
Update product master data. Ensure your inventory catalogue includes accurate length, width, height, and weight for every SKU. Where products ship in variable packaging, establish rules for the most common configuration.
Test before go-live. Validate your updated payloads against the StarTrack staging environment to confirm that consignment requests are accepted without errors.
Review packaging type mappings. Confirm that your system maps internal packaging categories (carton, satchel, tube, pallet) to the values StarTrack’s API expects. Incorrect mappings will trigger rejections.
For detailed technical guidance, Koi and Brint have published implementation walkthroughs.
Also on the Horizon: Annual Price Review Shift
Separately, Australia Post and StarTrack have announced that from 1 July 2025, their annual price review will shift to align with the Australian financial year. Businesses that budget freight costs on a calendar-year basis should plan accordingly and factor the new timing into contract negotiations and rate card reviews.