Key Points:
- Purolator is a large shipping courier that offers both domestic and international shipping services, and the company delivers to 99% of Canadian addresses
- Canada Post’s network of 6,200 post office locations makes shipping convenient and affordable
- Canpar is the second-largest shipping courier in Canada with 62 delivery hubs across the country
What’s your priority when it comes to shipping? Cheap? Fast? Reliable? Whatever your answer, Canada is home to a range of shipping couriers that can help you ship the way you want.
Canada Post, FedEx, UPS – these big names and more let you ship within Canada, to the US, or to faraway countries. It’s up to you to pick the courier that suits your budget, delivery speed, and features.
This blog lists out the top couriers to consider for shipping in Canada. With Easyship, you can unlock discounted shipping rates from all these couriers – up to 91% off retail.
Table of Contents
Major Canadian Couriers
Here's the rundown of major Canadian couriers to choose from.
1. Canada Post
Canada Post is the national post carrier for Canada and the largest domestic shipping company in the country by volume. Founded in 1867, the courier offers mail and parcel shipping services to every address in Canada.
Canada Post’s network of 6,200 post office locations makes shipping convenient and affordable. Cheap rates are supported by value-added extras like shipping insurance, signature confirmation, and more.
Complementing a variety of domestic shipping services are international shipping services to over 190 countries worldwide. Shipping from Canada to the USA? There’s a handful of US-specific international services just for you.
The most popular domestic services from Canada Post include:
Regular Parcel
Economical ground delivery service within Canada.
- The cheapest option for shipping in Canada
- Delivery in 2-9 business days days
- Tracking included
- Shipping insurance available
Priority
The fastest domestic shipping service from Canada Post.
- Next-day delivery guaranteed
- Tracking included
- $100 shipping insurance included
Xpresspost
A mix of speed and savings.
- Delivery in two days or less, guaranteed
- Tracking included
- $100 shipping insurance included
Flat Rate
Pay a single flat fee to ship to any location if your shipment weighs less than 5kg.
- Delivery in 1-7 business days, guaranteed
- Package must weigh 5kg or less
- Tracking included
Canada Post also offers a variety of international shipping services, including:
Priority Worldwide
The fastest international delivery service from Canada Post.
- Delivery in 2-3 business days, guaranteed
- Tracking included
- $100 shipping insurance included
Xpresspost International
A mix of fast and affordable international shipping.
- Delivery in 4-7 business, guaranteed
- Tracking included
- $100 shipping insurance included
Xpresspost USA
The fastest US-bound shipping service from Canada Post.
- Delivery in 2-3 business days, guaranteed
- Tracking included
- $100 shipping insurance included
Tracked Packet USA
Slower but more affordable shipping from Canada to the US.
- Delivery in 4-7 business days
- Tracking included
- $100 shipping insurance included
Pro Tip: tracking information for Canada Post international shipping may not be up to the minute. Delivery confirmation is guaranteed, but if tracking items in transit is important – you may want to use another international courier.
Learn More: Your Guide to Canada Post Shipping Rates
Purolator
Purolator is a large shipping courier that offers both domestic and international shipping services. The company delivers to 99% of Canadian addresses via its economy, same-day, or next-day services. These services are reputed to be reliable and affordable, much like Canada Post.
International shipping is available via the company’s partnership with UPS, which transports items from the Canadian border to their end-destination in other countries. This process is seamless and doesn’t impact delivery lead time or require added effort from shippers.
Purolator splits its domestic shipping services into two categories, including:
Purolator Ground
Fast and economical domestic delivery in Canada with several delivery speeds to choose from.
- Delivery in 2-4 days business days, guaranteed
- Free scheduled pickup
- Tracking included
- Saturday shipping available
Purolator Express
The fastest domestic delivery service from Purolator with several speeds to choose from.
- Delivery in 1-2 business days, guaranteed
- Free scheduled pickup
- Tracking included
- Saturday shipping available
Learn more: Purolator Courier Comparison
Canpar
Canpar is the second-largest shipping courier in Canada with 62 delivery hubs across the country. The company specializes in domestic ground deliveries but also offers expedited service from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver to the US with guaranteed delivery. Canpar can be a good choice if your Canadian business ships to the US frequently. Shipping services are also available to other countries.
Canpar’s most popular services include:
Canpar Ground
Economical shipping in Canada or to the US.
- Delivery in 1-4 business days
- Free scheduled pickup
- Tracking included
Canpar Overnight
Expedited shipping with guaranteed delivery.
- Delivery in 1-6 business days, guaranteed
- Free schedule pickup
- Tracking included
Canpar Letter Select
Fast and reliable international delivery to the US.
- Delivery in 2-10 days
- Fere schedule pickup
- Tracking included
Canpar International
International shipping services to over 200 countries.
- Delivery in 2-10 days
- Free schedule pickup
- Tracking included
You can use our free shipping calculator to get an instant rate quote for Canpar services and other Canadian courier services. Just plug in your shipment weight and destination and you’ll get an accurate rate quote from all available couriers.
Here are some example Easyship discount rates from Canada Post for a shipment from Ontario to Edmonton.
Here we see Canpar has a monopoly on the best rates from Ontario to Edmonton, at least for lightweight packages. Try our free rate calculator to estimate your shipping costs instantly.
Major International Couriers in Canada
All common multinational couriers operate in Canada, including FedEx, UPS, and DHL. These couriers offer a range of both domestic and international shipping services, from economy ground to overnight shipping.
Value-added shipping features like shipping insurance, delivery confirmation, and more are also available for purchase. Here’s a quick survey of these couriers.
FedEx
FedEx is headquartered in the US but delivers all across Canada. The company operates two divisions – FedEx Ground and FedEx Express, or FedEx Air. FedEx ships within Canada, the US, and overseas in as little as one day up to weeks for economy shipping.
Tracking is included with all services, and FedEx is the only courier to include delivery signature confirmation with all shipments. FedEx is known for its reliability but isn’t often the cheaper way to ship.
Learn more: FedEx Services Page
UPS
UPS is the world’s largest express package delivery service. Like FedEx, UPS maintains a reputation for reliable, speedy shipping but isn’t usually the cheapest option. UPS Canada division ships within Canada, while the company also ships to the US and overseas.
You can ship UPS Ground for economy shipping or expedited delivery with UPS Overnight in 1-2 days, guaranteed. If you need your shipment to arrive fast and have a few bucks to spare, UPS is a great choice.
Learn more: UPS Services Page
DHL Express
DHL Express is an international courier service that specializes in global shipping, especially within Europe. The company is less robust in North America than UPS and FedEx but offers domestic and cross-border shipping. However, it can be one of the fastest couriers from Canada to the US.
For example, here’s a sample shipment from Ontario to the US that shows DHL Express as the fastest option.
Note the $25 in savings you get from using Easyship. Our free shipping rate calculator also gathers rate quotes from Canada Post for the same shipment. Unsurprisingly, Canada Post is cheaper by a wide margin.
Headquartered in Germany, the company can ship to embargoed countries like Cuba and Iran much cheaper than can US-based FedEx and UPS. This means you can often get cheaper rates from DHL Express for shipments bound to foreign countries.
DHL Express offers the standard suite of value-added shipping features, including free tracking, shipping insurance, delivery confirmation, Saturday delivery and others.
Learn More: DHL Express Services Page
Regional Couriers in Canada
Canada is home to a range of smaller regional couriers that specialize in regional, local or US-bound deliveries. Check your local area for these couriers, as you may get cheaper shipping rates than with big-name couriers. Here’s one example:
Dicom
Dicom is a Quebec-based regional courier that offers fast in-providence delivery but also across Canada. With 28 shipping terminals, Dicom specializes in delivery to Quebec and Ontario and says it delivers 95% of shipments in Quebec within 24-hours.
The company also offers full truckload freight shipping for merchants with lots of inventory to move. International shipping services are available through the company's partner network. Dicom is a good option if you ship primarily within Quebec and Ontario.
Canada Shipping with Easyship
As a Canadian shipper, you have access to the best shipping North America has to offer. This includes Canada Post, Canpar, and Purolator for affordable domestic shipping plus international services. Multinationals like FedEx, UPS, and DHL for reliable global delivery. Plus, smaller regional couriers specialize in cross-border shipping to the US at a discount.
Try our free shipping rate calculator to discover the cheapest rates for your next shipment in seconds. Or create your free Easyship account to unlock these savings for yourself.
