NZ Post is New Zealand's premium courier services provider, dedicated to fast, reliable and secure delivery of important items.
Every day, our Courier Contractors are out in the community delivering what people care about.

What is a Courier Contractor?

Courier contractors are self employed and operate as a small business.

Each Courier Contractor is contracted to New Zealand Post to provide a range of parcel delivery, pickup and related services within a specified area. The range of services and the size of the area will vary by contract. Our contractors use state of the art technology to provide visibility of tracked items for our operations network and our customers.

The Courier Contractor is paid a set rate per item according to the type of service the item is travelling on and the type of contract the customer has signed. Other payments are made for completion of scheduled activities and other contracted services completed. There is also the opportunity to enhance income by selling NZPost product and earning commission through our Sales at the Van Door programme and Sales Lead App.

What are the requirements to become a Courier Contractor?

  • Being a Courier means being customer focused and organised. You need to be able to structure your day and plan ahead for the ongoing demands of your run.

  • You'll need to have a good level of physical fitness.

  • A full New Zealand driver's licence and a Dangerous Goods Endorsement is essential. Depending on the type of run and the vehicle, a Goods Service Licence may also be required.

  • There is a range of initial start-up costs including vehicle, uniform and insurance purchase, so you'll need to have the ability to meet these costs. Check out "What will it cost" in the FAQ's below for more details

  • You'll need to be able to complete all Income Tax, GST, Fringe Benefit Tax and ACC requirements as per New Zealand legislation.

Benefits

Being a New Zealand Post Courier Contractor gives you access to a leading and trusted brand in the New Zealand market. You may also be able to access discounts on some expense items such as insurance, fuel and new tyres through New Zealand Post's procurement schemes.

There are plenty of opportunities to grow your business with New Zealand Post. Over time, Courier Contractors may take on further runs or other contracted services with us. You may employ someone else to provide the services to us on further runs, but you as the contractor and business owner would remain responsible for their performance. You can build your earnings through the efficiency with which you operate and how you set up your business arrangements.

Our Electric Vehicle Incentive Programme is a new fund that has been established especially for our delivery contractors to help them buy their own EV. Check out some more information here.

Frequently asked Questions

It means that you will need to structure yourself as a small business. It means that you will be responsible for various costs associated with being a business, including but not limited to all Income and Goods and Services Taxation requirements.

To be a Courier Contractor you must be set up as a GST registered business and will be assessed for provisional tax. (Visit www.ird.govt.nz or phone 0800 377 774 for free help by an Inland Revenue small business tax advisor).

You may set up as a "Sole Trader" business or use a company as the contracting party.

You will need to purchase personal injury cover for work and non-work injuries from ACC. You will find them at www.acc.co.nz or you can call free on 0508 426 837.

There is a range of initial start-up costs to be considered. A breakdown of some of the costs is provided below (GST excluded, these figures are an indication only )

Initial Costs:

Working Capital: for the 4 - 6 weeks until your first payment (depending on start date)
Professional Services: Depending on what accounting and legal services are applied to contract set up
Vehicle: $30,000 - $60,000 (all vehicles must be less than 10 years old)
Scanner purchase: $2,000
Vehicle Painting (if required): $3,000 - $4,000
NZPost decals: $500 - $1,000 depending on vehicle type
NZPost uniform: $600
Insurance: $3,500 - $4,500 (Vehicle, Carriers and Public liability)
Dangerous Goods Licences: $300

Monthly Costs:

Communications Fee: $40
Fuel Costs: $400 + (will vary by vehicle and distance travelled)
Cell phone provision: $50 - $250
Vehicle Maintenance: Varies on distances travelled and vehicle requirements

Other Costs:

Authorised relief drivers: Varies depending on the Courier Contractor's arrangements for services to be completed in full and in compliance with the Land Transport Rule: Work Time and Logbooks , throughout the contract term.

Our contractors typically work between 10 and 12 hours per day depending on the specified run and the volume of parcels and related services on the day. A full day generally starts at about 5.00 am when you come to the depot and sort out your freight ready for delivery. A day ends roughly from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm when you return to the depot with your final items to be sent to other destinations around the country. You will normally be required to work Saturdays. You and your relief driver will need to balance the hours worked to comply with the Land Transport Rule: Work Time and Logbooks (see https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/rules/work-time-and-logbooks-2007/ )

Contractors' distances are highly varied and can be anywhere from 100 kilometres to 300 kilometres a day. Some courier runs may include shuttle services and these can travel higher kilometres.

Our contractors are paid on 20th of the month for the previous month's work. Each contractor is guaranteed a minimum monthly payment. If you don't reach this 'minimum' while still completing all of the services for your area, we will top up your payment to the minimum amount for the month

New Zealand Post standard contract Advice Statement

As when entering into any new business opportunity, it's important that you have taken the time to do your due diligence and to understand your commercial obligations as an independent contractor and business owner.

Please ensure you take the time you need to fully understand the terms and conditions of your intended contract for services including the payment/rates schedule. New Zealand Post recommends that you seek professional advice from an independent legal advisor, business advisor or qualified accountant, prior to accepting and signing any contract offer. If English happens to be your second language, then we also encourage you to seek additional translation support through a reputable translation service (such as the Department of Internal Affairs - Translation Service). It is important that you fully understand the terms and conditions of any future agreement and how these will apply to your business.

As a standard part of our contracting process, New Zealand Post provides contract applicants with a two week period to fully consider any contract offer, discuss the terms with us and seek professional advice.

Become a Courier Contractor

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