Running an e-commerce business from your spare room? Selling handmade crafts on Etsy? Shipping products from your garage? Whatever your setup, if you're sending packages, you need a reliable postal scale. Accurate weight measurements aren't just convenient—they're essential for calculating shipping costs, avoiding undercharging customers, and preventing rejected parcels from carriers.
This comprehensive guide will help you understand what features matter when choosing a postal scale, how to match a scale to your business needs, and what pitfalls to avoid when making your purchase.
Why Postal Scales Matter for Your Business
Shipping costs are calculated by weight (and sometimes dimensions) across Australia Post, Sendle, Aramex, and other carriers. Guessing weights or using a bathroom scale leads to problems:
- Underestimate weight: You'll either absorb the extra shipping cost or have packages rejected for insufficient postage
- Overestimate weight: You'll charge customers too much, potentially losing sales to competitors with more accurate pricing
- Inconsistent pricing: Customers notice when similar items have wildly different shipping costs
A proper postal scale pays for itself quickly by eliminating these issues and streamlining your shipping workflow.
Key Features to Consider
Capacity
The maximum weight your scale can measure is perhaps the most important specification. Consider the heaviest items you currently ship, then add headroom for future growth:
- Up to 5kg: Suitable for documents, small items, jewellery, and light accessories
- Up to 25kg: Covers most e-commerce shipments, including clothing, books, and medium-sized products
- Up to 50kg: Necessary for larger items, bulk orders, or if you ship anything in the "large parcel" category
- 100kg+: For businesses shipping heavy goods like equipment or multiple items in single boxes
Rule of Thumb
Choose a scale with at least 20% more capacity than your heaviest typical shipment. This prevents accuracy degradation at the top of the range and accommodates occasional larger orders.
Precision (Readability)
Precision determines the smallest weight increment the scale can display. For postal applications, you'll typically see:
- 1g precision: Ideal for small, lightweight items where every gram matters for shipping categories
- 2g precision: Good balance for most applications
- 5g precision: Acceptable for heavier items where a few grams won't change the shipping category
- 10g+ precision: Only suitable for heavy-item businesses where precision matters less
For Australian postal rates, weight thresholds typically occur at 250g, 500g, 1kg, 3kg, 5kg, 10kg, and 22kg. If your items frequently fall near these boundaries, higher precision becomes more valuable.
Platform Size
Will your typical packages fit comfortably on the weighing platform? Consider:
- Compact platforms (15x15cm): Fine for letters and small packets
- Medium platforms (20x25cm): Accommodate small boxes, satchels, and most retail packaging
- Large platforms (30x30cm+): Necessary for shoeboxes, cartons, and larger parcels
An undersized platform is frustrating—you'll struggle to balance packages and may get inaccurate readings from items hanging over the edges.
Power Options
Postal scales typically offer one or more power sources:
Battery Power
Convenient for portability and locations without nearby outlets. However, batteries add ongoing costs, and low batteries can affect accuracy. If you process many packages daily, expect to change batteries frequently.
AC Adapter (Mains Power)
Ideal for dedicated shipping stations. No battery concerns, consistent performance, and often allows the scale to stay on indefinitely. Most scales with AC adapters also accept batteries as backup.
USB Power
Some modern scales can power from a USB connection, which is convenient if your scale sits near a computer. This option sometimes enables data connectivity as well.
Business Recommendation
For any business processing more than 10 parcels per week, invest in a scale with an AC adapter. The reliability and convenience outweigh the slight premium in price.
Advanced Features Worth Considering
Hold Function
This feature locks the displayed weight, allowing you to remove the package while recording or comparing the reading. Essential when weighing awkward items that block the display or when you need to write down multiple weights quickly.
Tare Function
Lets you zero out the weight of packaging materials or containers, showing only the net weight of contents. Useful when you need to weigh items before boxing them.
Piece Counting
Some scales can calculate the number of identical items based on a sample weight. Invaluable for inventory management or when shipping quantities of small, uniform items.
Software Connectivity
Higher-end scales connect to computers via USB, allowing weight data to transfer directly into shipping software or spreadsheets. This integration dramatically speeds up processing for high-volume operations.
Understanding Australian Postal Weight Categories
Knowing Australia Post's weight categories helps you understand why precision matters:
- Letters: Up to 20g (regular) or 125g/250g for larger formats
- Small parcels: Up to 500g (cheaper rates in this category)
- Medium parcels: 500g to 5kg
- Large parcels: 5kg to 22kg
If you ship items near these thresholds, even small weighing errors can push you into a higher (more expensive) category—or cause issues if you underpay postage.
Key Takeaway
Match your postal scale to your business needs, but don't under-buy. A quality scale with adequate capacity and good precision will serve your business for years and prevent countless shipping headaches. For most small businesses, a 30kg capacity scale with 2g precision and AC power hits the sweet spot.
Where to Place Your Scale
Scale placement affects accuracy and workflow efficiency:
- Level surface: Essential for accurate readings—use a spirit level to check
- Stable foundation: Avoid surfaces that flex or vibrate
- Near packing station: Minimise distance between where you pack and where you weigh
- Good lighting: You need to read the display clearly
- Away from drafts: Air currents can affect sensitive scales
Calibration and Maintenance
Unlike kitchen scales used occasionally, postal scales in business settings see heavy use. Regular maintenance keeps them accurate:
- Check calibration weekly using a known weight
- Clean the platform regularly to remove debris that could affect readings
- Don't exceed maximum capacity—this can permanently damage load cells
- Handle with care when moving or storing
Budget Considerations
Postal scales range from $25 for basic models to $200+ for commercial-grade units. Consider your volume:
- Hobby sellers (fewer than 20 packages/month): A $25-40 basic scale will suffice
- Growing businesses (20-100 packages/month): Invest $50-80 in a reliable scale with good features
- Established businesses (100+ packages/month): Consider $100+ scales with computer connectivity and commercial-grade durability
The right postal scale is an investment in your business efficiency. By understanding your needs and matching them to the appropriate features, you'll streamline your shipping process, avoid costly errors, and present a more professional operation to your customers.
