FedEx shipping estimate

Get an Instant FedEx Shipping Estimate

FedEx publishes its Canadian list prices in a public rate guide, but working out your real cost means finding zones, reading weight charts, checking dimensional weight, and adding surcharges and fuel by hand. Secureship does it instantly: enter your shipment details once and see live FedEx rates alongside every other major carrier on one screen.

No FedEx account is required to compare. Secureship covers 11 of the 12 package services FedEx sells from Canada. FedEx's published rates are in Canadian dollars and don't include duties and taxes.

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FedEx pricing

How FedEx Pricing Works

FedEx publishes its own method for pricing a FedEx Express shipment, and it is five steps:

  1. Choose the service, from First Overnight to FedEx Economy within Canada, or an international service for a shipment leaving the country.
  2. Find the origin and destination zones for your two postal codes in FedEx's postal code zone index.
  3. Cross-reference the two to get the zone your shipment is priced in.
  4. Find the rate for the shipment's weight in that zone's rate chart.
  5. Add special handling fees, surcharges and other additional charges, including the fuel surcharge.

Two rules come with that method, and both are easy to miss. FedEx rates a shipment on the total weight of all packages on one air waybill, so several boxes sent together are priced as one shipment. And rates are per pound, with any fraction of a pound rounded up to the next pound.

Step five is where the list rate stops being the total. The fuel surcharge is applied to the net package rate plus any pickup fee, and special handling fees and surcharges come on top. To see the full price for your own shipment, with fuel already included, use Secureship's calculator.

Source: FedEx Express Rates, Canadian Edition, effective 5 Jan 2026

FedEx domestic pricing

Pricing a Shipment Within Canada

Within Canada, geography enters a FedEx price through a postal code zone index. You look up the zone for your origin postal code and for your destination postal code, then cross-reference the two to find the zone your shipment is priced in.

The zone also decides which services you can buy. FedEx's rate guide lists First Overnight as unavailable to destinations in Atlantic Canada and the territories. Enter both postal codes in Secureship to see which FedEx services actually run on your lane.

Tax is charged on the shipping itself. FedEx charges GST on the net freight charge, special handling fees and surcharges, adds PST or QST where applicable, and charges HST in place of GST and PST on shipments to Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

Source: FedEx Express Rates, Canadian Edition, effective 5 Jan 2026

FedEx international pricing

Pricing an International Shipment

A shipment leaving Canada is priced the same way: choose the service, find the destination's zone, read the rate for the weight off that zone's chart, then add special handling fees and surcharges. What changes is what sits outside the rate.

The rate covers transportation only. FedEx states that applicable duties and taxes are not included, so they are billed separately from the shipping charge. Our FedEx Customs & Duties guide explains who pays them and when.

Every FedEx Express international shipment also carries a per-pound demand surcharge, which varies by destination lane and which FedEx revises periodically, so no rate is printed here. Check the current figures on FedEx's demand surcharge page, or compare international FedEx rates on Secureship.

Source: FedEx Express Rates, Canadian Edition, effective 5 Jan 2026

FedEx dimensional weight

Dimensional Weight

FedEx compares a package's actual weight with its dimensional weight, and when dimensional weight is higher, charges may be based on it. This is the factor that most often surprises shippers, since a large but light box can cost far more than the scale suggests. FedEx Express uses one divisor for packages within Canada and internationally. The only exception in FedEx's Canadian rate guide is International Deferred Freight, an air freight service, which uses ÷ 166 in³ (÷ 6,000 cm³).

Dimensional Weight (Cubing)

The formula is length × width × height divided by FedEx's divisor. Round every measurement up to the next whole inch before you multiply:

FedEx Express, within Canada and international ÷ 139 in³ / ÷ 5,000 cm³
📦 A 12 lb package measures 23.5 × 18 × 12 in. Step 1: round each side up, so 23.5 in becomes 24 in. Step 2: 24 × 18 × 12 = 5,184 cubic inches. Step 3: 5,184 ÷ 139 = 37.3, which FedEx rounds up to 38 lb. Dimensional weight is higher than the actual 12 lb, so FedEx can bill the package at 38 lb. Trim the box to 20 × 18 × 12 in and the dimensional weight drops to 32 lb.

FedEx rounds up at every step: any fraction of an inch goes to the next inch, and any fraction of a pound to the next pound. Measure carefully, and use the smallest box that safely fits.

FedEx "reserves the right to modify or amend the Dimensional Weight standard without notice," so check FedEx's dimensional weight page before relying on a figure worked out by hand, or quote through Secureship, where billable weight is applied for you.

Source: FedEx Express Rates, Canadian Edition, effective 5 Jan 2026

FedEx oversize minimum weight

Oversize Minimum Billable Weight

One of the most overlooked line items on a large domestic shipment: a package counts as oversize once its longest side exceeds 96 in (243 cm), its length plus girth exceeds 130 in (330 cm), its volume exceeds 17,280 cubic inches, or it weighs more than 110 lb (50 kg). Within Canada, FedEx then bills an oversize package at a minimum of 90 lb (41 kg), no matter what it actually weighs.

A lower threshold works the same way. A package that draws FedEx's additional handling charge because of its size, with a longest side over 48 in (121 cm), a second-longest side over 30 in (76 cm), a length plus girth over 105 in (266 cm), or a volume over 10,368 cubic inches, carries a minimum billable weight of 40 lb (18 kg).

Past that is a hard limit rather than a price bracket. A package over 108 in (274 cm) long, over 165 in (419 cm) in length plus girth, or over 150 lb (68 kg) is unauthorized, and FedEx may refuse, return or dispose of it. Our FedEx Surcharges guide lists what each of these charges costs.

Source: FedEx Express Rates, Canadian Edition, effective 5 Jan 2026

FedEx surcharges

Surcharges, Fuel, and Demand Fees

The base rate is only part of what you pay. FedEx's own pricing method ends with adding special handling fees, surcharges and other charges, plus a fuel surcharge on the package rate. Our FedEx Surcharges & Fees guide breaks down every published charge.

The Fuel Surcharge

Diesel within Canada
Jet fuel international
Rate + pickup charged on

Within Canada, FedEx adjusts its fuel surcharge using a rounded average of the Canada retail diesel price published by Natural Resources Canada. On international shipments it uses a rounded average of the U.S. Gulf Coast spot price for kerosene-type jet fuel. FedEx sets the amount and how long it applies at its sole discretion, so no percentage is printed here. Check the current rate on FedEx's fuel surcharge page. When you quote through Secureship, the applicable surcharge is already built into the rate you see.

Peak Season Demand Fees

During peak season, FedEx adds dated demand surcharges on top of the base rate and fuel, mostly on oversize, additional handling and unauthorized packages. Our FedEx Surcharges guide explains who pays them and when, and FedEx lists the amounts on its demand surcharges page.

FedEx's own advice on its 2026 rate changes is to "check your FedEx shipping agreement to determine the net impact of these changes to your shipping costs," a reminder that the published fee is not what every shipper pays.

Source: FedEx Canada, 2026 rate changes, last modified 23 Oct 2026

Save on FedEx rates

How to Save on FedEx Shipping Rates

There is a real gap between the list price in a published rate guide and what you pay with the right approach. These are grounded in how FedEx's pricing actually works.

📊
1. Compare Carriers on Every Shipment
FedEx is strong when the delivery time matters and on heavy packages up to 68 kg (150 lb). It is weaker on heavy parcels to Newfoundland and Labrador or the territories, where FedEx Ground caps packages at 32 kg (70 lb). Compare your exact shipment on Secureship and pick the best rate each time.
📦
2. Right-Size Your Packaging
Empty space in a box is billed as if it were weight, through the dimensional weight formula. In the example above, trimming 3.5 in off one side cuts the billable weight from 38 lb to 32 lb.
📋
3. Do Not Pay for a Delivery Time You Do Not Need
FedEx Express services commit to a delivery time, while FedEx Ground commits to a day range of 1 to 7 business days, and FedEx itself describes Ground as cost-effective. If the date is flexible, price a day-definite service first. See our FedEx Services guide for what each service includes.
🧾
4. Treat the List Rate as a Ceiling
FedEx says eligible customers may get welcome offer discounts off its standard list rates, and that FedEx Authorized ShipCentres set their own prices for reselling FedEx services. FedEx sets up credit accounts for businesses only; anyone shipping for personal use must prepay or pay by credit card.
✉️
5. Check FedEx Flat-Rate Packaging
FedEx Canada offers flat-rate pricing on its own packaging: the FedEx Envelope and FedEx Pak, plus 10kg and 25kg boxes on International Priority. The U.S. One Rate program is not offered in Canada. Our FedEx Packaging guide covers the weight limits.
🔑
6. Use Group Rates (No Account Needed)
Secureship aggregates volume across thousands of businesses to negotiate rates a single small shipper cannot reach alone. No FedEx account, no minimum volume, no contract.
See How Much You Can Save

Enter your shipment details and compare live FedEx rates against every major carrier. Takes 30 seconds, no account required.

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More FedEx Guides

FedEx shipping in Canada

FedEx Guide
Shipping in Canada

Complete guide to FedEx Express, Ground and freight services in Canada, weight limits, and how to save on every shipment.

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FedEx services in Canada

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FedEx Express and FedEx Ground services in Canada compared, from First Overnight to International Connect Plus.

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FedEx delivery times

FedEx Guide
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FedEx delivery commitments by service, delivery hours, Saturday delivery, and the holiday season explained.

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FedEx customs and duties

FedEx Guide
Customs & Duties

How FedEx clears customs, who pays duties and taxes, and what clearance fees apply to imports into Canada.

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FedEx packaging

FedEx Guide
Packaging

FedEx Envelope, Pak, boxes and tubes available in Canada, with their sizes and weight limits.

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FedEx surcharges and fees

FedEx Guide
Surcharges & Fees

The FedEx fuel surcharge and the residential, delivery area and Saturday fees, explained.

Read more
FedEx shipping alternatives

FedEx Guide
Alternatives

When FedEx is the right call, and when UPS, Canada Post, DHL or Purolator fits your shipment better.

Read more

Frequently Asked Questions About FedEx Rates

How does FedEx calculate a shipping rate?

FedEx publishes the method in its Canadian rate guide. Choose the service, find the zone for your origin and destination, read the rate for the shipment's weight off that zone's chart, then add special handling fees and surcharges. Weight is charged per pound, with any fraction rounded up to the next pound, and the billable weight is the higher of actual or dimensional weight. Get an instant quote to skip the look-up entirely.


Do FedEx rates include duties and taxes?

No. FedEx states that its published rates are in Canadian dollars and that applicable duties and taxes are not included. Two different things sit outside the rate. Sales tax is charged on the shipping charge itself: GST on the net freight charge, special handling fees and surcharges, plus PST or QST where applicable, or HST in the provinces that use it. Import duties and taxes are separate again, and apply only when goods cross a border. Our FedEx Customs & Duties guide covers those.


Does FedEx have flat rate shipping in Canada?

Yes, on FedEx's own packaging. FedEx Canada prices the FedEx Envelope and FedEx Pak at their own rates, and offers International Flat-Rate Boxes in 10kg and 25kg sizes on International Priority. What Canada does not have is the U.S. One Rate program, which does not appear in either of FedEx's Canadian guides. Our FedEx Packaging guide covers the weight limits for each option.


Why is my FedEx bill higher than the base rate?

Because the base rate is where FedEx's price starts, not where it ends. FedEx's own pricing method finishes by adding special handling fees, surcharges and other charges, and the fuel surcharge is applied to the net package rate plus any pickup fee. A large, light box can also be billed on dimensional weight rather than what it weighs. When you quote through Secureship, the applicable fuel surcharge is already inside the rate you see.


Can I get a discount on FedEx list rates?

FedEx's list rates are not the only price. FedEx says it may enrol eligible customers in a welcome offer pricing program with discounts off standard list rates, and it states that FedEx Authorized ShipCentres "set their own rates for reselling FedEx services." FedEx sets up credit accounts for businesses only, so anyone shipping for personal use must prepay or pay by credit card. The welcome offer and the account rules are in the FedEx Service Guide.