Canada Post Regular Parcel
How long Canada Post Regular Parcel takes, its size limits and 166 divisor, and what it includes compared with Expedited Parcel and Xpresspost.
Checked against Canada Post’s own pages on . How we check
Short answer. Regular Parcel is Canada Post's most economical parcel service within Canada. It travels by ground and takes 1 to 3 business days locally and 4 to 10 between major cities across the country, longer in the north. Tracking is included, but it has no on-time guarantee and coverage costs extra.
Canada Post Regular Parcel at a glance
- Delivery standard
- 1 to 3 days locally, 4 to 10 across Canada
- On-time guarantee
- Not offered
- Tracking
- Included
- Coverage
- Bought separately
- PO boxes
- Delivered
- Weekends
- Some Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal areas
Size and weight
- Heaviest parcel
- 66 lb
- Longest side
- 78 in
- Length + girth
- 118 in
- Dimensional weight
- L × W × H ÷ 166
What Regular Parcel is
Canada Post calls Regular Parcel “our most economical service for items shipped within Canada, with carbon-neutral ground shipping.” It travels by ground, and anyone can buy it, at a post office counter or through a business account.
It suits parcels that aren’t in a hurry: restocking a customer who can wait a week, light but bulky goods, and anything going to a PO box or a rural mailbox, which Canada Post serves and the courier companies don’t.
How long Regular Parcel takes
Canada Post publishes these delivery standards for Regular Parcel, in business days.
| Distance | Major urban centres | Other areas | Northern and remote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local | 1 to 3 days | 2 to 3 days | 6 to 9 days |
| Regional | 3 to 6 days | 3 to 7 days | 6 to 14 days |
| National | 4 to 10 days | 4 to 13 days | 7 to 14 days |
The count starts the day after mailing and leaves out weekends and statutory holidays. Canada Post says Regular Parcel “doesn’t offer an On-Time Delivery Guarantee”, so these standards are estimates. Expedited Parcel, Xpresspost and Priority carry the guarantee.
Size limits and dimensional weight
A Regular Parcel can weigh up to 30 kg (66 lb). No side can be longer than 2 m (78.7 in), and length plus girth can’t pass 3 m (118 in), where girth is twice the width plus twice the height. Canada Post adds an additional handling charge when any side is over 1 m (39.4 in) or the second-longest side is over 76 cm (30 in), and a parcel over 22.7 kg (50 lb) needs an Overweight Parcels sticker.
Canada Post charges the greater of the scale weight and the dimensional weight. Regular Parcel is the only Canada Post service that divides by 166 (6,000 in centimetres); the others divide by 139. Take an 18 × 14 × 10 in box weighing 6 lb. It measures 2,520 cubic inches, which is about 15.2 lb by Regular Parcel and about 18.1 lb by Xpresspost or Priority. For light, bulky goods, check that difference before you pick a faster service. Try your own box in the parcel size calculator.
Weekends and holidays
Canada Post delivers parcels to homes Monday to Friday from 9 am until as late as 8 pm, and to businesses from 9 am to 5 pm. It is starting weekend parcel delivery in select areas of Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal: eligible parcels to homes there may arrive on a Saturday or a Sunday. Canada Post picks the day for each area, senders can’t ask for it, and PO boxes aren’t included. Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver are planned for 2027.
Statutory holidays don’t count as delivery days. Our Canada Post holiday schedule lists the days it closes, and the weekend delivery guide covers all five carriers.
Addresses it reaches
Canada Post says it delivers to every residential and business address in Canada. A Regular Parcel addressed to a PO box or general delivery goes into the box, or, if it’s too large, Canada Post leaves a notice card and holds the parcel at the post office for 15 calendar days before returning it. Rural mailboxes get the parcel in the receptacle, or a delivery attempt at the door when it won’t fit.
Tracking and claims
Tracking is included. A signature on delivery is an option at an extra charge. Liability coverage is an add-on for Regular Parcel: Canada Post includes some with Expedited Parcel, Xpresspost and Priority, but with Regular Parcel you buy it when you ship.
Canada Post takes claims for loss or damage within 90 calendar days of the shipping date, and only the sender can claim. Read more in lost or damaged parcels: claim deadlines by carrier.
When to choose another Canada Post service
- Expedited Parcel is faster on most routes and includes the on-time guarantee and coverage, but only business account holders can buy it.
- Xpresspost arrives the next day locally and regionally, and in 2 days nationally, between major urban centres.
- Priority is Canada Post’s fastest service, guaranteed for the next business day between major urban centres.
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Questions about Canada Post Regular Parcel
How long does Canada Post Regular Parcel take?
Between major urban centres, Canada Post's standard is 1 to 3 business days locally, 3 to 6 regionally and 4 to 10 across the country. Other areas take up to 13 business days, and northern and remote destinations 6 to 14. These are estimates, not guaranteed times.
Is Regular Parcel tracked?
Yes. Tracking is included with Regular Parcel. A signature on delivery and liability coverage are extras you choose when you ship.
Why can Regular Parcel bill a lower weight than Xpresspost?
Canada Post works out dimensional weight for Regular Parcel by dividing the box's volume in cubic inches by 166, and for its other services by 139. The same box therefore bills at a lower dimensional weight by Regular Parcel.
Does Regular Parcel deliver to PO boxes?
Yes. Canada Post delivers Regular Parcel to PO boxes and general delivery. If the parcel doesn't fit, it leaves a notice card and holds the parcel at the post office for 15 calendar days.
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