No single carrier or platform has the best shipping rate for every parcel in Canada: the price depends on weight, dimensions, route and speed. A small business gets a better rate in four ways: a carrier business program, a negotiated rate, a multi-carrier platform, or its own carrier account connected to a platform. Compare the total price of the same parcel.
This guide is published by the MesColis / ShipSmarter team. We operate both brands and have a commercial interest in the result. The inputs, observations and limitations of our sample are available below so you can repeat the comparison.
The 4 ways to get a better shipping rate
| Option | Examples | Who it fits | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier business program | Canada Post Solutions for Small Business | Businesses that ship regularly | One carrier only; the level depends on the past 12 months of spend |
| Negotiated rate | A direct contract with a carrier | Regular, predictable volume | Minimums, term, surcharges and post-weighing adjustments |
| Multi-carrier platform | MesColis, ShipSmarter, Secureship, Chit Chats, netParcel, ShipTime, Stallion Express, ShippingChimp | Small and medium volumes | The total price, the carriers offered on your route, drop-off or pickup |
| Your own account on a platform | Connecting your carrier account to a platform | Businesses that already have a negotiated rate | Which carriers are supported |
The right test is always the same: the same postal codes, weight, packed dimensions and options, then the total with fuel, surcharges and tax. A discount percentage does not tell you what you will pay.
Our sample: the same service and parcels
| Route | Parcel | MesColis | ShipSmarter | Secureship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto → Montréal · M5V3L9 → H2X1Y4 | 1 kg · 30×20×10 cm | $15.58 | $15.58 | $16.30 |
| Toronto → Vancouver · M5V3L9 → V6B1A1 | 1 kg · 30×20×10 cm | $21.15 | $21.15 | $22.14 |
| Vancouver → Toronto · V6B1A1 → M5V3L9 | 5 kg · 40×30×20 cm | $25.07 | $25.07 | $26.24 |
Both brands returned the same prices. The differences before tax were $0.72, $0.99 and $1.17 respectively. These are observed quote advantages, not guaranteed checkout savings. We selected Expedited Parcel on all three platforms rather than using an unrelated advertised price as the reference.
Methodology and limitations
- Three domestic routes selected before collection: Ontario–Québec, a transcontinental 1 kg parcel and a 5 kg return route. This is not a representative sample of all Canadian shipments.
- Anonymous quotes collected in one session, residential destination, metric dimensions and no purchased insurance or signature. No individually discounted account and no labels purchased.
- MesColis / ShipSmarter prices are the before-tax Canada Post public preview prices. Secureship prices are its before-tax subtotals, not its tax-inclusive totals.
- Secureship received September 14, 2026 as the ship date. Our public preview has no selectable ship date and can reuse cached carrier rates for up to 24 hours. Delivery dates are not normalized.
- Pickup or drop-off costs, coverage, guarantees, complete addresses and later weight adjustments must be checked before purchase. This is not a comparison of final invoices.
What about Chit Chats, netParcel, ShipTime, Stallion and ShippingChimp?
They remain options worth checking. A missing quote never means a competitor costs more. We do not assign them a win or loss in this basket.
- Chit Chats: its custom calculator required a complete street address and city as well as the destination postal code. Its origin is a region. No comparable quote was retained for this postal-code-only basket.
- netParcel: an access-verification page prevented browser collection. No price was invented or inferred from an advertised discount.
- ShipTime and Stallion Express: no quote with verified account tier and pickup or drop-off conditions was collected in this anonymous sample.
- ShippingChimp: its public rate card uses weight tiers and provincial origins. It excludes tax and says dimensional weight, fuel and other surcharges can affect prices. It is not a quote for these exact parcels.
Check the other options
When to include MesColis or ShipSmarter in your shortlist
If you want an English and French interface to compare available services, prepare a label and track parcels, test MesColis or ShipSmarter with your usual shipments. The public quote preview shows estimates without asking for an email. Carrier availability depends on the route and active services.
For an online store, also check order import, tracking updates back to the store and the features included in your plan. A lower label price can lose its advantage if drop-off or manual processing costs you more.