02 February 2026
7 trends you can’t ignore from the 2026 eCommerce Report
Explore online shopping trends from the Australia Post eCommerce Report, plus practical takeaways you can use to drive growth now
Get the low-down on authority to leave, or ATL, and find out what Australia Post does with ATL parcels.
Read transcript
Video: The Australia Post logo sits at the top of a red screen. A blonde woman stands under the text, "eCommerce Jargon Busters: ATL."
Audio: Woman: ATL, my uncle did his ATL back in the '70s. He's never been the same since.
Video: The woman reads from a card that has an Australia Post logo on the back. Later, the text she's reading is typed onto a red background.
Audio: Woman: ATL (Authority To Leave) also known as Safe Drop. This is when a business doesn't require a signature on delivery. If the receiver isn't home, the driver leaves the delivery in a safe place on the property.
Video: The woman shrugs.
Audio: Woman: Sounds like a great option for busy people.
Video: Before a red background a microphone hovers over a stool. An Australia Post card lies on the stool. Text reads, “eCommerce Jargon Busters. [Jah-gawn bust-uhz] noun + plural noun.” The Australia Post logo appears just above the stool.
What does ATL mean in delivery?
Also known as Safe Drop, ‘Authority To Leave’ means that a Postie or driver can leave a parcel at a recipient’s home if nobody is home. The driver will only leave the parcel if there’s a safe place on the property.
eCommerce businesses can offer their customers the option to select 'authority to leave' if not home at their online store’s checkout when placing an order. This could save customers the trip to the Post Office to collect the item if nobody is home, if that's their preference.
Who can use ‘authority to leave’?
The ATL delivery option must be set up by the sender. It’s then presented as an option at checkout. You can either choose automatic “authority to leave” or let your customer choose whether they are happy to authorise ATL while the parcel is en route through their My Post account.
What if there’s no safe place to leave the parcel?
Locations that are generally not suitable for ATL delivery include:
- Addresses where there is high foot traffic
- Addresses where the property is close to the street
- Apartments that are not accessible for delivery
- Apartment mail rooms where no one is in attendance
- Locations where there is no protection from weather or pets
If there is no safe place to leave the parcel, a notification card will be left at the delivery address advising that the parcel can be collected from a nearby Post Office.
What do Australia Post drivers and Posties do with ATL parcels?
When a customer grants authority to leave a parcel, we follow these steps:
- Go to the front door, knock or buzz, and call out
- See if there’s a safe place to leave the parcel (not visible from the street, out of the weather
- Scan the parcel and take a photo of where it was left
- Complete a notification card advising where the parcel was left
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