Between major urban centres, Canada Post publishes these delivery standards: Priority next business day, Xpresspost next day locally and regionally and 2 days between regions, Expedited Parcel 1 to 8 business days, Regular Parcel 1 to 10. Outside major centres it takes longer. Canada Post's delivery tool gives the standard for your route.
Delivery standards by service
Canada Post publishes a standard for each service, by distance (local, regional or national) and type of centre. Here is the one for major urban centres, the most common case for a business.
| Service | Local | Regional | National | On-time Delivery Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priority | Next day | Next day | Next day | Yes |
| Xpresspost | Next day | Next day | 2 days | Yes |
| Expedited Parcel | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 4 days | 2 to 8 days | Yes |
| Regular Parcel | 1 to 3 days | 3 to 6 days | 4 to 10 days | No |
“Regional” means within the same region, “national” from one Canadian region to another. For centres that are not major urban centres, and especially the North and remote areas, the standards are longer: check your route in Canada Post's tool rather than relying on this table.
How Canada Post counts the days
- The standard counts business days from the next business day after deposit to the first delivery attempt.
- The day of mailing, weekends and statutory holidays do not count.
- Standards are based on normal delivery conditions and can change without notice.
The Canadian Postal Service Charter provides for delivery to every address in the country, five days a week, less often in some remote areas.
What is guaranteed and what is not
The On-time Delivery Guarantee covers Priority, Xpresspost and Expedited Parcel. Regular Parcel has none: its standards are estimates. The guarantee can be suspended or modified during peak periods or disruptions.
- Expedited Parcel is for Solutions for Small Business cardholders and customers with an agreement.
- Priority is not available to or from air stage offices.
- A Priority item deposited in a street letter box loses the guarantee.
How to pick the right service
- It must arrive the next business day between major cities: Priority.
- Two days between regions is enough, with a guarantee: Xpresspost.
- A business parcel that is not urgent, with a guarantee: Expedited Parcel, if you have a Solutions for Small Business account.
- Flexible timing and no guarantee needed: Regular Parcel.
- Before promising a date, enter both postal codes in Canada Post's tool, then compare the total price on your route.
Official sources