The cost of mailing letters and parcels in Canada has since gone through a series of price change since inception till date. Canada Post is the most popular choice for domestic letter mail all over Canada.
Canada Post has been in existence since 1981, and to date, it is still operational with over 6,200 post offices across the country comprising of corporate offices and private franchises.
Mailing in Canada
Canada Post is currently the country’s largest domestic shipper regardless of what you are shipping. Even with the unprecedented season of the strike in the year 2018, Canada Post has continued to thrive as it re-established itself as a reliable global courier with the cheapest rates you could get and efficient services.
Canada Post delivers over 1 million packages daily. However, with the global pandemic (Covid-19) that hit the world, Canada Post set a new record of delivery of over 2 million parcels in one day in the month of May 2020.
The process involved in mailing in Canada is seamless, the most convenient and cheapest way to send mail in Canada is via Lettermail. While the easiest way to send a parcel from the USA to Canada is with Global Forever Stamps. This stamp cost an average of C$1.20. Although you can use regular stamps they must add up to C$1.20 each.
If you are sending a first-class letter to Canada, the first 3.5 ounces of postage cost an average of C$2.08. While for a priority mail, the international flat rate envelope costs an average of C$25.85. Delivery is swift depending on the courier service, usually, it takes between 6 – 10 business days to get your package delivered.
For those outside Canada who want to send a package to Canada, the cheapest means is via the United States Postal Services (USPS). All packages shipped via USPS go through Canada’s postal service which handles the final delivery of the package to the destination.
Cost of Mailing a Letter in Canada 2021
For people still using the Canada mailing system to send parcels, letters, etc. there are several ways to go about mailing in Canada. The average cost of mailing in Canada depends on the following:
- The size of the package – Standard/Non-Standard size
- Business/personal package
For a standard size mail like parcels, letter envelopes, postcards, and standard cards, the average cost of mailing a letter in Canada under this category is C$1.07 for a single stamp or C$0.92 in a booklet for parcels weighing up to 30g. While for parcels weighing an average of 30g – 50g, the average cost is C$1.30.
For the 30g size, the total parcel should not be over 5 sheets of paper, while for the 30-50g size, it is a maximum of 9 sheets of paper.
For the Non-Standard mails, they include large documents, oversize envelopes, and big cards. The average cost of mailing letters in Canada under this category is C$1.94 for documents weighing up to 100g and C$3.19 for documents weighing over 100 -200g. For the 100g size, the total parcel should not be over 20 sheets of paper. While for the 100-200g size, it is a maximum of 40 sheets of paper.
Canada Post Parcel Rates
There are no standard Canada Post rates for parcels. A lot will depend on the size of the parcel, where you’re sending it from, and where it’s going. You can use the Canada Post Find a Rate feature to get more accurate estimates.
However, you should know that if the parcel you plan to post is under 2cm thick even with the packaging, it can go for the same price as a letter which is often much cheaper.
For people shipping to the United States from Canada, there are several options depending on the size and whether or not tracking is required. If your parcel is 5 lbs or heavier and needs to go by Expedited Parcel, you should probably budget around $30 CAD for shipping costs.
Canada Post doesn’t offer a low-cost domestic parcel option without tracking so you might find that shipping a parcel locally is a lot more expensive than shipping internationally.
Many Canadians, especially small businesses, complain about how expensive shipping parcels are. One business owner said they were charged $21.50 CAD to ship a parcel 84g in weight despite a small business discount.
So small businesses are turning to much cheaper services like Chit Chats and Netparcel to keep their businesses afloat.
Courier Service in Canada
There are a couple of courier services in Canada that can handle your package professionally and deliver swiftly. Some of them are:
- DHL Express
- Amazon
- FedEx
- Purolator
- United States Postal Services (USPS)
Addressing a Mail within Canada
Aside from knowing the cost of mailing in Canada, you should also know how to properly address your letter/parcels so it does not get lost/missing. If you are sending mail within Canada, the following is how your parcel should be addressed.
- All information including sender’s name, recipient’s name, address, etc. should be in block letters (e.g. MARCEL ROSE)
- Other details like title, floor, etc. must be written above the street address.
- A hyphen (-) should be used between number either apartment number, units, suites, etc. and street number for clarification purpose.
- Street types should be abbreviated. So instead of writing “Boulevard”, write BLVD, while for “Avenue”, write “AVE”, etc.
- Street directions like southeast, southwest, etc. should also be abbreviate. So instead of “South West”, write “SW”.
- Information like the city, province, and postal code should be written on the same line.
- The province you are sending to should also be abbreviate. So instead of writing “Toronto”, write “TOR”, instead of writing “Ontario”, write “ON”.
- The first and last 3 elements of the postal code should only be separated with a SPACE.
- While writing the city and province you are sending to, a SPACE should be used to separate the city and the province.
- For the postal code and province, DOUBLE SPACE should be used between them.
1 thought on “Cost of Postage in Canada 2022”
Looking for prices on an envelope weighing:
100 to200 grams
200 to 300 grams
300 to 400 grams
400 to 500 grams.
Can not find it anywhere. Thanks.