Proof of delivery from Sendle, StarTrack and Aramex for Shopify disputes

The dispute arrives on a Tuesday and the parcel went with a courier you rarely think about. You open the carrier's site, find the tracking page, and see "delivered" with nothing else. No photo, no signature, no name. You know the parcel got there. You cannot show anyone how you know.

Proof of delivery is the single most useful record in a "product not received" dispute, and it is also the record most Australian merchants never collect until they need it. This guide explains what proof of delivery is, what we could and could not verify about Sendle, StarTrack and Aramex, how to ask each carrier for it, and how to build a routine that saves it before a dispute exists.

This guide is for you if:

• You ship with Sendle, StarTrack or Aramex, or through a platform that books them for you, and want to know what proof you can get.
• You have a dispute open and need a delivery record fast.
• You want a repeatable way to save proof of delivery so each dispute starts with the evidence already on file.

Last updated: 9 October 2026. Written by the ChargeFix team. Reviewed against sources on 9 October 2026.

The 30-second answer (TL;DR)

• Proof of delivery (POD) is a carrier record that a parcel was delivered: usually the date, time, address, a status, and sometimes a photo, signature or both.
• Courier by courier, the picture varies. Aramex Australia's help page says you can view a photo of where a consignment was delivered in its aramexConnect portal: log in, open the consignment, go to tracking, and click Show Photo.
• A Shippit help article says a delivery photo may come with a delivery notification, may include a signature or slip depending on the carrier, and that not every delivery includes a photo.
• We could not verify what Sendle and StarTrack provide as standard. Check your account, and ask the carrier in writing.
• Australia Post's Safe Drop process describes a photo of where the parcel was left. That is covered in our other posts.
• Save POD on delivery day. Files must be PDF, JPEG or PNG, up to 2 MB each and 4 MB in total, with one file per evidence type, and no links.
• A POD request that names the tracking number, date and exact items you need gets answered faster than a vague one.

Quick note: Do not assume the same proof exists for every carrier or every service level. Shippit's article says photos depend on carrier procedures and the service used. Treat "what do I actually get?" as a question to answer for each service before you need it.

Proof of delivery at a glance

Carrier or source	What we verified	What we could not verify
Aramex Australia	Photo of where a consignment was delivered, viewable in aramexConnect via View Recent, the consignment, tracking, Show Photo	When a POD becomes available, and whether signatures are offered
Australia Post	Safe Drop includes a photo of where the parcel was left	Whether every delivery has a photo or a signature
Sendle	Nothing from sources we opened	Standard POD content and how to request it
StarTrack	Nothing from sources we opened	Standard POD content and how to request it
Platforms such as Shippit	POD may include a photo, and a signature or slip depending on carrier	Which carriers and services include them

What is proof of delivery?

Proof of delivery is a record created by the courier to show that a parcel reached its destination. It usually answers four questions:

1. When was it delivered, to the minute where possible?
2. Where was it delivered, by address and, if recorded, location?
3. Who received it, by name or signature, if the service captured one?
4. How can that be shown, by a photo, a signature or a scan?

A courier tracking page that only says "delivered" answers the first question and part of the second. A full POD answers all four. The more of the four you can show, the stronger your response to a Shopify dispute.

What does Shopify suggest for a product not received dispute?

Shopify's chargeback reasons page suggests, for product not received, the fulfilment date and time, billing information, shipping and tracking, and access logs for digital goods. Shopify also auto-uploads a PDF of all fulfilment events on the order. A carrier POD is the part you add yourself. It is not something Shopify can create from the order alone.

What courier proof of delivery can you get from Aramex?

This is the one carrier where we found a clear, published process.

According to Aramex Australia's help page, you obtain proof of delivery through the aramexConnect Customer Portal:

1. Log in at aramexconnect.com.au.
2. Open the consignments menu and click View Recent.
3. Open the consignment from the list.
4. Scroll down to the tracking information and click Show Photo.

The page describes the POD as a photo of where the consignment was delivered, and says senders can view photos of where consignments were delivered in the portal. It does not describe any other POD detail, such as a signature or a recipient name. It also does not state when a POD becomes available after delivery.

How to use the Aramex photo in a dispute

• Download or screenshot it promptly. Do not rely on the portal being there when the dispute arrives.
• Include the consignment number and date in the frame of the screenshot, or add a caption on your cover note.
• Keep it under 2 MB. If the photo is large, export it at a smaller size and check you can still read the surroundings.
• Describe it honestly. "Photo shows the parcel at the front door of [address]" is a fact. "Photo proves the customer received it" is a claim the reviewer will weigh for themselves.

What does Shippit say about delivery photos and signatures?

If you book carriers through a platform, the platform's help pages may be easier to follow than the carrier's. A Shippit help article on retrieving proof of delivery says:

• A delivery photo is taken by the driver at delivery and may be sent with the delivery notification, to show where the parcel was left.
• Depending on carrier policy, it may also include a signature or delivery slip.
• A preview appears in the notification email, and to see or download all images you open the tracking page and verify access with the email address used for the delivery.
• Not every delivery includes photos. It depends on the carrier's procedures and the service level used.
• If a photo is unclear, shows the wrong address or shows no parcel, you can use "Get delivery help" on the tracking page so the carrier can investigate.

The article names Aramex as one of the carriers that provide this, and does not mention Australia Post, StarTrack or Sendle. So it tells us how the system works in general but not what you will get from each carrier.

The practical lesson is that the notification email itself can be evidence. If your customer's delivery notification contains a photo, the customer received a copy. Ask whether your platform shares delivery notifications with you as well.

What about Sendle and StarTrack proof of delivery?

We did not find a page we could verify for either carrier, so we will not describe their POD features as if we had. What we can do is give you the questions to ask and a way to record the answers.

Questions to ask Sendle, StarTrack or any courier

1. What proof of delivery is created for my service level, and what does it contain?
2. Is a photo taken at delivery, and where can I see it?
3. Is a signature or recipient name available, and for which services?
4. How soon after delivery is the POD available?
5. How long is it kept?
6. How do I request it for a specific tracking number, and who answers?
7. What do you do if the customer says the parcel did not arrive?
8. What are your claim terms for lost parcels, and what must I provide?

Put the answers in one document, with the date you asked and the name of the person who replied. That document is your own reference and takes the guessing out of future disputes.

A POD request you can send to any carrier

Tracking number: [number]. Service: [service]. Lodged: [date]. Delivery address: [full address]. Our tracking shows delivered on [date] at [time]. The recipient reports the parcel did not arrive. Please send the proof of delivery for this consignment: the delivery date and time, the delivery location or address, any photo taken at delivery, any signature or recipient name, and the scan details. If any of these are not available for this service, please say so. We need this by [date] to respond to a card payment dispute.

Name the deadline, because it tells the carrier why the request is urgent. Ask for a written reply, and save it as a PDF.

How do you turn proof of delivery into evidence Shopify accepts?

Shopify's file rules are strict. Files must be PDF, JPEG or PNG, with PDF/A under 50 pages, up to 2 MB per file and 4 MB in total, one file per evidence type, with no links, audio or video.

A step-by-step method

1. Capture the tracking page. A full-page screenshot with the delivered status, date and address. Include the time of capture.
2. Capture the POD. The photo or the carrier's written reply.
3. Combine related items into one PDF. For example, the tracking page and the carrier reply in a single "shipping and tracking" file.
4. Check the size. Export at lower quality if over 2 MB, then open it to make sure the text is readable.
5. Name the file clearly, such as "tracking-and-pod-order-1042".
6. Mention each file in your cover note.

Our chargeback evidence checklist covers the full pack and the cover note template.

Illustration: a POD budget on a A$200 order

Assumed file sizes.

File	Content	Size
1	Cover note	100 KB
2	Tracking page and carrier reply, combined PDF	700 KB
3	Delivery photo	900 KB
4	Customer messages, combined PDF	600 KB
5	Shipping policy screenshot	400 KB
Total		2.7 MB

That is inside the 4 MB total and each file is under 2 MB. If the delivery photo came in at 3.5 MB, you would need to reduce it, because anything over 2 MB per file will not upload.

When should you collect proof of delivery?

Before you need it. Carriers do not promise to keep records forever, and we did not find a published retention period for Aramex, Sendle or StarTrack. If you save a record on delivery day, you do not have to ask for it months later.

A simple routine

• For every order above your threshold, check the tracking page the day after the delivered status and save the page as an image or PDF.
• For every order with a photo, download it.
• For every complaint, ask the carrier for the POD the same day.
• Once a week, spot-check three delivered orders to confirm the records are saving properly.

Illustration: time cost

If saving a delivered order takes 90 seconds, then 40 orders a week take an hour. At A$40 an hour that is A$40 a week. If one lost dispute costs A$175 on a A$150 order (the amount plus the A$25 fee), saving records pays for itself if it prevents or wins even one dispute every month or so. These are assumed figures, and you can narrow the routine to higher-value orders to cut the time.

Which service level should you buy?

Proof depends on the service. A cheaper service may have no photo, no signature and a thin tracking record. A higher service may add them. We could not verify the options and prices for Sendle and StarTrack, so use this as a framework, not a price list.

Order value	Suggested approach	Why
Under A$50	Standard tracked service	Cost of proof is higher than the likely loss
A$50 to A$150	Tracked service with a delivery photo where offered	A photo is useful evidence at a modest cost
A$150 to A$300	Photo or signature, and check cover	The gap between value and cover starts to hurt
Over A$300	Signature, Extra Cover or insured service	One lost dispute is a large loss

The bands are examples. Choose numbers from your own margins. For cover amounts on Australia Post, see our post on who is liable when a parcel is lost in transit.

How do you compare couriers on proof of delivery before you sign up?

Most merchants choose a courier on price and speed, and discover the proof of delivery limits later. Put proof on the comparison sheet from the start. Because we could not verify the details for every Australian courier, treat this as a list of questions to put to each one, and fill in the answers yourself.

Question	Courier A	Courier B	Courier C
Is a delivery photo taken on standard service?
Is a signature available, and at what service level?
Can I see the photo in a portal, or only in the notification?
How soon after delivery is the record available?
How long are records kept?
How do I request a POD for one tracking number?
What is the claim process and time limit?
What cover is included, and what does extra cover cost?
What does the courier do if the customer says it did not arrive?

Ask each courier's sales or support team to answer in writing, and keep the replies. A courier that cannot answer these questions clearly is telling you something about how it will handle your dispute.

Worked scenarios: three couriers, three proof situations

These are made-up situations to show how the same dispute plays out with different proof. Dates and amounts are illustrations.

Scenario 1: the photo is in the portal

A customer disputes a A$190 order on Monday 26 October 2026. The courier's portal shows a photo of the parcel at the front door. You download it, capture the tracking page, and build a five-file pack in 45 minutes.

Move: fight. A$215 is at stake including the fee, and the photo, the address match and the tracking page make a coherent story. Your time costs A$30.

Scenario 2: the photo is only in the customer's email

A customer disputes a A$140 order. Your booking platform sends delivery notifications to the customer, not to you. You ask the customer to forward the delivery email. They do not reply.

Move: ask the platform or courier for the delivery record in writing, naming your deadline. In future, set your notifications to copy you, or save the tracking page as an image on delivery day. If you cannot get the photo, rely on the delivered scan, the address match and your messages, and weigh A$165 against a thinner pack.

Scenario 3: no photo and no signature

A customer disputes a A$85 order delivered by a basic service. The tracking page says delivered with a date and suburb. No photo exists.

Move: build the pack from the delivered scan, the address match, Shopify's fulfilment PDF and your messages, and state plainly in the cover note that the service does not record a photo. At A$110 including the fee, fight only if you can build it in under 30 minutes. Otherwise accept, and use the loss to decide whether to upgrade the service for orders of this value.

What does a good proof of delivery log look like?

A log turns scattered screenshots into a system. One row per order above your threshold is enough.

Order	Date delivered	Courier	Tracking	POD type	File saved	Customer confirmed?
#1042	Fri 9 Oct	Courier A	[number]	Photo	Yes	No
#1049	Mon 12 Oct	Courier B	[number]	Scan only	Yes	Yes, by email
#1051	Tue 13 Oct	Courier A	[number]	Photo and signature	Yes	No

Add a column for "notes" when something unusual happens, such as a wrong-address photo or a delay. After a few months, the log shows which courier and service give you the strongest proof, and which orders you cannot defend. It also makes the first hour of any dispute faster, because you already know where each file lives.

How often should you review it?

Once a month is enough. Count how many delivered orders had a photo, how many had a signature, and how many had neither. If more than a handful of high-value orders had neither, change the service for that value band.

How do booking platforms and apps change proof of delivery?

Many Shopify stores book couriers through an app or a shipping platform. That helps with labels and tracking, and it adds one more place where the proof can live or be lost.

Check where the delivery notification goes. Shippit's article describes a preview of the delivery photo in the notification email, with the full set available from the tracking page after verifying the email used for the delivery. If the email goes only to the customer, you may need to ask for it.

Check what the platform stores. Some platforms keep a copy of the tracking events. Others link out to the courier. If it links out, save your own copy.

Check the retention. We did not find a published retention period for any of the platforms or couriers we looked at. Save your own files and do not rely on the platform to keep them.

Check the support route. When a photo is unclear or shows the wrong address, Shippit's article says to use "Get delivery help" on the tracking page. Know where the equivalent is for your platform.

What should you do about a wrong-address photo?

If a delivery photo shows a different address or no parcel, do not hide it. It is the most useful piece of evidence you have, because it tells you what happened.

1. Do not submit it as proof that the customer received the parcel.
2. Send it to the courier with a request to investigate and a deadline.
3. Tell the customer. Apologise, and offer a refund or replacement.
4. If the dispute is an inquiry, refund in full to end it.
5. If it is a chargeback, you cannot refund, so accept, then pursue the courier.

Honesty protects your credibility, and a wrong delivery is a courier problem you can often claim for. Our guide to parcels lost in transit shows how the money works for Australia Post, and you should ask your own courier for its equivalent terms.

What if the carrier cannot give you proof?

It happens. Not every service records a photo or signature, and sometimes a record exists but is slow to arrive.

1. Be honest in the cover note. Say what exists and what does not.
2. Lean on the other evidence. The delivered scan, the address match, customer messages, prior undisputed orders and Shopify's fulfilment PDF.
3. Use the carrier's help route. Shippit's article points to "Get delivery help" on the tracking page for unclear photos or wrong-address photos.
4. Escalate in writing, with the deadline.
5. Decide on value. If the evidence is thin and the order is modest, a refund may be cheaper than fighting. See accept or fight a Shopify dispute.

If the carrier confirms a wrong delivery, you have a claim to pursue and a refund to make. If it confirms the right address, you have your best evidence.

How does proof of delivery fit the whole dispute?

POD is one link in the chain. A strong response shows the order, the fulfilment, the delivery and the customer's contact.

1. Order: Shopify supplies it.
2. Fulfilment: Shopify supplies the date and time, and the PDF of fulfilment events.
3. Delivery: you supply the POD.
4. Contact: you supply the messages.
5. Policy: you supply the shipping policy.

If delivery is the weak link, strengthen it first. If the customer's messages are the weak link, look for them next. The post on item not received disputes with Australia Post shows how the pieces go together, and tracking says delivered but the customer says no covers the hardest version.

Timing

Shopify's due date is usually 7 to 21 days after filing, in your store's timezone, ending at 11:59 PM if no time is shown. Shopify Payments submits automatically on that date, and evidence is locked after you click Submit now. A POD request that takes the carrier a week to answer can use up most of a 7 day window, so ask on day one. Our deadline guide shows the clocks.

What's different for Australian merchants?

Many carriers, many options. Australian stores often use several carriers, sometimes through a booking platform. Keep one table of what each courier and service provides.

Remote and apartment deliveries. These are where proof matters most, and where photos and signatures are hardest to get. Australia Post lists unattended apartment mail rooms and properties close to the street among unsuitable safe-drop locations.

Local rules for claims. Australia Post's compensation page sets out a sender claim process with a 6 month window and proof of lodgement. We did not verify equivalent terms for Sendle, StarTrack or Aramex, so ask each carrier.

Long cardholder windows. NAB gives cardholders up to 120 days for Visa and Mastercard disputes, varying by reason, and 210 days for eftpos. CHOICE reports it can run from the expected delivery date, up to 540 days for Visa. Your POD needs to be on file for months.

Dates and money. Use A$ and full dates, such as 12 October 2026, in cover notes.

Common mistakes

Assuming every service has a photo

Shippit's article says it depends on the carrier and the service level.

Relying on the portal later

Records can be hard to retrieve when you need them. Save on delivery day.

Sending a screenshot with no date

Include the capture time.

Uploading a file over 2 MB

It will not go through. Reduce it before the deadline.

Pasting a link to the tracking page

Shopify does not accept links. Capture the page as an image or PDF.

Asking the carrier vaguely

Name the tracking number, the date, the items you need and your deadline.

Not recording what each carrier offers

A one-page table saves hours across a year.

What we could not verify

• What Sendle provides as proof of delivery and how to request it.
• What StarTrack provides as proof of delivery and how to request it.
• Whether Aramex offers signatures, and how soon a photo is available after delivery.
• How long each carrier keeps delivery records.
• Claim terms for Sendle, StarTrack and Aramex.
• How a card issuer weighs a photo versus a signature.

Where a decision depends on one of these, ask the carrier in writing and keep the reply.

Frequently asked questions

What is proof of delivery?

Proof of delivery is a carrier record that a parcel reached its destination, usually with the date, time, address and status, and sometimes a photo, signature or recipient name. In a Shopify product not received dispute it is the evidence you add to Shopify's fulfilment records.

How do I get proof of delivery from Aramex?

Aramex Australia's help page says to log in to aramexConnect, open the consignments menu, click View Recent, open the consignment, scroll to the tracking information and click Show Photo. It describes the POD as a photo of where the consignment was delivered, and does not state a timeframe.

Does Sendle provide proof of delivery?

We could not verify what Sendle provides as standard, so check your account and ask Sendle in writing which proof exists for your service, how to request it for a tracking number, and how long it is kept. Save the reply and any record you receive.

Does StarTrack provide a signature or photo?

We could not verify that from the sources we opened. Ask StarTrack which service levels include a photo or signature, how to request them, and how soon they are available. Use the request template in this guide and name your deadline.

Is a delivery photo enough to win a dispute?

It helps a great deal, but nothing guarantees a win, because the card issuer decides. A photo, a matching address, the delivered scan and any customer message together make the strongest pack. Add Shopify's fulfilment PDF and your shipping policy.

What file format should proof of delivery be in?

Shopify accepts PDF, JPEG and PNG. Each file can be up to 2 MB, with 4 MB in total, and one file per evidence type. Links, audio and video are not accepted, so capture web pages and portals as images or PDFs.

How soon should I request proof of delivery?

As soon as the customer reports a problem, and ideally on delivery day for higher-value orders. Shopify's due date is usually 7 to 21 days after filing, so a slow carrier reply can use most of a short window. Include your deadline in the request.

What if the carrier says there is no photo?

Say so honestly in your cover note and rely on the delivered scan, address match, customer messages and Shopify's fulfilment PDF. Shippit's help article notes that not every delivery includes a photo. Consider a refund if the order is modest and the evidence thin.

Should I choose a service that includes a signature?

For high-value orders, usually yes, because one lost dispute costs the order value plus the fee. For low-value orders a signature may cost more than it saves. Choose thresholds from your own margins and dispute history, and check each carrier's options and prices.

Start free trial with ChargeFix

ChargeFix helps Australian Shopify merchants turn their order, delivery and message records into a ready response. You review and file it, or let Auto mode handle them. If you want your proof of delivery organised before the next dispute, you can try it on a free trial first.

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Sources

• How do I obtain a proof of delivery, Aramex Australia
• Retrieve a proof of delivery, Shippit
• What is Authority to Leave, Australia Post
• Compensation for lost or damaged parcels, Australia Post
• Chargeback reasons, Shopify Help Center
• Managing chargebacks in the Shopify admin, Shopify Help Center
• Chargebacks: prevention and dispute guide for merchants, NAB
• How do card chargebacks work?, CHOICE