Canadians: Ask me about Canada Post and shipping - I work there!

[#1]

On top of my "real" job and my etsy shops, I also work part-time at a Canada Post outlet, for 4 years now. I'm very knowledgeable about all things related to shipping. I can be your resident expert! Ask away and I will do my best to answer clearly.

jackie ♥

Here's the original post from a forum thread I started before etsy did the shut-down to teams :( It describes CP's rate increases for 2011, which took effect on January 17th.

Like clockwork, Canada Post is raising their rates as of January 17th. I work at the post office part-time so I thought I would give my fellow Canadians a head's up. Here's a link to the complete list of new rates including all the price tables you could ever want (a very helpful sleep aid for insomniacs!).

http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/prices/ (click on the red "new prices" button)

I'm not sure how bad the increase is for domestic and US Expedited parcel rates, but here are the new Lettermail, Oversize Lettermail, Light Packet, and Small Packet rates.

Lettermail (max 24.5 X 15.6 X .5cm):
Canada >>
0.59 (0-30g)
1.03 (31-50g)
USA >>
1.03 (0-30g)
1.25 (31-50g)
International >>
1.75 (0-30g)
2.50 (31-50g)

Oversize Lettermail (max 38 X 27 X 2cm):
Canada >>
1.25 (0-100g)
2.06 (101-200g)
2.85 (201-300g)
3.25 (301-400g)
3.50 (401-500g)
USA >> (printed matter only)
2.06 (0-100g)
3.60 (101-200g)
7.20 (201-500g)
International >> (printed matter only)
4.10 (0-100g)
7.20 (101-200g)
14.40 (201-500g)

Light Packet (max 38 X 27 X 2cm):
USA >> 4% increase over 2010
2.36 (0-100g)
4.92 (101-250g)
7.91 (251-500g)
International >> 3.5% increase over 2010!
4.60 (0-100g)
9.25 (101-250g)
15.80 (251-500g)

Small Packet (max L + W + H = 90cm)
USA >> 7.5% increase over 2010!
Surface 5.85 (0-250g)
Airmail 7.46
Surface 8.35 (251-500g)
Airmail 9.90
Surface 12.41 (501g-1kg)
Airmail 15.36
International >> (rates vary according to the country.. please see zone and rate tables through the link above. Amounts below are for shipments to the United Kingdom, zone 02 - surface rates are 10% higher than 2010, airmail rates are 8% higher, except in the 1-2kg category)
Surface 6.54 (0-250g)
Airmail 8.53
Surface 8.95 (251-500g)
Airmail 17.06
Surface 15.02 (501g-1kg)
Airmail 33.45
Surface 21.07 (1-2kg)
Airmail 50.26

I don't know about you, but I am really bummed about this. Increases of 7 and 10% are really going to hurt!

Convo me if you have any questions.
(Posted at 2:55 am, January 3, 2011 EST)

[Former_Member]

Dallas -- I find just entering my own phone number works just fine.

CP has required a phone # for a few years on their own "Small Business" (previously VentureOne) online shipping service, so I suppose requiring it on PayPal was inevitable ;)

MM

[TigersandDragons]

Yes but CP doesn't offer Light Packet shipping labels to be bought direct from their website.

[aboundingtreasures]

Tigers + MM --

I thought of using my own phone number because I think asking my customers for theirs is an invasion of their privacy and don't want to deter any sales.

I wondered if I was printing 2 or 3 labels at the same time and using my own phone number, would it not get *caught* and not print?

I do sell cards but also 3D paper art and encaustic art and send everything international either Light or Small Packet unless a customer upgrades.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Former_Member]

Dallas - I've been using my own phone number on the CanadaPost site for over two years now and no problems....

MM

[aboundingtreasures]

MM -- I tried your suggestion yesterday and it worked perfectly!!

It makes sense that I'm contacted if there's a problem with a piece of mail and I can then contact my customer if it's necessary.

I guess I'll find out eventually what may happen if I have 2 or 3 to print at the same time and use my own phone number .... as you say, I'm sure there will be no problems so THANKS for giving me the suggestion!!

[FunkyMaMaJewelry]

Can anyone tell me if there are issues about shipping to Japan I should be aware of? or tips or tricks.. Thanks

[TigersandDragons]

I haven't shipped there much, but haven't had any problems. From what I understand, they have an excellent mail system.

In most cases Imports are tax and duty exempt up to a value of 10000.00 Japanese Yen , which today equals $122.68 CAD.

Here's what Canada Post states about shipping to Japan: https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGIntDestDetails-e.asp?table=tblCountry&txtLetter=JP

You could ask the customer to provide their address in Japanese as well as English, and then print off the Japanese address and glue/tape it onto the envelope or package, in addition to having it in English.

[terrabryn]

Does anyone have any experience using Tracked Packet to the USA (as apposed to Expedited Parcel USA) ?

I'm thinking of switching to Tracked Packet to save my customers some money, but am wondering if the service is as good.

I've had absolutely no issues with Expedited over the years and I do recall some discussions of issues with Tracked Packet when it first came out - but that is quite a long time ago now.

Thanks, Catherine

[cindylouwho2]

I use tracked packet whenever customers want tracking but not speed; I don't usually offer Expedited at all.

Sometimes it is slower than light/small packet, but I haven't had any huge issues. Mind you, I have sent very few of them, only 2 this year so far.

[TigersandDragons]

If you look at the services times given for Tracked Packet and Expedited, there is usually only 1 days difference.

However neither service is time guaranteed - and the service times provided by CP are estimates only.
I have no idea if USPS handles/treats these services differently, when it comes to getting through customs clearance, or treating like priority.

Expedited USA used to be a ground service, and was mainly used for parcels weighing over 1kilo, or when tracking was wanted.

Then after CP discontinued insurance for Small Packet,
Tracked packet was created to meet e-business needs for tracking and insurance (limit $100).

Maybe you'd get more responses/opinions from sellers who use Tracked packet in a group made up of Canadian sellers, or Ontario sellers since your location close to the major hub of Toronto means you get shorter delivery times to the USA than I do.

[terrabryn]

Thank you both for you replies.

In my Etsy label purchase drop down - Expedited USA and Tracked Packet list the same number of estimated days for delivery which is the thing that has triggered me to consider it.

But then there is Cindy's experience "Sometimes it is slower than light/small packet". Yikes :)

I'll give Canada Post small business a call and ask some questions, and maybe send a couple of trial Tracked Packet packages to the US instead of light packet at my own expense to check it out.

Being close-ish to Toronto is an advantage getting packages out of Canada expediently. Getting Toronto's smog out here in cottage country on the prevailing winds in the summer is not so advantageous :)

Many thanks. Catherine

[KnitsByNat]

I sent a Tracked Packet to TX Friday, April 21st and the buyer received it Tuesday, April 25th. It's always been quite quick for me and I drop my packages in a mailbox not the post office.

[aboundingtreasures]

Does anyone else sometimes use PayPal when purchasing their shipping labels?

I've purchased Light Packet for years via PP and just now when I tried to do the same, I was asked if I already had a Canada Post account and when I answered, "No" I was asked to "register".

Once that was complete, I was ready to select Light Packet as always from the shipping choices but it was NOT there! :(

All my basic shipping prices are Light Packet so I decided to check Etsy shipping labels to see if it was still available there and it was!! [for how long??]

I purchased both labels for Light Packet via Etsy / CP with no trouble but am wondering if Jackie can tell us whether Light Packet has been removed completely from PP / CP?

And if it has, is it just a matter of time until CP removes it from Etsy shipping as well??

If that's what's happening, I'm going to have to increase my shipping slightly to cover the Small Packet Air rates :(

[cindylouwho2]

a few other people have had this problem
http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/Paypal-Shipping-Canadapost-account-not-working/m-p/373416...

apparently light packet disappearing is intermittent:
https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/About-My-Account/Problems-with-Canada-Post-shipping/m-p/1220028
and someone bumped this old thread today - scroll down:
http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/What-happened-to-Canada-Post-s-light-packet-option/td-p/6...

I almost never use Paypal for light packet, but it would suck if that option disappeared.

[aboundingtreasures]

Thanks for those Etsy and ebay links, I'll check them out :)

I went with Etsy shipping for both that I had to send and it worked out great so may continue to do that every time!!

[TigersandDragons]

Light Packet is the same price on Etsy, Paypal, and in person at Canada Post, there is no discount. You can even use stamps if you need to, to equal the postage.
Well technically you might pay slightly more on Etsy, because your Etsy bill is always in USD, so the postage is converted from CAD, to USD.

The CP website does not sell labels for Light Packet, it really does not make sense to me why not.

[EightMileVintage]

I got the same message when I tried to print a CP label on Paypal. It seems that the Ebay discount I was getting on CP labels printed on PP is now gone if you go directly to PP to print a label as I have been doing for my domestic Etsy orders. I signed up for CP's Snap Ship and the discount on Expedited shipping is even better than it was through PP. I hope that lasts.

[cindylouwho2]

so Snap Ship is woking ok? Does it have light packet? I haven't found much about it yet - I guess I need to log in & learn more

[EightMileVintage]

It worked fine for me but I printed just a domestic Expedited label, Cindy. I didn't spend any time looking around. I got a huge discount from what I thought the shipping would be for a large item. I don't know why I was able to sign up for the service at all. It seems to be geared to small businesses but there wasn't anything about qualifying as a business. I just used my Etsy shop name as the company name and gave myself the title of CEO since a title was required. Maybe they will kick me out if I don't ship a lot of packages.

The only thing I don't like about it is that I was unable to get a scan receipt when I dropped off the package at the post office because the clerk there said I had used a "commercial" service.

[EightMileVintage]

I poked around Snap Ship and I don't see an option there for Light Packet. I tried to look at the shipping for an international envelope and I got a message saying that regular mail had to be taken to the post office. I tried a package with dimensions similar to the bubble envelopes that I use and it gave me a Small Packet International Air rate of $8.05. That rate was discounted from a regular rate of $10.27 down to $9.47 and then there was a further promotional discount (unexplained) of 15% to take it to $8.05. Does that sound like the Light Packet rate? I think when I took a LP envelope to the post office recently I paid $10.10.

[cindylouwho2]

that sounds like the small packet rate (but cheaper). Light packet International is currently $10.10 to everywhere but the US.

I logged in with my existing account & got a 12 cent discount on US small packet, which Etsy & Paypal do not provide. The other rates looked good.

I usually only use printed labels for Xpresspost, but this could still be very useful. Thank you for posting!

[EightMileVintage]

Let me know if you find Light Packet on the site, Cindy. I use it a lot in my pattern shop.

[cindylouwho2]

didn't see it at all, unfortunately. I ship almost everything in this shop via light packet, but I go to the post office.

[TwistedKnickersInc]

Wow! Loving SnapShip. I just used it to send an expedited parcel to small town Ontario
$14.96 SnapShip compared to $17.46 Etsy Shipping.

[EightMileVintage]

Cindy, do you now if we can put a Small Packet label on a bubble envelope? I have a feeling the answer is no but there is nothing I can find on the site that gives an answer.

Arlene, did you get the Promo15 discount on your label?