topic Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long? in Selling

Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

rocket2retro — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 04:09:12 GMT

Can anyone explain why Australia Post tracking numbers are so long (recently increased in length on the postal receipts).

They start with R and have 24 digits. That means that they are capable of recording 999 billion trillion parcels.

By way of comparison there are just 1 billion trillion estimated stars in the observable universe (1 followed by 21 zeros).

On the positive side, they wont ever need increase the number's length, as the Earth will have been well and truly swallowed up by the expanding sun long before they deliver that amount of parcels!

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

jellybirddesigns — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 04:12:01 GMT

No idea why they are now so long, but probably because someone at head office gets great delight in knowing how many more digits we can mess up with our fat fingers.

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

love_of_cars — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 05:19:12 GMT

I just did a quick check and confirmed there doesn't seem to be any sequential order involved, so am pretty sure it's because they are randomised numbers and the chances of a repeated number, given the size of each number, would probably never happen for a very long time. It may also have a check to see if it exists and to generate another number. They are also given a fixed prefix in my case which I assume is relevant in some way and would change depending on some factor, so even less of a chance of repeating.

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

sugar249 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:10:00 GMT

The first 6 digits are the WCC (Work Centre Code) or Post office ID.

The last 4 digits are generally 090X

There are a couple of unique identifiers in the rest, and then there is the parcel ID in there as well.

So no there arent really as many as you think.

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

sugar249 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:16:02 GMT

I now use Mypost and it auto updates Ebay. But Previously I would just have a template setup which I could paste in, knowing that in reality only a few of the numbers changed, cant remember which ones anymore

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

gutterpunkz05 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:16:29 GMT

01110111 01101000 01111001 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00111111 00100000 00100000 01101101 01101001 01100111 01101000 01110100 00100000 01101000 01100001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01110011 01101111 01101101 01100101 01110100 01101000 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01100100 01101111 00100000 01110111 01101001 01110100 01101000 00100000 01110101 01110011 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110111 00100000 01100010 01100101 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100100 01101001 01100111 01101001 01110100 01100001 01101100 00100000 01100001 01100111 01100101

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

sugar249 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:19:18 GMT

01101111 01110010 00100000 01101101 01100001 01111001 01100010 01100101 00100000 01100011 01101111 01100100 01100101 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01101101 01100001 01110010 01110100 01101001 01100001 01101110 01110011

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

gutterpunkz05 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:24:07 GMT

01001001 00100000 01101011 01101110 01100101 01110111 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101 00100000 01101000 01100001 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01100010 01100101 00100000 01100001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01100111 01101001 01100011 01100001 01101100 00100000 01100101 01111000 01110000 01101100 01100001 01101110 01100001 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 00101110 00001010 01100111 01101111 01100100 00100000 01100100 01100001 01101101 01101110 01100101 01100100 00100000 01101101 01100001 01110010 01110100 01101001 01100001 01101110 01110011

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

sugar249 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:28:38 GMT

57 61 74 63 68 20 6f 75 74 20 61 64 6d 69 6e 20 6d 61 79 20 73 61 79 20 74 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 67 65 74 74 69 6e 67 20 74 6f 20 68 65 61 74 65 64 20 6c 69 6b 65 20 74 68 65 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 74 68 72 65 61 64 2e 20 20 54 68 65 20 70 6f 6f 72 20 6d 61 72 74 69 61 6e 73

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

papermoon.lady — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:55:53 GMT

I have noticed that the tracking numbers given by sellers sometimes are shorter, and as soon as I copy and paste in the box on the AusPost tracking site, more digits are automatically added??

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

davewil1964 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 07:59:34 GMT

The 3 before 090X are parcel type.

I find that I only need to change a max of 6, sale to sale. Usually less. None of mine start with 'R' though, so the OP seems to have access to a secret postage method. And my codes are 23 character, not 24.

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

sugar249 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 08:03:10 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:
The 3 before 090X are parcel type.

I find that I only need to change a max of 6, sale to sale. Usually less. None of mine start with 'R' though, so the OP seems to have access to a secret postage method. And my codes are 23 character, not 24.

R is when you buy them over the counter,

Its R followed by the 6 digit WCC

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

davewil1964 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 09:37:00 GMT

There you go. I don't do over the counter.

The rest is still relevant.

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

gutterpunkz05 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 09:51:35 GMT

@sugar249 wrote:
57 61 74 63 68 20 6f 75 74 20 61 64 6d 69 6e 20 6d 61 79 20 73 61 79 20 74 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 67 65 74 74 69 6e 67 20 74 6f 20 68 65 61 74 65 64 20 6c 69 6b 65 20 74 68 65 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 74 68 72 65 61 64 2e 20 20 54 68 65 20 70 6f 6f 72 20 6d 61 72 74 69 61 6e 73

But at least the martians know numbers are the sole rulers of the universe

That should put admin off the scent.!

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

glenbankloel — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 21:50:23 GMT

ha ha ha hahaaaa

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

gutterpunkz05 — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 01:28:19 GMT

Everyone Sing Along

00111001 00111001 00111001 00100000 01100010 01101001 01101100 01101100 01101001 01101111 01101110 00100000 01110100 01110010 01101001 01101100 01101100 01101001 01101111 01101110 00100000 01100010 01101111 01110100 01110100 01101100 01100101 01110011 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01100010 01100101 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101111 01101110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110111 01100001 01101100 01101100

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

qli_81 — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 08:47:21 GMT

Hi Bro,

I am also troubled by the long tracking number of Australia Post. Do you know more information about the format, or where can I find a list of WCC (Work Centre Code) codes?

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

qli_81 — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 08:50:32 GMT

Hi Bro,

I am also troubled by the long tracking number of Australia Post. Do you know more information about the format, or where can I find a list of WCC (Work Centre Code) codes?

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

davewil1964 — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 08:58:32 GMT

TWO YEARS later?

If you don't like them, use a shonky courier instead

Re: Why are Aust Post tracking numbers so long?

sugar249 — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 09:20:10 GMT

@qli_81 wrote:
Hi Bro,

I am also troubled by the long tracking number of Australia Post. Do you know more information about the format, or where can I find a list of WCC (Work Centre Code) codes?

I'm not your Bro