Courier bags are the cheapest way to post clothing, soft goods and flat items. They weigh almost nothing, so courier fees stay low, and they take up very little storage space. The right courier bags depend on what you send: a thin poly mailer is fine for a T-shirt, while a padded bag suits a phone cover or a book. Send us your sizes, quantities and how you want them printed, and suppliers who deliver to your area quote you directly, free and with no obligation.
Poly mailers, padded and bubble envelopes
A poly mailer is a bag of co-extruded polyethylene, usually 50 to 70 micron, with a self-seal strip. It is waterproof, tear resistant and suits garments, shoes in a box, textiles and accessories. A padded envelope or bubble envelope has an air cushion lining for fragile or small hard items like jewellery, cosmetics and phone accessories. A paper mailer with a kraft outside is a plastic-free option.
Pair the bag to the product: a bag that is too thin splits at the corner of a book, and a padded bag is wasted on a pair of socks. See bubble wrap bags for the next level of protection.
Sizes and courier limits
Bags are quoted by width x length plus a flap, in millimetres. Common sizes:
- 250 x 350 mm, a T-shirt or small accessories.
- 350 x 450 mm, a folded jersey or jeans.
- 450 x 550 mm, a jacket or bedding set.
- Padded 180 x 260 mm, a book or phone.
Couriers charge on the larger of actual weight and volumetric weight, worked out from length x width x height. A flexible bag that moulds to the item keeps volume down, so a soft parcel in a bag is often cheaper than the same goods in a carton. Check the size and weight limits of your courier and satchel option before ordering a size.
Security strips, opaque bags and printing
Most online shops want opaque bags so nobody sees what is inside. Grey outside and black inside, or white outside and black inside, hide the contents completely. A tamper-evident strip leaves a visible mark if the bag is opened, and a double strip (peel-and-seal plus a second strip) lets a customer return an item in the same bag. Printed bags carry your logo in one or two colours, with a minimum order of about 1,000 to 5,000 bags and a few weeks of lead time. Plain bags can be dressed with a sticker or a stamp for small runs.
Recycled bags and the plastic rules
Many South African makers offer courier bags made of recycled polyethylene or with a compostable film. Ask for the recycled percentage in writing and what claims the supplier can back up with a certificate. Plastic packaging is covered by extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules, so brand owners may be asked to register and pay fees, which suppliers can explain. If you ship larger or heavier goods, compare mailers with a cardboard box and read our packaging price guide before settling on a bag.
What to include in your request
- What you send and how heavy it is
- Bag size in mm (width x length)
- Plain or printed, and number of colours
- Opaque, tamper-evident or double strip
- Quantity per month and delivery address
Courier Bags for different businesses
- Online shops and ecommerce: daily dispatch of clothing, accessories and small orders with tamper-evident strips
- Restaurants, takeaways and food producers: dry goods, spice sachets and packed snacks sent by post in small orders
- Shops and retail stores: sending click-and-collect orders and returns between shop and warehouse
- Factories and manufacturers: mailing small parts, samples and documents without a full carton
- Warehouses, distributors and exporters: parcel hubs and fulfilment centres that handle thousands of soft parcels a day
- Households and offices moving: bagging soft items like bedding and curtains, and sending keys or paperwork
- Farms, packhouses and nurseries: seed packs, small dried goods and samples sent by post from farms and nurseries
- Cosmetics, candles and health products: padded bags for skincare, lash and candle orders, printed to match the brand
Frequently asked questions
How much do courier bags cost?
What size courier bag do I need?
Can couriers handle plastic mailers?
Can I get courier bags with my logo on them?
Courier Bags by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg