Pickup Packaging Guide
Packaging Guide
From choosing the right carton to cushioning, sealing and labelling — this page covers every packaging detail for parcel shipping. Pack to spec, and you keep the right to claim.
Why packaging decides whether your shipment succeeds
From your hands to the recipient’s door, a parcel is handled, sorted and stacked 8 to 15 times — often across multiple countries and warehouses. Pickup integrates with NZ Post, Aramex, FedEx, TNT, UPS, AusPost, Pos Laju, DHL and more. Their sorting standards differ, but the baseline requirement is the same: the outer packaging must survive a 1-metre drop, 30kg of stacking pressure and at least two load-unload cycles.
More importantly: every carrier’s claims policy excludes “inadequate packaging”. If the damage is traced back to poor boxing, cushioning or sealing, insurance and freight are both forfeit. This page exists so you pack it right the first time and keep the right to claim in your own hands.
Universal Rules
Seven hard rules — run through them before boxing
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1. Use a new or once-used double-wall corrugated carton
Heavily reused boxes lose 40%+ of their rigidity. Remove or fully cover any old labels and barcodes — otherwise sorting lines may misread them.
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2. Box should be 5–8cm larger than the contents
Every direction needs at least 5cm of cushioning space. A box that’s too big wastes freight (volumetric weight); too small and cushioning is insufficient — impact transfers directly to the item.
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3. Wrap each item separately
Separate multiple items with bubble wrap or air pouches — never let them touch directly. Under transit vibration, items become each other’s biggest damage source.
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4. Heavy on the bottom, light on top
A low centre of gravity distributes load more evenly. Place sharp or hard items against the inner carton wall with softer items in between to stop them puncturing the box.
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5. Shake test — no noise
Give the box a gentle shake before sealing. If contents rattle, cushioning is insufficient — keep adding filler until items are fully immobilised.
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6. One label, one orientation
Stick the label flat on the largest face — never across an edge, folded or covered by tape. Remove every old label beforehand.
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7. No rope, no staples
Rope jams sorting machines and staples injure sort workers. Every carrier requires proper packing tape — not rope.
Packaging Types
Carton, satchel or pallet? Pick the right outer first
📦 Carton
Best for: electronics, fragile items, documents, books, cosmetics, toys, decor — the vast majority of goods.
- Single-wall for contents ≤ 5kg
- Double-wall for ≤ 20kg
- Five-ply / honeycomb board for ≥ 20kg or fragile heavy items
- Stiff walls, intact corners
👕 Satchel
Best for: clothing, fabric, plush toys, non-fragile small items.
- Waterproof polyethylene
- ≤ 5kg recommended per satchel
- No hard corners, no glass, no liquids
- Double-bag contents for moisture protection
🏗 Pallet
Best for: bulk goods, large appliances, furniture, exhibition materials, freight heavier than 30kg.
- Standard Australian pallet 1165 × 1165mm
- At least 3 wraps of stretch film, down to the base
- Goods must not overhang the pallet edge
- Cardboard top cap to prevent crushing
By Category
How to pack six common categories
📱 Electronics (phones, laptops, cameras, small appliances)
- ✅ Keep the original manufacturer box. It’s the most tested packaging — then add an outer box 5cm larger than the original.
- ✅ Remove the battery (if removable) and declare it separately under lithium-battery rules.
- ✅ Screen: apply a protective film or stiff cardboard cover; tape all ports shut to prevent dust entry.
- ✅ Fill the space between original and outer box with bubble wrap or air columns.
- ❌ Don’t use newspaper for cushioning — ink stains the item.
- ❌ If a lithium battery is included, the lithium-battery label must be affixed next to the shipping label (Pickup’s booking page will prompt you).
🍷 Fragile items (glass, ceramics, bottles, vases, artwork)
- ✅ Wrap each piece in at least 2 layers of bubble wrap, fully secured with tape.
- ✅ Use double-wall cartons or the box-in-box method: at least 5cm of bubble or foam between the inner and outer boxes.
- ✅ Apply a “Fragile” sticker on the outer box (Pickup label page has an option to add this).
- ✅ Fill hollow glassware with paper to prevent internal collapse.
- ❌ Don’t pack multiple pieces with only one thin layer of bubble wrap between them.
- ⚠ Heads-up: most carriers default to no damage liability for glass / ceramics — use Pickup additional insurance.
🧴 Liquids (skincare, non-hazardous chemicals, beverages)
- ✅ Tape around each cap to prevent loosening.
- ✅ Seal each bottle in an individual zip bag (industry standard: bottle + bag + box, three layers).
- ✅ Line the inside of the outer box with absorbent paper or shredded paper — in case of leakage it won’t soak through.
- ⚠ International: liquids shipped out of Australia at ≤ 500ml per bottle is safer; some destinations cap the total volume.
- ❌ Ethanol above 24% is classed as dangerous goods and cannot move as general cargo.
- ❌ Perfume and nail polish have restrictions on air transport — Pickup’s booking page will alert you.
👗 Clothing and fabric
- ✅ Fold neatly; vacuum compression bags can further reduce volume (saving freight).
- ✅ A satchel or a light carton is fine as the outer layer.
- ✅ In wet seasons, or for long sea/road legs, add a moisture-proof liner first.
- ❌ Don’t cheap out with black garbage bags — most carriers refuse them.
🍪 Food (non-perishable, snacks, supplements)
- ✅ Must be factory-sealed with at least 60 days remaining shelf life.
- ✅ Ingredients, production date and expiry printed on the package (customs checks this on international shipments).
- ✅ Use air-column bags around fragile items like chips or biscuits.
- ⚠ Meat, dairy, honey, seeds, fresh produce — banned by import rules in most destinations.
- ⚠ Alcohol-containing foods are declared as alcohol.
📄 Documents (contracts, certificates, drawings)
- ✅ Use a rigid document sleeve or flat carton to avoid fold damage.
- ✅ Add a waterproof inner bag against rain.
- ✅ For important documents, pick a service with POD (signature).
- ⚠ Passports and ID originals: review the carrier’s policy before sending internationally — many lanes refuse them.
Cushioning
Choosing the right cushioning material
🫧 Bubble wrap
The all-purpose first choice. Small bubbles for wrapping light items; large bubbles as spacers for heavy ones. Wrap fragile items at least 3 layers.
🥜 EPS peanuts
Fill gaps inside the box. Cheap but static-prone — not suited to electronics. Shake the box as you pour so the peanuts settle into every gap.
💨 Air pillows / inflatable bags
Inflated on the spot — great volume fill and compression resistance. First choice for bottles (wine, cosmetics). If punctured, cushioning drops to zero — check seals before boxing.
📰 Crumpled kraft paper
Green, cheap and effective as void filler. Similar performance to peanuts, no static issues. Avoid colour-printed newspaper — ink transfers onto goods.
🧱 EPE foam / Pearl cotton
Sheets or custom-cut inserts. Great for electronics, furniture, heavy goods. Can be shaped to the item — cushioning and fixturing in one.
🧼 Foam board
Line the inner walls of the box, paired with centre cushioning. Used for large artwork or screens. Note: some Australian states restrict white EPS recycling — consider biodegradable alternatives.
Sealing & Labelling
The H-method seal + how to apply the label
Sealing technique
- Use clear PP or BOPP packing tape at least 48mm wide — never paper tape or ordinary stationery tape.
- H-method: tape the centre seam first, then run tape across each end flap to form an H — gaps fully closed.
- Each tape strip extends at least 5cm down each side of the box.
- For items > 10kg, add a “well”-shaped reinforcement on the bottom.
- No staples, rope or fabric straps.
Applying the label
- After booking, Pickup auto-generates a carrier PDF label — A4 laser or A6 thermal works.
- Affix to the largest face, parallel to the box’s width — don’t wrap over edges.
- Never cover the barcode with tape — scanning will fail.
- Remove old shipping labels, or black them out fully with a marker.
- Place Fragile / This Way Up stickers beside the label, not over the barcode.
- International: Commercial Invoice + Packing List, three copies, in a clear documents pouch on the outside of the box.
Common Mistakes
10 most common packaging mistakes
- ❌ Using a free supermarket plastic bag as outer packaging
- ❌ Box overfilled — sides bulging (any squeeze will split it)
- ❌ Box underfilled — contents rattle (like a punching bag on impact)
- ❌ Multiple fragile items separated by only one layer of bubble wrap
- ❌ Liquids sealed only by the cap, no secondary bag
- ❌ Old shipping labels left on — causes mis-sorting
- ❌ Writing the address in pencil or coloured ink — smears in the rain
- ❌ Using staples, rope or fabric straps instead of tape
- ❌ Battery-containing items not declared under lithium-battery rules
- ❌ International shipment missing the Commercial Invoice — returned by customs
Whenever any of the above occurs, carriers will almost always decline claims on damage, delay or return citing “inadequate packaging”. This isn’t Pickup’s rule — it’s the common position across every international logistics provider. Packing to spec is a precondition for claiming.
Pickup’s Advice
Final checklist before booking
- ✅ Box intact, corners solid, old labels removed
- ✅ Contents silent when shaken
- ✅ Each fragile item individually wrapped in at least 2 layers of bubble wrap
- ✅ Liquids sealed in three layers
- ✅ Batteries declared via the Pickup booking page’s lithium-battery tick-box
- ✅ H-method sealing complete, tape extending 5cm+ past the seams
- ✅ Label on the largest face, barcode clear
- ✅ International documents in a clear pouch on the outer box
- ✅ Actual weight matches what’s entered on Pickup (> 0.5kg discrepancy triggers a difference charge)
- ✅ Dimensions measured with a tape — enter the three longest sides
If you’re not confident about your packaging, drop the parcel off at Pickup’s Melbourne transit warehouse and our team will reinforce it before handing over to the carrier. Recommended for international, high-value and fragile shipments.
Packed up? Get a quote and book
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