Did you know: It’s our sixth festive season in Australia, and this year, we’ve significantly invested in and expanded our operations network to increase our product selection, as well as enable a fast and reliable delivery experience for customers.
Here’s what you can expect when it comes to your orders, deliveries and returns through this holiday season.
When is the latest I can order something to be delivered in time for Christmas?
This year, many Australians will be able to place orders for eligible items the week leading up to Christmas and have them delivered in time for the big day.
Amazon expects Prime members in Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle, Gosford, Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Bendigo, Toowoomba, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra to be able to shop select items up to Friday 22 December to receive them in time for Christmas, with free delivery.
Non-Prime customers will be able to order select items in the week leading up to the big day to receive them in time, or select a paid delivery option for faster delivery where available.
Estimated cut off dates vary depending on the item, shipping location and Amazon’s network capacity, with expected delivery dates shown at check out.
What can I do to get my orders in time for Christmas?
- Shop early: While our estimated shipping cut-off dates aim to allow shoppers time to grab any final buys, it doesn’t mean you should leave your shopping until the last minute. Customers can shop now to take advantage of great deals and receive their orders by Christmas.
- Use filters: With filters, you can choose to shop items in Australia for faster delivery. Sort items by ‘Prime’ and filter by ‘Ships from Australia’ for faster delivery times. Orders shipped from overseas or shipped by third-party sellers may take longer than domestic shipping, and may not arrive in time for Christmas.
- Shop what’s in stock: If some items are out of stock, it might slow down the delivery, so customers can either remove out of stock items from their basket or choose to have items delivered ‘when available’.
- Ensure payment and address details are accurate: An old or incorrect address, or an expired credit card on a customer account, might mean the order will be declined or delayed until the details can be updated.
- Double check dates at the checkout: Most importantly, you should always check the final delivery date at checkout. Shipping cut-off dates are a guideline and can be impacted by external factors.
How can I join Prime to take advantage of free deliveries for Christmas?
New customers in Australia can try Prime at amazon.com.au/prime, with a 30-day free trial. Renews at AU$9.99 a month or AU$79 a year, cancel anytime.
How do I return Amazon items with label-free drop off?
It’s now even easier for Australian customers wanting to return items sold or shipped by Amazon AU with a label-free drop-off service available at more than 4,200 conveniently located Australia Post post-offices, as well as over 1,300 ParcelPoint return locations. Amazon Australia also has an extended returns window for the holiday season, with eligible items purchased between 1 November and 31 December able to be returned until 31 January 2024.
A step-by-step guide to returning Amazon packages with label-free drop off:
1. Go to ‘Your Orders’ on amazon.com.au.
2. Select ‘Return or replace items’.
3. Select the item for return, the return reason and how you want your refund.
4. Select ‘Australia Post No Label Drop Off’ or ‘ParcelPoint – No Label Dropoff’.
5. Pack the item in its box and bring to an eligible Australia Post Office or ParcelPoint return location with the code that was emailed to you.
6. Voila! Australia Post or the ParcelPoint location will print the label and the item will be returned.
For products sold by third-party sellers, you can contact the seller to arrange a return.
How can I practice more sustainable giving during the gifting season?
This holiday season, Amazon is making it easier for customers to make their dollars go further, while also treading a little lighter on the environment. All Amazon boxes, including the tape, can go in your kerbside recycling bin. However, for those who like to get a little crafty at Christmas, Amazon is rolling out its special Holiday edition #morethanabox Amazon boxes. Featuring one of two ‘Australiana Christmas’ designs, the boxes double as gift wrap, and can even be coloured in for a personalised touch under the tree.
You can also shop Amazon Renewed for products that have been refurbished to work like new for sale at affordable prices, including computers, smartphones, watches and tablets, headphones, TVs, gaming equipment, kitchen appliances and cameras. The Amazon Warehouse section also offers great deals on quality used, pre-owned, or open box products. Every product has been tested and reviewed for quality control, with detailed descriptions of any alterations to the product to make decisions with confidence.
When it comes to packaging, Amazon is continuing to work towards more sustainable solutions, expanding paper-based packaging, continuing to use lighter and more-flexible options, and even eliminating packaging altogether. Globally since 2015, Amazon has reduced the weight of outbound packaging per shipment by 41% on average and eliminated over 2 million tons of packaging material.
Next, if you’re cooking for the holidays, learn how to make these three easy and uniquely Aussie Christmas pudding sauces from Masterchef fave and TikTok star Montana Hughes.
