Parcel shipping guides for Canada
Plain answers about claims, weekend and holiday delivery, drop-off and pickup, costs, packing, labels and strikes for parcels shipped within Canada. Each guide says when its facts were last checked.
- Lost and damaged parcels
- Carriers, weekends and holidays
- Drop-off, pickup and PO boxes
- Costs and rates
- How to pack and ship it
- Labels and addresses
- Strikes and disruptions
Lost and damaged parcels
- Lost or damaged parcel in Canada: what to do and how to claimWhat to do when a parcel is lost, stuck or damaged in Canada, each carrier's claim deadline, and who has to file when the label came from a shipping platform.
- How to file a UPS claim in CanadaFile a UPS claim for a lost or damaged parcel shipped within Canada: the 60-day deadline, what UPS asks for, how much it pays, and who it pays.
- How to file a FedEx claim in CanadaFile a FedEx claim for a lost or damaged parcel shipped within Canada: the 21-day and nine-month deadlines, what FedEx asks for, and who files for a reseller's label.
- How to file a Purolator claimFile a Purolator claim for a lost or damaged parcel: who's allowed to file since March 2026, the trace you need first, the deadlines, and Purolator's $2 a pound limit.
Carriers, weekends and holidays
- UniUni delivery: tracking, statuses and customer serviceHow UniUni delivers parcels in Canada, what each tracking status means, how to reach UniUni customer service, and what to do when a parcel is marked delivered but missing.
- Which carriers deliver on weekends in Canada?Saturday and Sunday delivery in Canada for UPS, FedEx, Purolator, Canada Post and UniUni: who delivers, where, and which services you have to pay extra for.
- Does Canada Post deliver on weekends?Canada Post's Saturday and Sunday parcel delivery around Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal, its delivery hours, and whether post offices open on weekends.
- Does UPS deliver on weekends?UPS delivers on Saturdays in parts of Canada and never on Sundays. Which services deliver Saturday, how late drivers come, and what a business day is.
- Does Purolator deliver on weekends?Purolator's paid Saturday option, why Sunday isn't a standard delivery day, how late it delivers to homes and businesses, and where to find location hours.
- Does FedEx deliver on weekends?FedEx delivers on Saturdays in parts of Canada but not on Sundays. Which services deliver Saturday, how late FedEx delivers and what a business day is.
- Does UniUni deliver on weekends?UniUni advertises seven-day service in major cities but publishes no weekend schedule or delivery hours. What it says, and how quotes count its days.
- Canada Post holiday schedule and hoursWhen Canada Post closes for holidays in 2026 and 2027, its hours on holidays and working days, and the last days to ship for Christmas 2026.
- UPS holiday schedule in CanadaWhen UPS closes in Canada, holiday by holiday and province by province, what its limited days mean, and the holidays it kept in 2026 as a guide to 2027.
- Purolator holiday scheduleWhen Purolator closes for holidays, province by province: Remembrance Day, Christmas and Boxing Day 2026, its 2026 list, and what's known for 2027.
- FedEx holiday scheduleWhen FedEx closes in Canada for holidays in 2026 and 2027, province by province, with Remembrance Day, Christmas ship-by dates and location hours.
- UniUni holiday scheduleThe days UniUni doesn't deliver, province by province, from its own published list, with the rest of 2026 and what to expect in 2027.
- Canadian parcel shipping facts for 2026Size limits, dimensional weight divisors, claim deadlines, weekend delivery and rural rules for Canada Post, UniUni, Purolator, UPS and FedEx.
Drop-off, pickup and PO boxes
- UPS drop-off locations and pickups in CanadaWhere to drop off a UPS package in Canada, the size limits at UPS Access Points, what to bring, cut-off times, and how UPS pickups work.
- Purolator drop-off locations and pickupsWhich Purolator locations take a labelled parcel, from Staples to drop boxes and lockers, their size limits and cut-offs, and how pickups are booked.
- FedEx drop-off locations and pickupWhere to drop off a FedEx parcel in Canada, from Ship Centres and Staples counters to drop boxes, with cut-off times and how FedEx pickups work.
- UniUni drop-off locations and parcel pickupWhere to drop off a UniUni parcel, what UniUni Stores and Points are, where its warehouses are, and when you can collect a UniUni parcel yourself.
- Shipping to a PO box in CanadaOnly Canada Post delivers to PO boxes in Canada. What UPS, FedEx, Purolator and UniUni do with a PO box address, and how to write one correctly.
Costs and rates
- Cheapest way to ship a package within CanadaWhat sets the price of a parcel shipped within Canada, including box size, speed and surcharges, and how to cut each one before you compare carriers.
- How UPS shipping rates work in CanadaWhat sets a UPS price within Canada: the service, the zone, billable weight and UPS's divisors, home and remote surcharges, fuel, peak fees and adjustments.
- How Purolator shipping rates workWhat sets a Purolator shipping cost: service, zone, billable weight and the cube factor, then residential, remote, special handling and fuel charges.
- How FedEx shipping rates work in CanadaHow FedEx prices a parcel within Canada: service, zone, billable weight, home and rural surcharges, oversize rules and the weekly fuel surcharge.
- Shipping box sizes and what they bill atCommon shipping box sizes, what fits in each, how to measure a box, and what each size bills at with Canada Post, Purolator, UPS and FedEx.
How to pack and ship it
- How to measure a box for shippingMeasure a box for shipping: length, width and height, how to measure girth, how each carrier rounds, and the length plus girth limits, with an example.
- How to ship a package in CanadaPack and measure the box, pick a carrier and speed, print the label and drop it off. Each step for parcels shipped within Canada.
- How to ship a painting in CanadaPack a painting so it arrives intact, pick a carrier whose rules allow art, and know what each carrier pays if it's damaged in transit.
- How to ship skis and snowboards in CanadaPack skis or a snowboard, see which carriers take a long ski bag and what it bills at, and find the length where extra charges start.
- How to ship a bike in CanadaBox a bike, choose a box size that keeps the bill down, and see which carriers take each size. With the rules for e-bike batteries.
- How to ship golf clubs in CanadaPack golf clubs in a travel case or box, see which carriers take a 52 in case and what it bills at, and keep the handling charges down.
- How to ship tires in CanadaWrap and label a tire for shipping, see the extra handling carriers apply to unboxed tires, and what a typical tire bills at.
- How to ship furniture in CanadaWhich furniture can go as a parcel, which carriers take long or heavy flat-pack boxes, and when it has to go by freight instead.
- How to ship a TV in CanadaPack a TV in its original box, see which carriers take a screen that size, and which carriers limit what they pay for a damaged TV.
- How to ship a laptop in CanadaPack a laptop in two boxes, ship it with the battery installed and switched off, and pick a carrier whose battery and electronics rules fit.
- How to ship books in CanadaPack books so the corners survive, keep each box under the weight where handling charges start, and see why books bill on their weight.
- Shipping lithium batteries in CanadaWhich lithium batteries you can ship within Canada: installed, packed with a device or on their own, and what each carrier and ProtonShip allow.
Labels and addresses
- How to print shipping labels with or without a label printerPrint a shipping label on any printer or a 4 × 6 thermal label printer, pick the right label printer, and attach the label so it scans first time.
- Canadian address format: how to address an envelope or parcelHow to address an envelope or parcel in Canada Post's address format: line order, spacing, postal codes, units, PO boxes and French addresses, with examples.
Strikes and disruptions
- Is Canada Post on strike? Status and what to doCanada Post's labour status today, what happened in the 2024 and 2025 strikes, and how a business can keep shipping if service stops again.
- Alternatives to Canada Post for parcelsThe parcel carriers besides Canada Post: Purolator, UPS, FedEx and UniUni compared on PO boxes, rural reach, weekends, size limits and claim deadlines.
Tools and references
- Free shipping toolsDelivery dates, billable weight, printable labels and packing slips.
- Parcel carriers in CanadaEvery carrier and service, with delivery times and size limits.
- Shipping platforms comparedHow Canadian shipping platforms charge, adjust and handle claims.
- Shipping news and holiday deadlinesDated news: deadlines, rate changes and carrier announcements.
Compare four carriers in one quote
UniUni, Purolator, UPS and FedEx in one account, paid per label.