Canada Post is the primary postal service for Canada. It provides domestic shipping for shipments originating from Canada. You can include real-time Canada Post shipping quotes to shoppers on the cart page and at checkout.
In order to display shipping quotes for Canada Post services, you need a Canada Post account. You have the option to show standard rates or your negotiated account rates. See Canada Post Resources for more information about service limits, rate calculation, and troubleshooting common issues and errors.
Requirements
To connect Canada Post to your store, you need:
- a valid Canadian origin address
- Canada set up as a shipping zone
- weight and size dimensions applied to your products
- a Canada Post business account
Enabling Canada Post
These steps will walk you through setting up Canada Post as a shipping method in your store.
1. Go to Settings › Shipping, then click Edit or Configure.
2. Click Connect next to Canada Post under Real time shipping quotes.
3. Click Register With Canada Post.
4. You will be taken to Canada Post's website to log in or sign up for an account. Fill out the provided forms.
When your account has been successfully linked with BigCommerce, you will be returned to the Canada Post configuration page in the BigCommerce control panel.
Your credentials under the Connection tab will be filled out automatically.
5. Select your desired Delivery services, then click Submit. You can view a comparison of their services on the Canada Post website.
6. If you have more than one storefront, the Storefronts tab allows you to toggle your Canada Post integration on or off for each storefront. This gives you the ability to provide distinct shipping methods tailored to a geographical region or customer segment. See our Multi-Storefront guide for more information.
7. When you are ready, click Submit. Canada Post shipping quotes should now be available on your store. We strongly recommend placing a test order to ensure everything is running as expected.
Canada Post Resources
Canada Post Support
Canada Post’s support site is a good resource for finding information pertaining to your individual account, as well as for finding top answers to common service questions.
Canada Post Size and Weight Guidelines
A shipment’s base cost is based off of its actual weight or cubic weight — whichever is greater.
Canada Post’s website defines package terminology and explains how to formulate cubic weight (also known as dimensional or volumetric weight).
- Maximum size
No one dimension may exceed 2 m (78.7 in.)
Maximum length plus girth = 3 m (118 in.) - Oversize
A surcharge applies if the length, width or height exceeds one metre - Minimum size
100 mm x 70 mm x 1 mm (3.9 in. x 2.7 in. x 0.039 in.) - Minimum dimensions for mailing tubes
100 mm x 23 mm x 23 mm (3.9 in. x 0.8 in. x 0.8 in.) - Maximum weight
30 kg (66 lb.) - Fuel Surcharge
Canada Post reserves the right to apply a fuel surcharge to all items. Current details on the fuel surcharge can be found in Fuel surcharges on Canada Post services.
Service Specifics
Canada Post offers a side-by-side comparison of their services to help you decide which ones are best suited for you, your products, and your customers.
The price finder on Canada Post’s site can give you an estimate of what a particular shipment is going to cost.
FAQ
How can customers track orders shipped with Canada Post?
When you create a shipment with a Canada Post tracking number, the customer receives an email with a link to the Canada Post tracking page with the tracking number's status.
I have multiple storefronts, can I use a different Canada Post account for each storefront?
No. While you can toggle shipping methods on or off per storefront, the Connection tab is a global setting. You can only connect one Canada Post account per store.
