Feeling overwhelmed trying to keep track of Canada Post postage rates each year? You’re not alone.
Canada Post, known in French as Postes Canada, is the primary postal operator in Canada. Each year it provides mail service to more than 16 million addresses distributed by 6,200 post offices across Canada and delivered by 25,000 letter carriers. The territory covered by Canada Post is bigger than any other country.
The Canada Post postage rates will vary enormously depending on the destination of the item and its weight. As the first and most powerful direct mail automation platform in Canada, we keep a close eye on every change in postage rates.
To help guide you in the differences in postage rates and the cost of sending a letter in Canada, let’s look at Canada Post postage rates 2024.
Are you looking to generate more leads in Canada?
If you’re a direct mail marketer, then using the right direct mail automation tools is crucial for success in Canadian markets.
If you’re building a direct mail campaign in Canada, arm yourself with the best direct mail solutions by creating your free account today. With our revolutionary tech and competitive prices, you’re bound to stand out and generate more leads for your business.
Standard Size Mail
Standard size mail is items that weigh up to 30 grams or five paper sheets. Standard size mail can include postcards, letters, and envelopes.
According to Canada Post, the maximum dimensions for standard mail are 245 mm x 156 mm (9.6 inches x 6.1 inches). However, the maximum dimensions for cards and postcards to the U.S.A. or an International destination are 235 mm x 120 mm (9.2 inches x 4.7 inches).
How much does it cost to mail a letter in Canada in 2024?
- The cost of a Canadian stamp for postage within Canada is $1.07 for a postage stamp. If you purchase stamps in a booklet, the price drops to $0.92 per stamp.
- Postage within the United States is $1.30
- Postage internationally $2.71
Watch This Quick Postalytics Canada Overview Video
Non-standard/Oversized Mail
Postage items that don’t fit within the dimensions of standard size mail will be defined as oversize. Oversize or non-standard size envelopes and postcards will cost you more in postage.
The maximum size is 380 mm x 270 mm (15 inches x 10.6 inches). If the item is larger than the maximum dimensions, you will need to use the Canada Post parcel services.
The postal rates for non-standard and oversize mail are as follows:
- Weighing up 100 grams or comprising up to 20 paper sheets is charged at $1.94 for delivery anywhere in Canada. To send to the United States is $3.19 and elsewhere internationally is $6.49
- Non-standard mail that weighs between 100 and 200gram or up to 40 paper sheets will cost $3.19 for sending within Canada, $5.57 for delivery within the United States, and $11.14 for posting internationally.
- Oversized mail that weighs between 200 grams to 300 grams sees the postage rate increase $4.44 for delivery across Canada, $11.14 for mailing to the United States, and $22.28 for international delivery.
- Non-standard mail that weighs between 300 and 400 grams will cost $5.09 for sending within Canada, $11.14 for delivery within the United States, and $22.28 for posting internationally.
- Finally, the postal rate for sending non-standard mail weighing between 400 and 500 grams within Canada is $5.47. The US and international postage rates are $11.14 and $22.58, respectively.
Parcels
Any mail items that weigh over 500 grams are defined as parcels by Canada Post. There are four options for sending packages, Priority, Xpresspost, flat rate box, and Regular Parcel. Below are the Canada Post delivery times for each of the possibilities.
Delivery Times
| PriorityTM | XpresspostTM | Flat ratebox | Regular/ParcelTM | |
| Local, within a city or town | Up to 2 days | Up to 2 days | 2 days | Up to 3 days |
| Regional | Up to 2 days | Up to 2 days | Up to 4 days | Up to 6 days |
| National | Up to 2 days | 3 days | Up to 8 days | Up to 10 days |
Let’s take a quick look at these options and the different benefits and costs of each.
Priority Post Canada
As can be seen in the table above, the Priority option offers the fastest service across Canada. As a result, Priority is considered the premium option and the best express shipping with Canada Post. It also provides delivery confirmation and tracking – valuable information for businesses. Therefore, if you need Canada Post priority shipping, we would recommend this option.
Prices depend on weight. They start at $20.08, and Canada Post shipping quotes can be calculated here.
Prepaid envelopes are allowed to be sent using priority mail, with the cost being $26.57 to deliver medium-sized envelopes regionally and $38.60 for delivery nationally. The price increases for large-size prepaid envelopes to $27.43 regionally and $44.03 nationally.
Xpresspost
The tier below Priority is Xpresspost which has longer delivery times slightly. Whereas Priority includes the recipient signing for the delivery, this is an added cost for users of Xpresspost. Tracking and delivery confirmation are included, however.
Prices depend on weight. They start at $10.61, and shipping quotes Canada Post can be calculated here
Prepaid envelopes are eligible for the xpresspost option.
The cost is $11.94 to deliver small-sized envelopes regionally and $18.12 for delivery nationally. The price increase for medium size prepaid envelopes to $13.50 regionally and $19.04 nationally. Finally, for large-size envelopes, the costs are $16.59 regionally and $29.67 nationally.
There are also pricing options for bubble size envelopes.
Flat Rate Boxes
The third tier is flat rate boxes.
The flat rate shipping Canada post rates for small flat rate boxes across Canada is $17.99. This increases to $22,99 for medium-sized flat rate boxes and $29.99 for large flat rate boxes.
No matter what, the size of the flat rate box needs to weigh less than 5 kilograms.
This option allows for tracking and an on-time delivery guarantee.
Regular Parcel
The cheapest option is also the only one that doesn’t have an on-time delivery guarantee as per the table above.
The cost is $9.67 for up to 750 grams.
Utilizing Direct Mail with Postalytics and Canada Post
We have covered the various options and costs for using Canada Post, so it’s time to look at how best to utilize direct mail with this system.
Personalized direct mail marketing is a potent tool for a business. It is a great way to promote your business while establishing a more personal connection. One method used by many companies is sending direct mail flyers, letters, or postcards. We have a letter creator that integrates with Canada Post and is easy to use when wanting to create letters. Even for those with little marketing experience, the intuitive tool helps make the most effective direct mail letters, flyers or postcards.
Once your letters are created, it’s time for mail printing. Physical mail offers cut-through and results that are far beyond that of email. For example, 81% of mail recipients read or scan their mail daily. Compare that to recent neuroscience studies that show that when you hold and read a physical piece of marketing material, you’re 70% more likely to recall the brand than when you only see a digital message.
Our system allows you to email like mail. You can post unlimited mail per month, designed for any occasion or holiday, through our customized app that’s easy to use and provides instant overviews for your mail campaigns. Jointly use both email and mail for the best results.
You can automate mail with the Postalytics automated direct mail marketing tool. This allows users to track the progress of your direct mail marketing campaign in real-time. In addition, we have designed a user-friendly dashboard so you can get an overview or go deep into the details.
If you have any questions about Canada Post postage rates or how much to set up a direct mail campaign in Canada in 2024, you can contact one of our experts for more information.
Are you looking for new tech to generate more leads in Canada?
If you’re a direct mail marketer, then using the right direct mail automation and local mailing service is crucial for successful performance in Canadian markets.
If you’re building a direct mail campaign in Canada, arm yourself with the best direct mail solutions by creating your free account today. With our revolutionary tech and competitive prices, you’re bound to stand out and generate more leads in Canada.
About the Author
Dennis Kelly
Dennis Kelly is CEO and co-founder of Postalytics. Dennis joined Boingnet, the predecessor to Postalytics, in 2013. Boingnet was focused on providing print and direct mail marketing service providers the ability to add digital marketing channels to their direct mail campaigns. Postalytics is Dennis’ 6th startup. He has been involved in starting and growing early-stage technology ventures for over 30 years and has held senior management roles at a diverse set of large technology firms including Computer Associates, Palm Inc. and Achieve Healthcare Information Systems.