How Do Parcel Lockers Work? Public vs Building Lockers

A parcel locker is a bank of electronically locked compartments. A courier leaves a parcel in one compartment, and the person it is for opens that compartment later with a one-time code. The courier selects the recipient and a compartment size. The door opens, the parcel goes in, and the locker sends the recipient a QR code or PIN by SMS, email or app. The recipient scans or types the code and only their door opens. In Australia there are two kinds of locker. Public lockers, such as Australia Post’s Parcel Lockers, are networks you choose as a delivery address. Building lockers belong to an apartment block, office or shop and are for the people who live or work there.

Step by step

  1. Delivery. The courier arrives at the locker. They scan the parcel or choose the recipient on the touchscreen or in their carrier’s app, and pick a compartment size.
  2. Storage. A free compartment of that size opens. The courier puts the parcel in and closes the door. The locker logs the delivery with a time stamp. This is the proof of delivery.
  3. Notification. The recipient gets a message within seconds: which locker, and a QR code or PIN.
  4. Collection. At the locker, the recipient scans the QR code or types the PIN. Only their compartment opens. The collection is logged.
  5. Follow-up. Uncollected parcels trigger reminders. After a time limit, the operator removes the parcel and returns it or moves it somewhere else.

Public lockers and building lockers

Public network locker Building locker
Examples Australia Post Parcel Lockers; open networks such as Lockerpoint; Amazon Hub lockers Lockers in an apartment lobby, an office mailroom or a shop
Who can use it Anyone who signs up and chooses it as a delivery address Residents, tenants or customers of that building or shop
Who can deliver Depends on the network. Australia Post lockers take parcels sent through Australia Post Depends on the system. Some accept any courier at the touchscreen
Where it is Post offices, shopping centres, train stations, service stations Inside the building, usually the lobby or loading dock
Collection time Set by the network. Australia Post allows two business days Set by the building
Who pays Free to the recipient. The network makes money from senders, carriers or retailers The building owner, owners corporation or retailer

Australia Post says it has more than 1,500 Parcel Lockers, free to use with a MyPost account, taking parcels up to 16 kg and 35 × 44 × 61 cm (Australia Post). Our guide to parcel locker companies in Australia covers the networks and building-locker suppliers.

What makes a parcel locker “smart”

A plain keyed locker box needs someone to hand out keys. A smart parcel locker adds:

  • Electronic locks controlled by software, so each door can be opened by one code, once.
  • Notifications sent automatically when a parcel arrives.
  • A record of every delivery and collection, with times, which settles disputes.
  • Remote management. The operator can see which compartments are full, open a door remotely and change settings without visiting.
  • Options such as refrigerated compartments for groceries, and payment before a door opens.

Why apartment buildings and offices install their own

A public locker down the road helps one resident at a time, and only for one carrier. A building locker deals with every parcel arriving at the building, from every courier, at the front door. Residents collect without leaving the building, the concierge stops being a parcel room, and the building has a record of every delivery. Strata parcel lockers explains how owners corporations approve them. Parcel locker sizes explains how to size one.

Vending on Track is building parcel lockers for Australian buildings and retailers. Any courier can deliver at the touchscreen, and there is no per-parcel fee. We are taking reservations for the first production run.

What a building parcel locker costs

A small bank of about 10 cells with a courier touchscreen typically comes in at a few thousand dollars, roughly A$3,000–7,000 ex GST. A building system of 50–100 cells is roughly A$12,000–30,000 ex GST. On top of that there is a flat monthly software fee of around A$150 per building, with no per-parcel or resident fees. Delivery and installation are quoted per site, and your quote fixes the price.

Price enquiry

Ask for a price for your building

Rough guide: A small bank of about 10 cells with a courier touchscreen typically comes in at a few thousand dollars, roughly A$3,000–7,000 ex GST. A building system of 50–100 cells is roughly A$12,000–30,000 ex GST. On top of that there is a flat monthly software fee of around A$150 per building, with no per-parcel or resident fees. Delivery and installation are quoted per site, and your quote fixes the price.
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Want to add a cell mix or a payment preference? Use the full price enquiry.

Frequently asked questions

What is a parcel locker?

A parcel locker is a bank of electronically locked compartments where a parcel is left for one person, who opens their compartment later with a one-time code, a QR code or an app. It replaces handing the parcel over in person, so the delivery can happen when nobody is home and the collection can happen at any hour.

How do I collect a parcel from a parcel locker?

When the parcel is delivered you get a message, usually by SMS, email or app, with a code or QR code. At the locker you scan the QR code or type the code on the screen, and the door with your parcel opens. Take the parcel and close the door. The collection is recorded, so the sender or the building knows it has been picked up.

What is the difference between an Australia Post Parcel Locker and a building parcel locker?

An Australia Post Parcel Locker is a public locker run by Australia Post. You choose it as your delivery address, and only parcels sent through Australia Post go into it. A building parcel locker belongs to an apartment building, office or shop and is for the people there. Depending on the system, couriers from any carrier can deliver into it.

How long do I have to collect a parcel?

It depends on who runs the locker. Australia Post says parcels in its Parcel Lockers must be collected within two business days, after which they go to the nearest Post Office. A building locker follows the building’s own rules, usually with automatic reminders and a time limit set by the building manager.

Are parcel lockers safe?

They are safer than leaving a parcel on a doorstep or in a lobby. Each compartment opens only with the code for that parcel, and every opening is logged with a time. The main risks are a code being shared and a parcel being left too long. A good building system limits both with one-time codes and reminders.