How to file a Purolator claim
File 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.
Updated
Short answer. Since March 30, 2026, only the party that pays Purolator for a shipment can file a claim. For a lost parcel, Purolator needs a trace first. Damage seen at delivery and missing contents must be reported within 60 days, hidden damage within 21 days, and loss within nine months of shipping. Unless a value was declared, Purolator pays at most $2 a pound.
Who can file a Purolator claim
Purolator changed its terms on March 30, 2026. They now say that only the party contractually obligated to pay Purolator for the shipment, as Purolator decides, can start or file a claim. Its claim form still asks whether you’re the shipper, the receiver or a third party, but the terms decide who’s authorized.
For a recipient, that means going to the sender. For a business that bought the label through a shipping platform, it means the platform, because the platform is the account Purolator bills. A Purolator label bought through ProtonShip is claimed from the shipment in your ProtonShip account. How claims work at ProtonShip
Purolator claim deadlines
| What happened | Tell Purolator in writing within |
|---|---|
| Damage you can see at delivery | 60 days from delivery |
| Damage found after delivery (concealed) | 21 days from delivery |
| Missing contents | 60 days from delivery |
| Loss or failure to deliver | 9 months from the date of shipment |
Miss the window and Purolator’s terms say it has no liability for the shipment.
How to file
- For a lost parcel or missing contents, start a trace first, by chat on purolator.com, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-888-744-7123. Purolator won’t accept a loss claim before the trace.
- File the claim through Purolator’s Virtual Assistant, which Purolator says is fastest, or its manual web form.
- For damage to a shipment worth more than $500, or help with the form, call the National Claims Office at 1-800-461-0540, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm Eastern. Its email is [email protected].
What Purolator asks for
- The tracking number and a copy of the bill of lading or manifest, from the sender
- A cost invoice showing the amount claimed, at wholesale or manufacturer’s cost without retail markup
- A damage inspection report or repair estimate, if there is one
- Photos of the damaged items and the inside and outside packaging
How much Purolator pays
Unless a value was declared on the bill of lading, Purolator’s liability is $2.00 a pound ($4.41 a kilogram) of the shipment’s weight, so a light parcel is covered for very little. A courier shipment can be declared at up to $5,000. Purolator pays the lowest of its limit, the market value, the original cost to the claimant and the repair cost, and it can keep goods it pays full value for.
Purolator ships some goods at the shipper’s risk and won’t accept damage claims on them, including glassware, ceramics, china and screens, liquids, perishables, artwork, antiques, jewellery, items not in their original packaging, and electronic devices such as televisions. For electronics, it still accepts claims for loss.
How long it takes
Purolator doesn’t publish a decision or payment time for claims. It pays a claim only once all the shipping charges for that shipment are paid.
If tracking says delivered but the parcel isn’t there
Purolator lets drivers leave parcels at homes without a signature where the spot seems safe. Check who signed, if anyone, under Track a Shipment on purolator.com, look around the delivery spot and ask neighbours, then contact Purolator to start a trace or ask the sender to.
Purolator claims filed for you
With a ProtonShip label, you file from the shipment, and we submit the claim and follow it up.
Related reading
Claims filed and followed up for you
File from the shipment in your account, and we submit the claim to Purolator and follow it up.