Australia Post has launched a new initiative to help customers cut shipping costs in the lead up to Christmas, but there's a catch.
Shipster, launched on Tuesday, is the new way for Australian online shoppers to save money on shipping.
The membership program requires customers to sign up using their email address and pay a one-off fee of $9.95 for free shipping.
While the cost will cut shipping fees for the remainder of 2017, the deal is only valid on orders over $25.
Christine Corbett, acting CEO of Australia Post, told A Current Affair the initiative will be 'a bit hit' with customers.
'Over the last year we've done a lot of research... what our research shows us is that shipping costs is really one of the key friction points,' Ms Corbett said.
While the Shipster membership is sure to delight Australian families wanting to save during end-of-year-sales, retail expert Jo Munro warned of the terms and conditions.
The service is currently only available in metropolitan Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Ms Munro added customers 'need to spend $25 or more and it's for shipping under $20'.
The move places Australia Post in competition with online giant Amazon, and comes after the company recorded an 11 per cent drop in letter volumes.
More than forty major Australian retailers have already signed on to the Shipster program, including brand names such as Myer, Cotton On and Target.
Shoppers will receive free, unlimited shipping for their orders for the $9.95 fee until January 1, 2018.
From there, the price will become a monthly fee of $6.95 to continue fee shipping costs.