Making sure you're covered - New Zealand Post

Making 

sure you’re 

covered 

Your guide to prohibited items 

and compensation

New Zealand Post offers a variety 

of services for sending letters and 

parcels within New Zealand and 

around the world. 

We make every effort to ensure 

your item arrives on time and in 

good condition, but unfortunately 

sometimes things go wrong. 

This guide sets out: 

- what you are covered for when 

sending with us 

- what you can’t send 

- how to make a compensation claim.

What you are covered for 

We cover your items for loss or damage, subject to the 

Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and a number of important 

limitations and exclusions detailed on pages 6 to 7, up to the 

limits detailed in the sections below. We will also refund the 

postage if your item has been lost. 

As our delivery targets are a guide only, we do not cover your 

items for any delay in delivery. 

Sending within New Zealand 

Letters and postcards posted for 

80c or less 

Standard 

compensation 

limit, including 

GST (NZ$) 

Under the Postal 

Services Act 1998, 

no compensation 

is payable 

Additional 

cover 

available 

No 

Letters and postcards posted for 

more than 80c 

$250 No 

Standard and Tracked parcels $250 No 

RegisteredPost $250 No 

Courier and Courier & Signature parcels $1,500 No 

• You can’t send items valued at more than our standard 

compensation limits (except when using our Courier or 

Courier & Signature services). 

• If you send items valued at more than our standard 

compensation limit when using our Courier or Courier 

& Signature services you will be covered up to a maximum 

of $1,500. 

Sending overseas 

Standard 

compensation 

limit, including 

GST (NZ$) 

Additional 

cover 

available 

Letters, postcards and aerogrammes $250 No 

International Air Registered $250 No 

International Economy and 

International Air parcels 

$250 Yes, up to 

a limit of 

$1,500 

International Economy Courier $2,000 Yes, up to 

a limit of 

$5,000 

International Express Courier $2,000 Yes, up to 

a limit of 

$50,000 

1

• You can send items valued at more than our standard 

compensation limit overseas by: 

– using a service with a higher compensation limit, or 

– buying additional cover (if available). 

If you do not buy additional cover, or it is not available, 

you cannot send the item. 

• For information about buying additional compensation 

cover please ask a staff member, call our Customer 

Service Centre on 0800 73 63 53 or refer to our website 

at www.nzpost.co.nz/compensation. 

What can’t be sent 

There are two types of items that you need to know about – 

prohibited items and restricted items. 

• Prohibited items are items that you simply aren’t allowed to 

send with us. 

• Restricted items are items that we will accept, as long as you 

meet our specified conditions of carriage detailed on pages 4 

and 5. If you don’t meet our conditions of carriage, the item 

is prohibited. 

Prohibited items 

Items are prohibited because they pose a risk to the safety 

and security of our employees, customers and other people 

and equipment. They may appear harmless, but as almost all 

international items and many domestic items travel by air at 

some stage, they can become dangerous. 

Our Customer Service Centre is always happy to help, but it is 

your responsibility to check whether the item you want to send 

is prohibited. If you send a prohibited item: 

• acceptance of that item by us does not free you of any 

of your responsibilities 

• we won’t cover you for any loss or damage 

• we may hold you liable for any costs or damages incurred 

by us 

• we may open it (even if we only suspect that it is prohibited) 

• we may not deliver it 

• we may charge you for its disposal. 

There are also penalties for sending prohibited items under 

the Postal Services Act 1998, Civil Aviation Act 1990 and 

other legislation. 

2

Prohibited items include, but are not limited to: 

• anything that is inadequately packaged or capable of causing 

damage to people and property – you can find helpful 

information about how to package certain items on our 

website at www.nzpost.co.nz/packageitems. 

• Any item capable of causing injury to people or damage to 

property must be appropriately packaged before it is brought 

into any PostShop or New Zealand Post retail outlet. 

• dangerous goods – explosives, gases, flammable liquids 

and solids, oxidising substances and organic peroxides, 

toxic (poisonous) and infectious substances, radioactive 

materials, corrosives, or highly magnetic and polymerisable 

substances (these dangerous goods rules are governed by 

the International Air Transport Association (IATA)) 

• illegal items (whether in New Zealand or the destination 

country) 

• firearms, firearm parts and ammunition. Firearm parts are 

any piece of a firearm that is designed or intended to be 

an integral part of a firearm, regardless of whether it is in 

working condition. Firearm parts include, but are not limited 

to, the breech/chamber, stock/butt, magazine, silencer, 

barrel, bolt and trigger assembly. Firearm accessories such 

as sights, slings and bipods/tripods can be sent 

• lithium ion or lithium polymer batteries* 

• drugs (unless in prescription quantities and packaged 

correctly)* 

• unsolicited indecent items or representations of any kind 

• human remains, including ashes 

• noxious substances or things, or dead animals 

• live animals (except for correctly packaged bees, leeches, 

silkworms or harmless insects) 

• perishables 

• fragile items* 

• travellers cheques, deeds, negotiable instruments (including 

any bearer security, bill of exchange or uncrossed cheque), 

bonds or shares, credit or bank cards, cash, currency, bullion 

or vouchers, gift cards, or tickets for any games of chance 

(such as raffle and lottery tickets) 

• jewellery, watches, precious metals or stones* 

• collectibles, antiques, paintings, sculptures or works of art* 

• unused stamps*. 

* Depending on where you want to send these items, or what service you want 

to use, you may be able to send them. Refer to the section on restricted 

items on pages 4 and 5. 

A list of common prohibited items can be found on page 10. 

3

Restricted items 

We will accept the following restricted items, as long as you meet our sp 

condition of carriage, refer to the information on page 2 for details. If you 


Letters, postcards, Standard 

and Tracked parcels and 

RegisteredPost 

Courier and Courier & 

Signature parcels 

Any item with contents 

valued at more than the 

standard compensation 

limits listed in the tables 

on page 1 

Electronic/electric 

appliances and devices 

Lithium ion or lithium 

polymer batteries 

Radioactive substances 

Poisons not classified as 

class 6.1 Dangerous Goods 

in the IATA Regulations 

Perishable biological 

specimens and substances 

not classified as class 6.2 

Dangerous Goods in the 

IATA Regulations 

Liquids not otherwise 

classified as dangerous 

Prohibited item 

Can be sent, but maximum 

compensation available is 

NZ$1,500 

Batteries must be removed and wrapped separately. If the batter 

parts. Additional restrictions apply if the appliance or device con 

Priority services 1 


All other services 

Refer to the requirements for 

electronic/electric appliances 

and devices 

Special packaging 

requirements must be met 

– for details, refer to the 

information on page 6 

May be sent in quantities exempted from the Radiation Protectio 

(e.g. household smoke alarms). 


Must be packaged correctly 

Must be sent using a 

signature required service 


Must be sent to a 

recognised laboratory, 

medical institution, medical 

practitioner or vet 

Must be packaged in 

accordance with The 

Guideline for Packaging 

and Shipping of Infectious 

Substances by the 

Communicable Diseases 

Centre 



Must be packaged in a way to ensure no leakage or breakage of 

Drugs (where allowable) Prohibited item Must be sent by an 

authorised organisation 




Jewellery, watches, Prohibited item 


precious metals or stones 

valued under NZ$250 

Jewellery, watches, Prohibited item 


precious metals or stones 

valued over NZ$250 

Any collectible or antique Prohibited item 


or any painting, sculpture 

or other work of art valued 

under NZ$1,500 

Any collectible or antique Prohibited item 


or any painting, sculpture 

or other work of art valued 

over NZ$1,500 

Unused stamps Prohibited item Prohibited item 

Fragile items 

Can be sent only if packaged 

to withstand transport and 

handling – for details, refer 

to the information below 


4 

1 Priority domestic services are FastPost letters and BoxLink

ecified conditions of carriage. When buying additional cover is a 

don’t meet our conditions of carriage, the item is prohibited. 


International Air and 

International Economy 

International Economy 

Courier 

International Express 

Courier 

Can be sent if additional 

compensation cover is bought 


compensation cover is 

bought 



bought 

y cannot be removed, the item can be sent if it does not have a transmit function or moving 

tains lithium batteries – refer to the information below. 

Prohibited item Prohibited item Special packaging 

requirements must be met 

– for details, refer to the 

information on page 6 

n Act 1965 and below the limits specified by the International Atomic Energy Agency 

Prohibited item Must be packaged correctly Must be packaged correctly 









and Shipping of 

Infectious Substances 

by the Communicable 

Diseases Centre 








and Shipping of 

Infectious Substances 

by the Communicable 

Diseases Centre 

the container. 


Must be sent by an 



Must be sent by an 













handling – for details, refer to 

the information below 



bought 



bought 



bought 



bought 



bought 







bought 



bought 



bought 



bought 



bought 





5

6 

Special packaging requirements for lithium ion and lithium 

polymer batteries 

Check the table on pages 4 and 5 to see what services you can 

use to send lithium batteries. 

• The battery must be sufficiently wrapped and packaged 

separately within the parcel and able to withstand a 1.2m 

drop. This is the inside package. 

• If the battery is enclosed internally and cannot be removed 

(e.g. iPods), the whole item must be sufficiently wrapped and 

packaged separately within the parcel and able to withstand 

a 1.2m drop. This is the inside package. 

• The inside package and the outer package must have a 

special warning sticker (MAIL285 sticker) attached, which is 

available at your local PostShop. 

• A Lithium Battery document (ADV550) must be completed 

and included in the clear pouch with the other international 

sending documents. 

Packaging fragile items 

Our general handling and transport processes are the same 

for all items, and we cannot provide any special treatment for 

items that are fragile. It is your responsibility to ensure that 

any item is well packaged and can withstand a 1.2m drop. It 

is not enough to put ‘fragile’ or ‘handle with care’ labels on 

your item. 

Country-specific requirements 

When sending items overseas, you should also ensure that: 

• your item is not prohibited from export by the New Zealand 

government, or that you meet any export restrictions (such 

as an export permit) if there are any 

• your item is not prohibited or restricted in the country you 

are sending it to. 

For further information, contact the New Zealand Customs 

service or the appropriate New Zealand or overseas 

government authority. 

Other limitations and exclusions 

In addition to prohibited and restricted items, other limitations 

and exclusions apply. In these circumstances, we are not liable 

to pay you any compensation. We may also be unable to deliver 

your item and have to return it to you (at your expense). 

These include situations when: 

• you have not complied with all our relevant terms and 

conditions contained in the Public Contract and Postal Users’ 

Guide, which are available in your local PostShop or on our 

website at www.nzpost.co.nz/terms 

• the item is incorrectly addressed 

• the item is seized or confiscated by Customs or any other 

government agency or border control authority

• you don’t complete any required documentation fully 

and correctly 

• the loss or damage is the result of any negligence by you 

• you send something to a country where no postal or courier 

service exists 

• the loss or damage is because of an event beyond our 

reasonable control 

• the loss or damage occurs after delivery 

• you buy our goods or services for the purpose of your 

business and the loss or damage is consequential or 

indirect, loss of profits or economic loss 

• you make a claim for compensation outside our standard 

timeframes or don’t provide the claims details that we 

ask for. 

The provisions of the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 do not 

apply when you buy our goods or services for the purpose of 

your business. 

Making a compensation claim 

If you want to claim compensation for an item posted from 

overseas, please ask the sender to start the claim with the 

postal authority in the country it was sent from. 

All other claims should be made by the sender with 

New Zealand Post or CourierPost, depending on the 

service used. 

When the contents are damaged or some of the contents 

are missing 

Please take the item and its packaging to your nearest 

PostShop within 7 days of receiving it. You should not try and fix 

up the item or its packaging, as we need to see the state that it 

was in when you received it. If you have sent an item overseas, 

the person who received it should take it to the postal authority 

in their country. 

We may need to keep the item while we look into what 

happened. 

7

When the whole item goes missing 

Service 

Who to make your 

claim with 


Letters, postcards, Standard and Tracked parcels 

New Zealand Post 

Courier and Courier & Signature parcels 

and RegisteredPost 

CourierPost 


International Economy and International Air 


International Economy Courier and 

International Express Courier 


What you need to tell us 

When making a compensation claim, you need to provide 

us with the following information (where applicable): 

• time, date and place of posting 

• sender and addressee details 

• proof of posting – receipts or invoices 

• evidence of the value of the item, such as the cost 

or replacement price, receipts or valuation notice 

(an online auction number is fine for these purposes) 

• tracking number 

• sender’s copy of the consignment note or 

customs declaration 

• GST number. 

Other things you need to know 

• When a claim is accepted, we will pay you, up to the 

compensation limit for each service, the lesser of: 

– the value or declared value of the item 

– an indemnity value as determined by us 

– the cost of repairing the item. 

• We individually investigate each claim, which means 

resolution may not be immediate and some international 

investigations may take several months to complete. 

• If you’re claiming compensation for second hand goods that 

you have sold (e.g. on online auction sites), compensation 

payment will be based on the sale price. 

8

How to make your claim 

Timeframe 

for making 

your claim 

Call our Customer Service Centre on 0800 501 501 or fill in the 

inquiry form available online at www.nzpost.co.nz/inquiryform 

Call the CourierPost Customer Service Centre on 0800 268 743 

14 days 

14 days 

Call our Customer Service Centre on 0800 73 63 53 or fill in the 


Call our Customer Service Centre on 0800 73 63 53 or fill in the 


90 days 

14 days 

• If you’re claiming compensation for goods sold in a business 

situation, compensation payment will be based on the cost 

price to you, not the retail price of the item. 

• We may choose to fix or replace items, rather than pay 

compensation. 

• Once we’ve paid compensation for a damaged item, we may 

dispose of it. 

• If we pay you compensation for a lost item, and it turns up 

later, it will be our property. If you want it back, you will have 

to refund the compensation we paid you. 

This guide is a summary of the key information contained in 

the relevant sections of our Public Contract and Postal Users’ 

Guide. The full documents are available on our website at 

www.nzpost.co.nz/terms or at your local PostShop. 

9

Quick reference guide to common prohibited items 

This list is a guide only; it is not a complete list of all prohibited items. 

Acid 

Adhesive products (containing 

flammable liquid) 

Aerosol cans (e.g. hairspray) 

Air bags (car) 

Alarm devices (gas or battery powered) 

Alcohol (more than 5 litres) 

Alcohol (more than 70% by volume) 

Alkaline 

Aluminium powder 

Ammonia-based products 

Ammunition 

Animals (except correctly packaged 

bees, leeches, silkworms and harmless 

insects) 

Anti-freeze 

Appliances (containing batteries) 

Asbestos 

Barometers 

Batteries (contained in any appliance 

– batteries must be removed and 

packaged separately) 

Batteries (made from lithium, some 

exceptions apply) 

Batteries (car or wet cell) 

Battery fluid 

Blasting caps 

Bleach 

Brake fluid 

Bullets 

Bullion 

Butane 

Camphor 

Caps for starting guns 

Caps for toy guns 

Carbon paper 

Cash, currency or vouchers/gift cards 

Caustic soda 

Charcoal 

Chemicals 

Chlorates 

Chlorine 

Christmas crackers 

Cigarette lighters 

Cleaning materials (liquid or powder) 

Compressed air 

Deodorant (aerosols) 

Disinfectants 

Drugs (unless in prescription 

quantities) 

Dry ice 

Dyes 

Essential oils (e.g. eucalyptus, tea tree) 

Fertilisers 

Fibreglass repair kits 

Fire extinguishers 

Fire lighters 

Firearms (including parts) and 

ammunition 

Fireworks (e.g. skyrockets, sparklers, 

crackers) 

First Aid kits 

Flares 

Flint lighters 

Jewellery, watches, precious metals 

or stones 

Furs and skins (untreated) 

Gas (e.g. propane, butane, hydrogen, 

helium) 

Gas cylinders (e.g. camping gas 

cylinders – full or empty) 

Generators (fuel powered) 

Glue (e.g. flammable, quick drying) 

Grenades (including imitation 

grenades) 

Hair colouring/bleaches 

Hairspray (aerosol) 

Human remains (including ashes) 

Igniters 

Indecent goods 

Insecticides 

Kerosene 

Laundry detergents 

Lighter fluid 

Liquid nitrogen 

Magnetic material 

Magnets 

Matches 

Mercury 

Motor fuels 

Nail polish 

Nail polish remover 

Narcotics 

Oven cleaners (containing caustic soda) 

Oxygen cylinders, including 

compressed air 

Paint (oil based) 

Party poppers 

Perfume (including aftershave, 

cologne) 

Peroxides 

Petrol 

Phosphorus 

Plastic solvent 

Poisons (e.g. cyanide, lead, arsenic) 

Polish 

Polyester resin kits 

Propane 

Shock absorbers 

(gas or compressed air) 

Signals, distress 

Signals, smoke 

Sodium 

Solvents 

Sparklers 

Stun guns, tasers and stun batons 

Sulphuric acid 

Swimming pool chemicals 

Tea tree oil 

Textile dyes 

Theatrical flares 

Thermometers (mercury) 

Toner (e.g. photocopier toner, 

toner cartridges) 

Toy caps 

Toys (containing batteries) 

Turpentine 

Varnish (e.g. removers, thinners) 

Watches 

Weapons, including bows, crossbows 

and arrows, harpoons, guns, spear 

guns, sling shots and catapults 

Weed killers 

Zinc powder 

10

Contact us 

You can contact us by phone: 

0800 501 501 

Alternatively, ask for further information at your local PostShop, 

or visit our website: 

www.nzpost.co.nz 

The standard terms and conditions of the products and services offered by 

New Zealand Post Limited, including information on the extent of our liability, 

are set out in the Public Contract and the Postal Users’ Guide. These are 

available for reference at PostShops and selected New Zealand Post retail 

outlets, or can be viewed on our website at www.nzpost.co.nz/terms. Other 

conditions for New Zealand Post Account customers are contained in the 

terms and conditions provided when credit was arranged. International 

Economy, International Air, International Economy Courier, International 

Express Courier and PostShop are trade marks of New Zealand Post 

Limited. CourierPost and RegisteredPost are trade marks of Express 

Couriers Limited. 

ADV102AG13 (July 2013)

Making sure you're covered - New Zealand Post

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