A small business gets shipping discounts in Canada in four ways: a carrier business program, a negotiated rate once volume is high enough, a multi-carrier platform that shares its rates, or its own carrier account connected to a platform. None of them always wins. The real test is the total price of the same parcel, fees included, on your lane.
Where shipping discounts come from
The price shown at the counter is a retail rate. Almost every discount starts from there and depends on who you are to the carrier: an occasional customer, a member of a business program, a contract customer, or a user of a platform that ships for many businesses at once.
| Discount source | Who it fits | Commitment | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier business program | Businesses that ship regularly | Often just a sign-up | The discount can depend on your past spend |
| Negotiated rate | Regular, predictable volume | Contract, sometimes with minimums | The fees and adjustments in the contract |
| Multi-carrier platform | Small and medium volumes | Varies by platform | The total price, not just the base rate |
| Your own account on a platform | Businesses that already have a negotiated rate | Whatever your account has | Which carriers are supported |
Carrier business programs
Several carriers have a business account that unlocks prices below retail. At Canada Post, the Solutions for Small Business program assigns a savings level based on your shipping spend over the past 12 months, reviewed every quarter. Other carriers run their own business accounts, with conditions that vary.
The limit: each program covers one carrier. If your parcel is cheaper elsewhere on a given lane, one program's discount will not show you that.
Negotiating a rate: when it becomes possible
Carriers mostly negotiate with businesses whose volume is regular and predictable. To prepare the conversation, have on hand:
- Your shipping history: parcels per month, typical weights and dimensions.
- Your main lanes: local, interprovincial, to the United States or elsewhere.
- The services you use: ground, express, signature, insurance.
- A recent comparison of the total price for your typical parcels.
Read the whole contract before signing: volume minimums, term, fuel surcharges, other surcharges and post-weighing adjustments. A large discount on the base rate can be eaten up by those fees.
Multi-carrier platforms
A multi-carrier platform ships for a large number of businesses and gives access to its rates without each one negotiating alone. The advantage for a small business: you compare several carriers on the same screen and choose parcel by parcel.
If you already have a negotiated rate, some platforms, MesColis among them, let you connect your own carrier account to ship at your own negotiated rates while still comparing the other options.
Compare the total price, not the discount
A discount percentage does not tell you what you will pay. Two offers only compare on the same parcel, the same lane and the same options. Check what gets added to the base rate:
- The fuel surcharge, which changes regularly.
- Dimensional weight, which can exceed the actual weight for a large, light box.
- Surcharges: residential address, remote area, oversized parcel.
- Options: signature, insurance, pickup.
Carrier programs, rates and fees change often. This guide gives no prices or percentages: confirm the total at the rate step for your parcel.
See the rates for your parcel
MesColis is not a carrier. Enter the postal codes, weight and dimensions: we show the services of the carriers that serve that lane side by side, each with its total price and estimated transit time. You see right away whether your current discount holds up.
Free MesColis account, no contract and no volume commitment: compare before you buy the label.