Shipping your fragrance
Once your item sells, you pack it and lodge it. Buyers paid the shipping fee at checkout — you don't need to chase them for postage money.
Who pays
Buyers pay shipping at checkout, separately from the item price. You see the shipping fee come through with the sale via Stripe Connect (less ScentSell's 15% commission). There is no separate "shipping reimbursement" step.
Choosing your shipping option
When you create or edit a listing, pick one of four options. Most sellers leave this on Standard.
| Option | Cost | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| AusPost Parcel Post | $12 | Default. Most common for a single 50–100ml bottle in a small box. |
| AusPost Express Post | $18 | Faster road-network service. Use for higher-value bottles or impatient buyers. |
| Free shipping | $0 | You absorb postage. Sometimes used as a hook to move stale inventory. |
| Custom amount | 0–50 | A tiny decant (e.g. 2ml at $8) or an unusually large/heavy parcel. |
You can change the option per listing at any time from your Dashboard.
Packing requirements
Fragrance bottles are glass — pack accordingly.
- 2+ layers of bubble wrap around the bottle (not a single layer).
- Sturdy cardboard box. Padded mailers/envelopes are not acceptable — bottles crush in transit.
- No empty space. Fill gaps with packing peanuts or crumpled paper so the bottle cannot rattle.
- Original packaging if you have it. A bottle in its branded box, then bubble-wrapped, then boxed again, is the gold standard.
- Seal seams with packing tape. Both ends and any cross-seam.
Lodging the parcel
Two options at AusPost:
- Post office counter. Walk in, declare the parcel as Dangerous Goods (ground-only), pay retail postage. The clerk will print the label. You'll get a receipt with the tracking number.
- MyPost Business. Set up a free MyPost Business account at auspost.com.au/mypost-business and you'll save 5–40% off retail rates. You print the label at home, attach it to the parcel, drop it in a red AusPost box or take it to the counter.
MyPost Business is worth setting up if you list more than a couple of bottles a year. The savings compound, and the included tracking is the same service AusPost uses at the counter.
Dangerous Goods declaration
Fragrances cannot fly. They're classified as Dangerous Goods (alcohol-based liquid, occasionally aerosol propellant) under the IATA rules every Australian carrier follows. If you declare Express or Priority at the counter and don't mention DG, the parcel will either be downgraded to ground in transit or returned to you. Always tell the clerk it's fragrance.
Express Post road network is fine — that's the service you offer when you pick the $18 option on the listing form. It's not air-freight; it's a faster ground service.
Adding tracking
After lodging:
- Go to My Orders → select the order.
- Tap Mark as shipped → enter the tracking number and carrier name (usually
Australia Post). - The tracking number is automatically registered with 17track for delivery monitoring. The buyer gets a "your order has shipped" email with the tracking link, and we poll for delivery status every 6 hours.
You have 5 business days from sale to lodge the parcel and enter tracking. After that the buyer can raise a non-delivery dispute.
Insurance
AusPost Parcel Post and Express Post both come with cover up to $100 by default. For higher-value bottles, the buyer can opt into AusPost Extra Cover at checkout. As the seller you don't need to buy extra insurance unless you want personal peace of mind.
What if I can't ship?
If you can't fulfil an order (item damaged before shipping, you found a flaw on inspection, the buyer's address looks off), contact the buyer immediately via the order messaging system and propose a cancellation. Then email ScentSell support — we'll refund the buyer through Stripe.
Next steps: