Canada Post Xpresspost
How fast Xpresspost, Canada Post's express shipping service, is: delivery times, the on-time guarantee, size limits, and how it compares with Priority.
Checked against Canada Post’s own pages on . How we check
Short answer. Xpresspost, sometimes called Express Post, is Canada Post's express parcel service: the next business day locally and regionally between major cities, and 2 business days across the country. Tracking, an on-time guarantee and liability coverage are included. Priority is faster nationally, guaranteed for the next business day between major urban centres.
Canada Post Xpresspost at a glance
- Delivery standard
- Next day locally, 2 days across Canada
- On-time guarantee
- Included, except air stage offices
- Tracking
- Included
- Signature
- Option, extra charge
- Coverage
- Included
- PO boxes
- Delivered
Size and weight
- Heaviest parcel
- 66 lb
- Longest side
- 78 in
- Length + girth
- 118 in
- Dimensional weight
- L × W × H ÷ 139
What Xpresspost is
Xpresspost is Canada Post’s express shipping service, sometimes written Express Post or Xpress Post. Canada Post describes it as “a fast and cost-effective shipping service” with next-day and two-day delivery. Anyone can send it, at a post office counter or through a business account, and Canada Post also sells prepaid Xpresspost envelopes.
A separate version, Xpresspost Certified, is a document service that captures the recipient’s signature on delivery. It’s only available to customers with a Standing Offer Agreement.
How long Xpresspost takes
Canada Post publishes these delivery standards for Xpresspost, in business days.
| Distance | Major urban centres | Other areas | Northern and remote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local | Next day | Next day | 5 days |
| Regional | Next day | 2 days | 5 to 7 days |
| National | 2 days | 3 days | 5 to 8 days |
The count starts the day after mailing and leaves out weekends and statutory holidays. Canada Post’s published standards give the day, not a time of day. Xpresspost carries the On-Time Delivery Guarantee: when a parcel is late, Canada Post offers replacement service or a credit equal to the shipping charges. The guarantee doesn’t apply to parcels sent to or from air stage offices, the post offices in remote communities served by air, and Canada Post may change it during peak periods or suspend it for events outside its control.
Size limits and dimensional weight
An Xpresspost parcel can weigh up to 30 kg (66 lb), with no side longer than 2 m (78.7 in) and length plus girth up to 3 m (118 in). Any side over 1 m (39.4 in), or a second-longest side over 76 cm (30 in), adds an additional handling charge.
Xpresspost divides the volume by 139 in inches (5,000 in centimetres) for dimensional weight, and Canada Post charges whichever is greater, that or the scale weight. An 18 × 14 × 10 in box weighing 6 lb measures 2,520 cubic inches, so it bills at about 18.1 lb. By Regular Parcel, which divides by 166, the same box bills at about 15.2 lb. Check any box in the parcel size calculator.
Batteries and restricted items
Canada Post counts Xpresspost and Priority as air services. Lithium batteries installed in a device, up to 4 cells or 2 batteries, can go by Xpresspost. Loose batteries, or batteries packed with a device but not installed in it, must go by a surface service: Regular Parcel or Expedited Parcel. Firearms can’t go by Xpresspost either. Our prohibited and restricted items page compares all five carriers.
Weekends and holidays
Canada Post delivers parcels Monday to Friday. It is starting weekend parcel delivery in select areas of Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal, where eligible parcels to homes may arrive on a Saturday or a Sunday. Canada Post chooses the day for each area, and a sender can’t request it. Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver are planned for 2027. Holiday closures are in our Canada Post holiday schedule, and the weekend areas in our Canada Post weekend delivery guide.
Addresses it reaches
Xpresspost goes to any Canadian address Canada Post serves, including PO boxes and general delivery. A parcel that won’t fit in the box waits at the post office for 15 calendar days, with a notice card left for the recipient. Northern and remote destinations take 5 to 8 business days, as the table shows.
Tracking and claims
Tracking, the on-time guarantee and some liability coverage are included. A signature on delivery costs extra with Xpresspost, while Priority offers it at no charge. Canada Post takes claims for loss or damage within 90 calendar days of the shipping date, from the sender. See claim deadlines by carrier.
Xpresspost compared with Priority and Expedited Parcel
Priority is the faster choice across the country: it’s guaranteed for the next business day between major urban centres, where Xpresspost takes 2 days nationally. Priority also includes a free signature option and, for business accounts, free one-time pickups. It can’t go to or from air stage offices.
Expedited Parcel is slower, a ground service taking 2 to 8 business days nationally between major centres, and only business account holders can buy it. It suits parcels where a few extra days don’t matter.
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Questions about Canada Post Xpresspost
Is Express Post the same as Xpresspost?
Yes. Canada Post spells its express service Xpresspost, and Express Post or Xpress Post are other ways people write it. Canada Post's fastest service is Priority, guaranteed for the next business day between major urban centres.
How long does Xpresspost take?
Between major urban centres, Canada Post's standard is the next business day locally and regionally, and 2 business days nationally. Other areas take up to 3 business days, and northern and remote destinations 5 to 8.
What's the difference between Xpresspost and Priority?
Priority is Canada Post's fastest service, guaranteed for the next business day between major urban centres, where Xpresspost takes 2 days nationally. Priority also includes a free signature option. Both are tracked and guaranteed, and both divide by 139 for dimensional weight.
Is Xpresspost guaranteed?
Yes. Xpresspost carries Canada Post's On-Time Delivery Guarantee, with replacement service or a credit equal to the shipping charges when it's late. Parcels to or from air stage offices aren't covered, and Canada Post can change the guarantee in peak periods.
Does Xpresspost need a signature?
Not by default. A signature on delivery is an option at an extra charge. Xpresspost Certified, which always captures a signature, is a document service for contract customers only.
Can I send lithium batteries by Xpresspost?
Only batteries installed in a device, up to 4 cells or 2 batteries. Canada Post treats Xpresspost as an air service, so loose batteries and batteries packed with a device have to go by Regular Parcel or Expedited Parcel.
Sources, checked October 11, 2026
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