Canada Post Services at a Glance
Canada Post runs four domestic parcel services and a separate set for the United States and international destinations. The single most useful thing to know before comparing them: three of the four domestic services carry the On-Time Delivery Guarantee, and Regular Parcel does not. Canada Post states that except where the guarantee applies, all delivery standards are estimates only. So the gap between Expedited Parcel and Regular Parcel is not just speed, it is whether the date is a commitment at all. Compare live rates for every service on your exact route.
4 domestic parcel services
3 services carry the delivery guarantee
30 kg max parcel weight (66 lb)
Every delivery window on this page is a Canada Post published delivery standard, counted in business days. Business days exclude Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays, and the standards exclude time in customs. Canada Post also markets some services with "in as little as" claims, which describe a best case rather than the standard, so they are not used as delivery windows here.
Source: Parcel Services Customer Guide, effective 29 May 2026
Domestic Parcel Services
All four domestic services cap at 30 kg (66 lb) per parcel and all four include tracking at no additional charge. What separates them is speed, the guarantee, carbon-neutral shipping, and one pricing quirk noted below.
Next day fastest local standard (Priority)
4-10 days Regular Parcel, national
Mon-Fri delivery days, no weekends
| Service | Delivery standard | Max parcel weight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority | Next day local, next day to 1 to 3 days nationally | 30 kg / 66 lb | The fastest domestic option, with the guarantee and carbon-neutral shipping included |
| Xpresspost | Next day local, 2 to 3 days nationally | 30 kg / 66 lb | Fast national delivery with the guarantee, and the cheapest tier that is carbon neutral |
| Expedited Parcel | 1 to 2 days local, 2 to 8 days nationally | 30 kg / 66 lb | The value choice that still carries the On-Time Delivery Guarantee |
| Regular Parcel | 1 to 3 days local, 4 to 10 days nationally | 30 kg / 66 lb | Cheapest domestic service, and the only one with no guarantee. Also gets the more forgiving volumetric factor |
The pricing quirk is worth knowing before you pick a tier. Regular Parcel is cubed at a density factor of 6,000 where the other three use 5,000, and because you divide by that factor a higher number produces a lower billable weight. So the cheapest service is also the most forgiving on box size. For a large but light parcel that can matter more than the difference in base rate. Our Canada Post Shipping Rates guide has the formula and worked examples.
Delivery is Monday to Friday. Canada Post does not deliver parcels on weekends, so a next-day standard means the next business day. See our Canada Post Delivery Times guide for delivery hours and the statutory holiday position.
Source: Parcel Services Customer Guide, effective 29 May 2026
Shipping to the United States
Canada Post treats the US as its own service group. Four options, and the choice usually comes down to weight: above 2 kg you are picking between Xpresspost and Expedited Parcel, below it the Packet services are normally cheaper.
2-3 days Xpresspost - USA standard
4-7 days Expedited Parcel - USA
2 kg Tracked Packet ceiling (4.4 lb)
| Service | Delivery standard | Max parcel weight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xpresspost - USA | 2 and 3 business days | 30 kg / 66 lb | The only US service with the On-Time Delivery Guarantee, and signature is included at no charge |
| Expedited Parcel - USA | 4 to 7 business days | 30 kg / 66 lb | Ground delivery to the US when the date is flexible |
| Tracked Packet - USA | 4 to 7 business days | 2 kg / 4.4 lb | Small, light parcels that still need end-to-end tracking |
| Small Packet - USA (Air) | Not published as a delivery standard | 2 kg / 4.4 lb | The cheapest route for small, light, low-value items where tracking is not essential |
Two practical notes. Xpresspost - USA is the only US service carrying the On-Time Delivery Guarantee, and signature is included at no extra charge. And on Xpresspost - USA the shipping label already includes the customs declaration, so there is no separate form to complete and affix. Our Canada Post Customs and Duties guide covers which declaration applies elsewhere.
Source: Canada Post: Parcel Services (U.S. and International)
International Services
For destinations beyond the US, the spread between the fastest and cheapest option is enormous, far wider than any domestic gap.
4-7 days Xpresspost Intl
6-10 days Intl Parcel Air
4-12 weeks Intl Parcel Surface
| Service | Delivery standard | Max parcel weight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xpresspost - International | 4 to 7 business days for most destinations | 30 kg / 66 lb | The fastest international option, with signature included at no charge |
| International Parcel (Air) | 6 to 10 business days | 30 kg / 66 lb | Mid-priced air delivery to most destinations |
| International Parcel (Surface) | 4 to 12 weeks | 30 kg / 66 lb | Heavy, non-urgent shipments only. Read the timeframe carefully: it is weeks, not days |
| Tracked Packet - International | 6 to 10 business days | 2 kg / 4.4 lb | Small, light parcels abroad that need tracking |
| Small Packet - International (Air and Surface) | Not published as a delivery standard | 2 kg / 4.4 lb | The cheapest way to send small, light items abroad without tracking |
Read the surface option carefully. International Parcel (Surface) has a published delivery standard of 4 to 12 weeks. That is Canada Post's own standard rather than a worst case, and it is a shipping timeframe, not a courier one. It can be the cheapest way to move something heavy and genuinely undated, but three months is a real possibility.
International limits are also tighter than domestic ones. International Parcel caps any single dimension at 1.5 m rather than 2 m, and some destinations set maximum weights below 30 kg or refuse oversized items entirely. Air-mail items must also carry the words "PAR AVION" in block lettering. Delivery standards exclude time in customs, so international timelines need slack beyond the published figure.
Source: Canada Post: Parcel Services (U.S. and International)
Expedited Parcel vs Xpresspost
This is the comparison Canadian shippers ask about most, and the answer is narrower than people expect. The two services differ on exactly two things: national speed, and carbon-neutral shipping. On everything else they are identical.
| Factor | Expedited Parcel | Xpresspost |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery standard, local | 1 to 2 business days | Next business day |
| Delivery standard, national | 2 to 8 business days | 2 to 3 business days |
| On-Time Delivery Guarantee | Included | Included |
| Tracking and delivery updates | Included | Included |
| Liability coverage up to $100 | Included | Included |
| Carbon-neutral shipping | Not included | Included |
| Deliver to Post Office option | Available | Available |
| Volumetric density factor | 5,000 cm³ / 139 in³ | 5,000 cm³ / 139 in³ |
| Max parcel weight | 30 kg / 66 lb | 30 kg / 66 lb |
So the decision is straightforward. Both carry the On-Time Delivery Guarantee, so Expedited Parcel is the cheaper way to buy a guaranteed delivery date. Step up to Xpresspost when the national window matters, since 2 to 3 business days against 2 to 8 is a wide gap on a long-haul route, or when carbon-neutral shipping is a requirement. Locally the two are much closer: next business day against 1 to 2 days.
What does not differ is worth stating plainly, because it is where most comparisons go wrong. Both include tracking, both include liability coverage up to $100, both offer Deliver to Post Office, both are cubed at the same 5,000 density factor, and both stop at 30 kg. Neither is "better packaged" or "more tracked" than the other. Price both on your route and the gap is usually the only thing left to decide on.
Source: Features, options and other surcharges, effective 7 September 2026
Which Canada Post Service Works for You
Start with the deadline, then the destination, then the weight. Those three answers narrow it to one or two services almost every time.
It has to arrive tomorrow
Within Canada, Priority is the only service with a next-day national standard, and Xpresspost matches it locally. Both carry the On-Time Delivery Guarantee. Note that next day means next business day, and Canada Post does not deliver weekends.
Price matters more than the date
Regular Parcel is the cheapest domestic service and still includes tracking. The trade-off is real: it is the only tier with no guarantee, so Canada Post treats its 4 to 10 day national standard as an estimate only.
You want value but need the date to hold
Expedited Parcel is the cheapest service that still carries the On-Time Delivery Guarantee. For most businesses this is the sensible default, and it is the comparison worth understanding before you default to Xpresspost.
Shipping to the United States
Xpresspost - USA at 2 to 3 business days is the only US service carrying the guarantee, and signature is included at no charge. Expedited Parcel - USA is the ground alternative at 4 to 7 days. Under 2 kg, Tracked Packet - USA is usually cheaper.
Shipping overseas
Xpresspost - International at 4 to 7 business days for most destinations is the fastest. Avoid International Parcel (Surface) unless the shipment genuinely has no deadline, because its standard is 4 to 12 weeks. Remember that delivery standards exclude time in customs.
The parcel is heavy or bulky
Canada Post stops at 30 kg (66 lb) on every parcel service, and international limits are tighter in places. Above that it is not a Canada Post shipment at all, and comparing carriers is the answer rather than picking a different Canada Post tier.
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All service details on this page are sourced from official Canada Post documentation. Prices are not printed here because they change. Last updated: September 30, 2026.
- Parcel Services Customer Guide, effective May 29, 2026. canadapost-postescanada.ca
- Parcel Services (U.S. and International), including the published delivery standards table. canadapost-postescanada.ca
- Features, options and other surcharges (DK23050), effective September 7, 2026. canadapost-postescanada.ca
- Parcel Services delivery standards within Canada. canadapost-postescanada.ca