If you’ve started scaling your online store, you’ll know: courier accounts aren’t always as “simple” as promised.
Between setting up minimum volumes with Australia Post, juggling rates for StarTrack vs Couriers Please, or navigating rural surcharges for WA or NT, shipping admin starts stacking up fast.
Some platforms argue you’re better off dealing directly. But for most Aussie e-commerce brands — especially those testing new markets or shipping from a 3PL — managing multiple courier accounts just adds friction.
Zappy changes that.
As a shipping aggregator, Zappy gives you instant access to pre-negotiated courier rates (including express and international options), lets you compare live quotes across carriers, and centralises all your fulfilment in one dashboard — no lock-ins, no sales calls, no dev time required. You can even bring your own rates later if you grow into it.
In this guide, we’ll show how Zappy’s model works, when an aggregator is the smarter move, and how to avoid being boxed in by platforms that only work one way.
CTA: Compare shipping options with Zappy or learn how Zappy works with Shopify, Amazon, and eBay
What is a shipping aggregator?
A shipping aggregator (or courier aggregator) lets e-commerce businesses access domestic and international couriers without needing to negotiate rates, maintain courier accounts, or switch between multiple portals to print labels or track parcels.
Zappy is a hybrid solution: part aggregator, part enabler.
That means:
- You get instant access to discounted rates without needing your own courier contracts
- You can plug in your own negotiated rates later if you scale
- You keep full control over branded tracking, notifications, and returns
- You get support from real people in your timezone who actually pick up the phone
A shipping aggregator is especially useful if you’re running your store from a 3PL or using a warehouse partner. You can manage all your courier bookings and tracking via Zappy — even if you’re not physically dispatching the parcels yourself.
And for Chinese-speaking business owners, Zappy offers multilingual support to make life easier when things get busy or confusing.
How courier aggregators work
Shipping aggregators like Zappy take the hassle out of multi-courier logistics. Instead of logging into separate portals for Australia Post, Couriers Please, StarTrack, Aramex, TNT, or FedEx, a courier aggregator brings all those services into one platform.
For example, Inside your Zappy dashboard, you can see real-time courier rates — sorted by speed, cost, and service level — and pick the option that best fits the parcel, customer, or location.
Whether you're shipping across Sydney or into regional WA, you’ve got the flexibility to choose what’s right every time.
When you book, Zappy generates the courier label, organises pickup if required, and sends your customer a branded tracking link — without you needing to manage anything manually.
You can even do all of this remotely if your stock is stored in a 3PL or warehouse.
Even if you're not shipping high volumes yet, Zappy helps you deliver a clean, consistent post-purchase experience — one that builds trust and saves you hours each week.
Benefits of using a shipping aggregator
Skip courier negotiations and account setup
Setting up courier accounts in Australia isn’t always straightforward.
Different couriers often require volume thresholds, and then you might have to wait for responses from different account managers, especially if you want to negotiate discounted business rates.
With a shipping aggregator Zappy, you skip the negotiations.
You get immediate access to top domestic and international couriers, including AusPost, TNT, FedEx, and Allied Express — all from one place, with no contracts required.
Perfect for new businesses, or anyone shipping from a 3PL.
Access live courier rates with no surprises
Shipping aggregators give you real-time courier quotes at the parcel level — factoring in weight, dimensions, delivery zone, and speed — so you don’t get stung by hidden surcharges after dispatch.
You’ll see accurate pricing for metro, rural, and interstate delivery before the order leaves your warehouse, making it easier to calculate shipping costs.
Reduce shipping admin with a single dashboard
Managing multiple couriers, sales channels, and tracking spreadsheets? That’s how errors happen and compound as you scale.
A shipping aggregator like Zappy provides a single dashboard that connects to your e-commerce platform e.g. Shopify, WooCommerce, or your eBay store.
You can batch-print labels, schedule pickups, issue return links, and manage tracking — no more tab-juggling or manual updates.
Improve customer experience with branded tracking
With a courier aggregator like Zappy, you have the option of going the extra mile for customers by sending branded order tracking updates from your store — including professional-looking emails and tracking pages.
You can customise templates inside Zappy (Settings > Email Templates) to match your brand tone and send updates at every key stage.
It reduces “Where’s my order?” messages and adds polish to your customer experience — especially important as your store scales.
Save money through pre-negotiated rates
Zappy’s aggregated volume unlocks courier discounts you’d usually need enterprise-level volume to access. That means more competitive rates, without the locked-in contract.
Need TNT for fast East Coast delivery and Australia Post for nationwide coverage? No problem. Zappy lets you mix and match — and switch when it suits you.
The trade-offs and how Zappy addresses them
Using a shipping aggregator sometimes comes with trade-offs — and it’s important to be upfront about them. Here’s what you should know, and how Zappy fits into that picture.
“Do aggregators just jack-up the rates and hide costs?”
This is a genuine concern with some platforms. You don’t want to provide a shipping rate to your customer, then discover unexpected fees or surcharges that eat your margins later.
With a shipping aggregator like Zappy, the price you see is the price you pay. There are no monthly software charges, no lock-in, and no platform access fees.
You’re only paying for the courier service you book — and you see that cost upfront before you confirm the job.
That kind of transparency is important whether you're sending 5 parcels a week or 500. It gives you the confidence to set accurate shipping rates at checkout without building in “just in case” buffers.
“You can’t negotiate directly with couriers, right?”
That’s true — to a point. Aggregators work by giving you access to pre-negotiated rates, so you don’t have to go through the account setup process yourself. That’s ideal when you're starting out, or shipping inconsistently.
But once you’re hitting consistent volumes (usually hundreds of parcels a week), it might make sense to negotiate your own rates with Australia Post or Star Track directly.
Zappy doesn’t get in the way of that. In fact, many of our customers grow into their own courier relationships — and still use Zappy to compare carriers, manage returns, or run fulfilment across multiple sales channels.
It’s not an all-or-nothing decision. You can start with aggregator access and switch to your own contracts when it suits your business — or run both side by side.
“I heard that aggregators don’t offer flexibility?”
This might be true for simpler shipping aggregator platforms, but Zappy is designed for flexibility. You can:
- Use Zappy’s pre-negotiated rates if you don’t have your own accounts
- Bring your own courier contracts into the platform when you're ready
- Manage fulfilment across multiple sales channels and carriers — all from one dashboard
It’s this hybrid model that makes Zappy work well for businesses in that messy middle — where you’re scaling up, testing cross-border shipping, or working with a 3PL and need a tool that adapts with you.
Zappy isn’t trying to lock you in. It's trying to give you options — and the confidence to choose the ones that make sense for your business right now.
When is a shipping aggregator right for your business?
Not every business needs direct courier accounts or complex shipping setups from day one. In fact, for many Aussie e-commerce stores, starting with a shipping aggregator is the most flexible, cost-effective move.
Zappy’s model is especially useful when:
- You’re just starting out. You’ve got products to ship, but you don’t want to spend weeks setting up accounts with AusPost, StarTrack, or Couriers Please — or trying to meet minimum spend thresholds.
- You don’t ship enough volume to unlock discounts. Most couriers reserve competitive rates for high-volume accounts. Zappy gives you access to those rates upfront, without the catch.
- You want branded tracking and automation — without the enterprise price tag. Zappy gives you automated label printing, pickups, returns, and branded notifications — all in one platform.
- You sell across multiple platforms. Shopify, WooCommerce, eBay — maybe even a manual channel or B2B portal. Zappy brings them all into one place, so you’re not repeating work or missing orders.
- You want to test trans-Tasman or international markets. Want to ship to New Zealand without opening an international freight account? Zappy gives you access to global carriers like DHL, FedEx, and TNT — with no custom integrations needed.
As your business grows, your needs will change. You might reach the point where it makes sense to bring in your own courier rates — and Zappy can support that too. The goal isn’t to replace every tool forever. It’s to give you a faster, easier way to ship — right now.
Try Zappy, a free-to-use shipping aggregator that Kiwi entrepreneurs love
Whether you’re just getting started or scaling fast, Zappy helps you take control of shipping without the complexity.
Start using Zappy free today and see how much simpler fulfilment can be.
FAQs
What’s the difference between a courier aggregator and enabler?
An aggregator gives you access to couriers without needing accounts. An enabler connects your existing accounts. Zappy can support both.
Do I need to install courier plugins separately?
No. Zappy supports major e-commerce platforms natively and connects you to all supported couriers from one place.
Can I still negotiate my own courier rates later?
Yes. Many businesses use Zappy until they scale, then bring their own courier contracts into the system.
Does Zappy mark up courier prices?
No, Zappy shows you the courier price (including taxes and additional charges) you pay before booking. There’s no monthly fee or hidden markup.
Can I use Zappy if I already have a 3PL?
Yes. Zappy is designed to work alongside your existing 3PL setup. While we’re not a 3PL provider ourselves, you can use Zappy to manage courier bookings, generate shipping labels, and keep your customers updated, even if your stock is stored in someone else’s warehouse.
Here’s how it works:
- You or your 3PL team can use Zappy to book domestic and international couriers at discounted rates.
- You can create and send shipping labels for your 3PL to print and attach to outgoing parcels.
- We integrate with almost all major e-commerce platforms to pull in orders automatically, or you can upload orders manually in bulk.
- If your 3PL uses inventory software like Cin7, we can integrate with that too.
Many of our customers import stock and store it in a local warehouse or 3PL facility. Zappy gives them full control of the shipping side, without needing to rely on the 3PL to choose couriers, track parcels, or respond to customers.