Australia Post is a key player in the Australian postal system, providing essential services for sending and receiving mail and packages. According to Australia Post’s financial year 2023 report, they delivered more than 2.5 billion items across the country. They had over 202 million visits from members of the Australian community to their Post Office network.
One technology that contributes significantly to this efficiency is the Australia Post barcode. Barcodes are patterns of lines and spaces that encode information, such as a package’s tracking number, allowing them to be scanned and read quickly.
In this guide, we’ll explain what an Australia Post barcode is and why it is used. We’ll also cover its components and types. Finally, we’ll look at how to create and print AusPost barcodes and where to place them on packages.
An Australia Post barcode is a unique, variable-length 1D barcode used by Australia Post to identify and track mail and packages. This barcode can contain 37, 52, or 67 bars, depending on the chosen format.
Australia Post barcodes use 4-State barcode technology, which has four types of bars (states), each identified by both a name and a value.
Each of the four bars consists of a “tracker” (middle section) to which an “ascender” (top section) and/or “descender” (bottom section) can be added. This creates four possible bar states:
Australia Post barcodes can encode a variety of data character sets, including:
Australia Post chose 4-State Barcode Technology for several compelling reasons such as.
Here are the key reasons why the Australia Post Barcode is important.
The following table outlines the bulk mail services and their barcode requirements.
Service | Barcode Required |
|---|---|
PreSort Letters/Charity Mail
| Required |
Acquisition Mail
| Required |
Reply Paid
| Required |
Clean Mail
| Optional |
Print Post
| Optional |
Impact Mail
| Not Required
|
Unaddressed mail
| Not Required
|
The Australia Post barcode comprises several key components that make up its structure. Each component plays a crucial role in ensuring the barcode’s functionality and reliability.
Australia Post barcode has 6 key components.
Let’s take a look at each one of them.
The start bars are the first two bars in the barcode. These bars assist the barcode reader in identifying the start of the barcode. Start bars ensure that the beginning of the barcode can never be mistaken, even if the barcode is upside down.
Start bars always contain the bar values of 1 and 3.
The Format Control Code (FCC) is a two-digit number that occupies four bars. It identifies the type of Australia Post barcode with three possible formats.
In addition to identifying the format, the FCC also dictates the total number of bars in the Australia Post barcode. The table below illustrates the different FCC values and their corresponding barcode lengths.
FCC Value | Description | Barcode Length |
|---|---|---|
00 | Null Customer Barcode
| 37, 52, or 67 bars
|
11 | Standard Customer Barcode
| 37 bars
|
59 | Customer Barcode 2
| 52 bars
|
62 | Customer Barcode 3
| 67 bars
|
The FCC dictates the barcode format and length, ensuring that postal systems recognise and process it correctly. Invalid FCCs cause mail articles to be rejected.
The Delivery Point Identifier (DPID) is an eight-digit number that identifies a physical point, such as a house’s letterbox, a PO Box, a Rural Mailbag, or another delivery point to which Australia Post delivers mail.
The DPID field comprises 16 bars in the barcode.
The Customer Information field is a section reserved for customers to store their specific information. It is only available in barcodes that are 52 or 67 bars in length.
Customer information can occupy 16 bars in the 52-length barcode or 31 bars in the 67-length barcode. The information in these bars can be encoded using Encoding Tables or other proprietary techniques.
If the customer information does not fully occupy the available 16 or 31 bars, filler bars are added to complete the field. These filler bars are always tracker bars with a value of 3. Filler bars ensure the barcode maintains the correct length and format, preserving its integrity and functionality.
The Reed Solomon Error Correction field serves as a backup or quality control mechanism for the barcode. These bars make the barcode resistant to errors or erasures caused by faulty printing, excessive reflectance on window panels, or smudging.
Australia Post barcode always has 12 bars dedicated to Reed Solomon Error Correction.
The stop bars are the last two bars in the barcode. They mark the end of the barcode and assist the barcode reader in identifying this endpoint.
Like the start bars, the stop bars always contain the bar values of 1 and 3.
Australia Post uses three primary barcode formats to cater to different postal services and requirements. These barcode formats are.
The Standard Customer Barcode is the most widely used barcode format. Its primary purpose is to identify the delivery point for each mail piece. Unlike Customer Barcodes 2 and 3, it does not include a Customer Information Field.
The Standard Customer Barcode has the following format.
Field | Bar Position | Number of Bars |
|---|---|---|
Start Bar
| 1-2
| 2 |
FCC | 3-6
| 4 |
Sorting Code (Delivery Point ID)
| 7-22
| 16 |
Filler Bar
| 23 | 1 |
Reed Solomon EC Bars | 24-35
| 12 |
Stop Bars
| 36-37
| 2 |
TOTAL | 37 Bars
|
The Customer Barcodes 2 and 3 are similar to the Standard Customer Barcode but with the addition of a free-format Customer Information Field. This field allows for the inclusion of custom data, enhancing the barcode’s functionality for specific needs.
Customer Barcode 2 includes a 16-bar Customer Information Field, making it suitable for mail items that require additional data. Here is the format:
Field | Bar Position | Number of Bars |
|---|---|---|
Start Bar
| 1-2
| 2 |
FCC | 3-6
| 4 |
Sorting Code (Delivery Point ID)
| 7-22
| 16 |
Customer Information
| 23-38
| 16 |
Reed Solomon EC Bars
| 39-50
| 12 |
Stop Bars
| 51-52
| 2 |
TOTAL
| 52 Bars
|
Customer Barcode 3 includes a 31-bar Customer Information Field, providing even more space for custom data. Here is the format:
Field | Bar Position | Number of Bars |
|---|---|---|
Start Bar
| 1-2
| 2 |
FCC
| 3-6
| 4 |
Sorting Code (Delivery Point ID)
| 7-22
| 16 |
Customer Information
| 23-53
| 31 |
Reed Solomon EC Bars
| 54-65
| 12 |
Stop Bars
| 66-67
| 2 |
TOTAL | 67 Bars
|
Designing an Australia Post barcode requires meeting specific standards to ensure it can be read accurately by Australia Post’s sorting equipment. Here are the key factors to consider.
Let’s dive into the technical aspects of each requirement set by Australia Post.
Each Australia post barcode must adhere to specific minimum and maximum length requirements to ensure efficient mail reading and processing. The prescribed lengths are as follows.
No. of Bars in Barcode | Minimum Length | Maximum Length |
|---|---|---|
37 bars
| 37.0 mm
| 42.2 mm
|
52 bars
| 52.2 mm
| 59.5 mm
|
67 bars
| 67.5 mm
| 76.8 mm
|
The dimensions and spacing of individual bars within a barcode are important for ensuring accurate scanning and sorting. Any significant deviations will make the barcode unreadable by fixed scanning equipment.
Although Reed Solomon Error Correction Bars can handle some errors, large gaps cannot be tolerated.
The table below provides the minimum and maximum allowable height for each bar type.
Bar Type | Value | Minimum Height (mm) | Maximum Height (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
T (Tracker on its own)
| 3 | 1.0
| 1.6
|
A (Tracker with Ascender)
| 1 | 2.6
| 3.7
|
D (Tracker with Descender)
| 2 | 2.6
| 3.7
|
H (Tracker with Ascender and Descender)
| 0 | 4.2
| 5.8
|
In addition to the height of each bar, the width and the gap between bars also have minimum and maximum size requirements.
Minimum Width (mm) | Maximum Width (mm) | |
|---|---|---|
Bar Gap (distance between each bar)
| 0.4
| 0.7
|
Bar Width (width of the individual bars)
| 0.4
| 0.6
|
Barcodes can sometimes become skewed during printing, meaning they rotate around their longitudinal axis. This skewing occurs if the mail article is not aligned correctly when moving through the printer or shifts during printing. A certain amount of skew, or “tolerance,” is allowed, as the sorting equipment can still read slightly skewed barcodes without causing processing issues.
Australia Post specifies two types of skew: Code Skew and Bar Skew.
If a barcode is skewed in both ways (code and bar), the combined skew must be less than 5 degrees.
Bar density refers to the amount of data that can be encoded per inch in a given physical space of a barcode.
Australia Post barcodes require bar density between 22 to 25 bars per 25.4 mm(1 inch).
Reflectance refers to the degree to which light reflects from a surface. This reflectance is crucial for accurate scanning and decoding of barcodes.
Factors such as the colour of the envelope, patterns on the envelope, and the colour of ink used to print the barcode can all affect the machine’s ability to read the barcode accurately. Therefore, Australia Post provides specific reflectance specifications that must be met.
Barcode reader devices are sensitive to the reflectance of the following:
Barcode reader devices operate within the spectral range of 400 to 650 nanometers. Within this range, the following measurements must be met.
Quiet Zones are the minimum margin of empty spaces around a barcode. This area must be clear to ensure the barcode scanner can detect and process the barcode correctly. Any “noise,” such as other printing, patterns, or textures, can interfere with the barcode’s readability, rendering it undetectable.
Australia Post barcodes require a Quiet Zone on all four sides: above, below, to the right, and to the left. The minimum requirements are as follows.
Text representation of the barcode refers to adding a human-readable text version of the data encoded in the barcode. This is useful for manual interpretation and data entry if the barcode scanner fails to read the barcode.
Australia Post has made text representation of the barcode optional. However, if included, the text should appear above the barcode in a font size of 8 points or smaller. This text must be placed outside the barcode’s minimum Quiet Zone to avoid interference with the barcode’s readability.
Barcode bars can be printed using any appropriate font. However, this font must allow the printer to interpret specific commands and hexadecimal values representing the bars. Below are the hexadecimal values for both ASCII and EBCDIC that correspond to each bar value:
Bar Value (Decimal) | ASCII (Hex) | EBCDIC (Hex) |
|---|---|---|
3 | 33 | F3
|
2 | 32 | F2 |
1 | 31 | F1 |
0 | 30 | F0 |
A blank character (space) can also be used in a barcode. This character can also be used to position the barcode in the print line. The ASCII and EBCDIC values for a blank character are as follows:
Bar Value (Decimal) | ASCII (Hex) | EBCDIC (Hex) |
|---|---|---|
3 | 33 | F3 |
Printing an Australia Post Barcode involves several crucial steps to ensure the barcode is readable and meets Australia Post’s requirements. Here’s a detailed guide to help you through the process.
Before printing, ensure you have all the necessary information and have used barcode generation software like BarTender, which supports Australia Post barcode formats. Create the barcode and verify it according to the design requirements explained above.
Australia Post requires that the material on which the barcode is printed (the ‘substrate’) must be opaque. This prevents unwanted information from showing through and obscuring the barcode.
The requirement is met if the MRD (Minimum Reflectance Difference) is at least 50% when the material is backed with a black surface that reflects below 5%.
Australia Post barcodes can be printed using various print technologies, including thermal printing, laser printing, inkjet printing, and dot matrix printing. Thermal printers are generally best suited for printing barcodes because:
Please note that Australia Post specifies requirements only for dot matrix printing; other print technologies do not have these specific guidelines.
When printing Australia Post barcodes, keep the following guidelines in mind:
Proper placement of the Australia Post barcode ensures that sorting equipment can automatically detect, scan, and process the item. Here are the guidelines for optimal barcode placement:
Australia Post barcodes should be placed above the address within the designated area. Ensure the barcode does not fall within the Cancelling and Metering Zone or any non-shaded areas.
The barcode must be printed horizontally, parallel to the bottom long edge of the letter.
Barcodes must be printed within the following margins:
The Australia Post smart barcode is a 2D data matrix recognised globally for its barcoding standard. It stores all the information currently contained in linear Australia Post barcodes and can also include the Delivery Point Identifier (DPID).
Australia Post created the smart barcode to support growing demand and streamline the processes of generating labels and updating barcodes for parcel identification and tracking. This solution is designed to meet current needs while allowing for future scalability and enhancements.
The key benefits of Australia Post’s smart barcode include the following:
In conclusion, the Australia Post barcode system is essential for efficient mail processing and tracking. Australia Post uses advanced 4-State and smart Data Matrix barcode technologies to accurately and reliably deliver mail. These barcodes have enhanced data storage, error correction, and scanning capabilities, making them resilient and adaptable to various printing methods.
Proper design, generation, and placement of these barcodes are crucial for optimal performance. Adhering to these guidelines supports Australia Post’s mission to provide timely and accurate postal services, benefiting both businesses and individuals in Australia.
We hope this article was helpful.
Thanks for reading.
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Brisbane
Phone 1300 558 438
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Melbourne
Brisbane
Phone 1300 558 438
Live Chat – Widget below
