Understanding Canada Post Rates: A Comprehensive Guide to Shipping Costs

By Amylee Silva
July 4, 2023
Pile of letters and shipping boxes

Curious about Canada Post rates? You’re not alone. With an increased demand for online shopping due to the pandemic, businesses have been looking for ways to optimize their shipping costs. Canada Post provides a range of services, from letters and parcels to international packages, each with its own pricing structure.

One of the main benefits of shipping with Canada Post is the availability of various cost-saving options. Whether you’re sending a letter across town or shipping a parcel overseas, Canada Post has a range of services tailored to suit your needs and budget. So, keep reading as we break down different Canada Post shipping rates to help you choose the most suitable option for you and your business.

Types of Canada Post Rates

Canada Post offers various affordable posting options whose postage rates vary significantly depending on the item’s weight and the recipient’s destination. Here are the latest Canada Post postage rates:

Standard Size Mail

Standard-size mail, mostly postcards and letter envelopes, typically weigh up to 30 grams or the equivalent of five paper sheets. Canada Post allows a maximum dimension of 9.6 x 6.1 with a thickness not exceeding 0.2 for your items to qualify as standard-sized letter mail items.

Standard-size mail is usually the most affordable option, where you only need to buy postage stamps to ship your item. Below are the postage stamps costs for shipping a Standard Size Mail:

  • The cost of a single stamp when shipping to Canada is $1.07, whereas the per-stamp price drops to $0.92 once you purchase it as a booklet.
  • Each postage stamp costs $1.30 when shipping to the United States.
  • Each postage stamp will cost you $2.7 for international delivery.

Oversized Mail or Non-standard

If your item doesn’t qualify as a standard-size option, you should opt for the next option, oversized mail or non-standard. The maximum size for Non-Standard and oversize items is 15 inches x 10.6 inches (380 mm x 270 mm).

Don’t worry if your items exceed the maximum limit, as you may consider using the Canada Post parcel services. Let’s look at the latest Canada postage rates for non-standard mail:

  • You’ll be required to pay a shipping cost of $1.94 for items weighing a maximum of 100 grams or containing 20 pages if you are shipping within Canada. On the other hand, it will cost you $6.49 to deliver to foreign destinations and $3.19 when shipping to the United States.
  • Any oversize mail with a maximum of 40 pages weighing 100 and 200 grams is subjected to a $3.19 postage charge when shipping in Canada. Shipping to international locations will cost you $11.14, whereas sending to the US incur a $5.57 postage rate.
  • Delivering mail items weighing 200–300 grams incurs a $5.09 postage rate in Canada, $22.28 in the US, and $11.14 for overseas destinations.
  • Any mail item with a maximum of 400 grams is subjected to a $4.44 postage rate when shipping within Canada. Shipping to international locations will cost you $22.28, whereas sending to the US incur a $11.14 postage rate.
  • Delivering non-standard and oversized mail items weighing 400–5000 grams incurs a $5.47 postage rate when shipping within Canada, $11.14 in the US, and $22.58 for overseas destinations.

Remember: You are responsible for ensuring the correct postage has been applied to the envelope.

Parcel Shipping

According to Canada Post, any mail item exceeding 500 grams should be considered a parcel. It provides four different alternatives for shipping using this option. Let’s look at these options and their latest postage rates:

Priority post-Canada

Priority is the fastest service enabling next-day delivery across Canada and providing a tracking number, delivery confirmation, and on-time delivery guarantee. The starting price for priority mail is $20.08 for mail items weighing up to 1.7 lbs or 0.75 kg.

Prepaid envelopes can be sent using priority mail. Shipping medium-sized items incur a $26.57 postage rate regionally and $38.69 overseas. The maximum dimensions of medium-sized mail items are 318 mm x 241 mm x 15 mm. On the other hand, shipping large-size prepaid envelopes within the same province costs $27.43 and $44.03 across provinces. The maximum dimension of large-size items is 394 mm x 314 mm x 30 mm.

Canada Post offers prepaid labels for customers with an agreement with the company. Delivering the first 1.36 kg within Canada incurs a $30.86 postage rate and $56.32 for overseas destinations. Shipping mail items within Canada with prepaid labels weighing a maximum of 5 Kg will cost you $37.61 and $90.89 for international shipping.

Xpresspost

For nationwide delivery, Xpresspost offers a longer delivery time of up to two business days. The postage rates for items weighing up to 0.75 kg start at $10.61. It is crucial to note that the company has different rates for prepaid envelopes.

If you want to ship your items regionally, it will cost you $13.50 for large envelopes, $13.50 for medium sized envelopes, and $11.94 for small envelopes. The postage rates for nationwide shipping also vary significantly depending on size, with an $18.12 postage rate for small items, $19.04 for medium items, and $29.67 for large items.

Canada Post also provides prepaid bubble envelopes. The postage rate for small bubble items is $12.49 when shipping within Canada and $17.14 when shipping internationally. Additionally, you will incur an $18.67 postage rate for large bubble envelopes cost when shipping regionally and $30.22 nationally.

Moreover, the company offers prepaid shipping labels for items weighing up to 1.36 kg with a local shipping rate of $18.50 and an interstate postage rate of $34.75. It will cost you a $24.35 postage rate for regional shipping and a $62.21 national shipment rate for items weighing up to 5 kg.

Flat Rate Box

Flat-rate boxes offer an alternative shipment method with different sizes and costs. Small boxes have dimensions of 10.375″ x 14″ x 2.125″ and cost $17.99. Medium boxes measure 15.375″ x 10.25″ x 4.75″ and cost $22.99. Large boxes are sized at 15.75″ x 11.8125″ x 7.50″ and cost $29.99 to mail.

According to Canada Post, items should weigh at most 5 kg, and you must deliver all flat-rate boxes to a post office.

Regular Parcel

You’ll require at least $9.67 to ship your items weighing up to 0.75 kg via standard postal services. National shipping may take 3 to 5 business days, whereas local typically takes two business days.

The normal delivery time for shipping items internationally is 4 to 9 business days. This is the most affordable option. However, the option may not guarantee on-time delivery while additional services are available at extra costs.

Unbeatable International Shipping Rates

Canada Post provides cost-effective postage rates tailored to meet individuals’ and businesses’ diverse requirements. The Canada Post solutions for individuals and businesses provide individualized services and flexible pricing alternatives that save money and time.

They also offer unbeatable international shipping rates, making them the preferred shipping option for many Canadians.

Looking to ship within Canada? Signup for FREE at ShipSimple.ca to see how much you can save today with Canada’s preferred online shipping partner.

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