Online shopping has quietly changed what a driveway gate has to do. Ten years ago it opened for the household, the occasional visitor and the refuse truck. Today a steady stream of couriers arrives with parcels, groceries and, every so often, a fridge — and every one of them presents the same question: how does a stranger get a delivery to you without the household handing out its main gate code?
This article covers the delivery problem specifically. The underlying hardware is covered elsewhere: keypads generally in our keypad access guide, manufacturer apps in our smartphone app control article, and rotating guest codes for short-term rentals in our Airbnb access guide. Deliveries are a distinct use case from all three: the person at the gate is a stranger, they are on a schedule with three more stops after yours, and the value involved is a parcel rather than a person.
Why Parcels Left at the Gate Are a Genuinely Bad Outcome
It helps to be clear about what you are protecting, because it changes which option makes sense. A parcel left on the pavement in full view of the street is not just a theft risk, although in many suburbs it certainly is that. It also advertises that nobody is watching the entrance, it can be damaged by weather, vehicles or the gate itself reopening, and with grocery deliveries the contents can be unsalvageable within an hour of the sun getting to them. Couriers, for their part, are increasingly unwilling to leave goods unattended because they carry the loss when they do.
The worst outcome is also the most common one: the courier cannot get in, cannot wait, and the parcel goes back to the depot for re-delivery — or gets left somewhere you did not agree to.
The Options That Actually Work
- Intercom answered on your phone. A GSM intercom calls your cellphone when the courier presses the button; you speak to them and press a key to open the gate from wherever you are. No code is ever shared, you control every opening, and cellular networks keep working during load shedding as long as the intercom's battery backup is healthy. This is the option we fit most often, and it builds directly on the hardware covered in our intercom guide.
- A one-off or time-limited keypad PIN. Most outdoor keypads support temporary or scheduled codes. You give the courier a PIN valid for a window long enough to cover the delivery and nothing more, then it expires or you delete it. It only works if the keypad supports it, so check before buying — covered in our keypad article.
- App-based guest access. Where the motor has an app module, a guest permission can be issued and revoked from your phone, and the opening is logged. Convenient, but it depends on your router, the module and the cloud service all being up — the weakest option during a power cut, as covered in our backup power comparison.
- A parcel box at the gate. A bolted-down, lockable drop box means the courier needs no access to the property at all. It is the simplest answer for frequent small parcels and it works identically during load shedding, but it does not solve groceries or appliances, and a cheap freestanding box is itself a theft target — anchor it properly and keep it out of direct street sightlines.
- A collection point or locker. Not a gate solution at all, and often the best one: redirecting parcels to a locker or collection store removes the delivery problem entirely. Worth considering before spending money on hardware if most of your orders are small.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Method | Courier enters property? | Anything shared? | During load shedding |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSM intercom, open from your phone | Only when you choose | Nothing | Works — cellular + intercom battery |
| Temporary keypad PIN | Yes, ideally pedestrian gate | One expiring code | Works — keypad runs off gate battery |
| App guest permission | Yes | Revocable app permission | Weakest — router and cloud must be up |
| Parcel box at gate | No | Nothing | Unaffected |
| Collection point / locker | No | Nothing | Unaffected |
Large Deliveries Are a Different Problem
Appliances and furniture do not fit a parcel box and the courier often needs vehicle access right up to the door. Our advice is blunt: do not grant a stranger full vehicle access to your property to save yourself a wait. Arrange the delivery for a time somebody is home, open the gate for them in person or from your phone, and close it behind them. A two-minute wait is a fair price for not giving an unknown driver unsupervised access to the whole plot. It is also worth confirming the delivery vehicle will physically fit through your gate opening before the delivery day rather than during it — gate width is a constraint covered in our gate sizing guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I ever give a courier my main gate code?
No. The main code should be held by the household only. If a courier needs access, use a one-off PIN, an app permission, or open the gate yourself from the intercom.
Does a GSM intercom still work during load shedding?
Yes, provided the intercom's backup battery is healthy — it runs on the same low-voltage accessory supply as the gate motor's charger. Cellular networks run on their own backup power. The battery is the part to test, and we cover that in our battery lifespan article.
Can I open the gate from the office for a courier?
Yes. A GSM intercom lets you answer the gate from your cellphone and trigger the motor from wherever you are, and an app module does the same over data. You hear the courier, you decide, you press to open.
Are parcel boxes at the gate a theft target?
A light, freestanding box can simply be carried off, so anchor it properly into a plinth or wall, choose a lockable model, and place it where it is not on display to the street. Done like that, it is one of the lowest-risk delivery options available.
Deliveries are a solved problem — the fix is matching the access method to the risk instead of handing out the household code and hoping. If you would like a keypad, GSM intercom or delivery-friendly access control fitted and set up properly at your gate, that is a straightforward installation and we will walk you through the settings on the day.