GLS shipping estimate

Get an Instant GLS Shipping Estimate

GLS doesn't publish a national rate chart, so the only way to know what a parcel will cost is to price it. GLS's own rate estimate asks for the street number and postal code at both ends, the package type, and the weight and dimensions. Secureship asks for the same details once and shows live GLS rates next to every other major carrier on one screen.

You don't need a GLS account to compare rates. Keep in mind that GLS quotes in Canadian dollars and charges applicable taxes on top of the shipping price.

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GLS pricing

How GLS Pricing Works

A GLS price is built from the details of your shipment, and each one counts:

  1. Where it goes. The pickup and destination postal codes place your parcel in a GLS zone.
  2. What it is. A box, polybag or envelope, and how many pieces.
  3. How big and how heavy. Weight is rounded up to the next whole pound and dimensions to the next whole inch, and GLS bills the greater of actual and cubed weight.
  4. What extras you add. Options such as a declared value or weekend delivery carry their own charges.
  5. Fuel and surcharges on top. GLS adds its weekly fuel surcharge and any extra charges that apply to the shipment.

Two rules make those details matter. If anything about the shipment changes from what you quoted, such as the weight, destination or dimensions, GLS treats the quote as no longer valid. And if no weight is declared at all, GLS assumes 15 lb and can reweigh or measure any parcel to check. To see the full price for your own shipment, use Secureship's calculator.

Source: GLS Canada Parcel Rules and Regulations (Tariff 100), effective 1 Jan 2026

GLS domestic pricing

Pricing a Shipment Within Canada

Within Canada, distance sets the price. GLS divides the country into postal-code zones, listed in its Points List, and within Quebec and Ontario it prices by the kilometre.

The Points List also shows GLS's direct network, the postal codes GLS serves itself. Outside it, several charges are higher, and some services, such as Saturday delivery, aren't available at all. A few remote places, which GLS calls Beyond locations, add a charge of their own, and the Points List marks them postal code by postal code.

In Quebec and Ontario, GLS publishes its 2026 volume rates. The more you ship each week, the bigger the discount, up to 55% on next-day deliveries:

Weekly shipping volumeDiscountBase rate, within 50 kmBase rate, 51 km or moreEach extra lb over 5 lb
$0.00 to $76.990%$18.05$28.30$0.95
$77.00 to $120.995%$17.11$26.81$0.90
$121.00 to $151.9910%$16.21$25.40$0.85
$152.00 to $241.9915%$15.31$23.99$0.80
$242.00 to $315.9920%$14.41$22.58$0.76
$316.00 to $389.9925%$13.51$21.17$0.71
$390.00 to $470.9930%$12.61$19.75$0.66
$471.00 to $544.9935%$11.70$18.34$0.61
$545.00 to $631.9940%$10.80$16.93$0.57
$632.00 to $694.9945%$9.90$15.52$0.52
$695.00 to $786.9950%$9.00$14.11$0.47
$787.00 and up55%$8.10$12.70$0.42

These are GLS's published base rates for shipments within Quebec and Ontario, before fuel and surcharges, and GLS notes they can change without notice. Each base rate covers the first 5 lb. For any other route, enter both postal codes in Secureship to see the real price.

Source: GLS Canada Volume Discount Rates 2026

GLS dimensional weight

Dimensional Weight

With GLS, space costs money. GLS compares each parcel's actual weight with its cubed weight and bills whichever is higher, so a large, light box can cost far more than the scale suggests. Ground shipments use 12.4 lb per cubic foot; air shipments, and ground shipments to or from Newfoundland and Labrador, use 15.

Dimensional Weight (Cubing)

GLS charges whichever is greater: actual weight or cubed weight. To calculate: convert your package dimensions to cubic feet (L × W × H ÷ 1,728 in inches), then multiply by the cube factor for your shipment:

Dimensional weight formula: L × W × H ÷ 1,728 × cube factor
Ground × 12.4
Air, and Ground to or from Newfoundland and Labrador × 15
📦 Example: A 20″ × 16″ × 12″ box = 3,840 cubic inches, or 2.22 cubic feet. On Ground: 2.22 × 12.4 = 27.6, which GLS rounds up to 28 lbs. By air: 2.22 × 15 = 33.3, rounded up to 34 lbs. If the box only weighs 10 lbs on the scale, you'd be billed at the higher cubed weight.

GLS rounds up at every step: package weights go to the next whole pound and dimensions to the next whole inch, and GLS may reweigh or cube any shipment. Measure carefully, and use the smallest box that safely fits.

When you quote through Secureship, GLS's cubed weight rules are applied automatically, so the price you see already uses the billable weight.

Source: GLS Canada Parcel Rules and Regulations (Tariff 100), effective 1 Jan 2026

GLS large package minimum weight

Large Package Minimum Billable Weight

Long or bulky boxes are billed at a minimum weight. GLS calls a piece a Large Package when its length plus girth goes over 130 in. To work it out, add the length to twice the width and twice the height. A Large Package is billed as at least 90 lb, even if it weighs less.

A few other sizes and weights add a handling charge, but don't change the weight you're billed for:

  • a piece that isn't fully packed in corrugated cardboard
  • one side longer than 36 in, or longer than 44 in
  • a piece over 70 lb
  • a whole shipment over 280 lb

The amounts are in our GLS Surcharges & Fees guide.

A piece is over GLS's maximum limits when it:

  • weighs more than 150 lb (68 kg)
  • measures more than 165 in (419 cm) in length plus girth
  • is longer than 120 in (304 cm)

GLS carries these pieces only within its direct network, for an extra charge per piece, and won't accept them for destinations outside it.

Source: GLS Canada Parcel Rules and Regulations (Tariff 100), effective 1 Jan 2026

GLS surcharges

Surcharges, Fuel, and Peak Season Fees

The rate is where a GLS price starts. Fuel is added every week, and extra charges come on top for things like residential delivery, oversize pieces or an address correction.

The Fuel Surcharge

Weekly new fuel rate every Monday
Diesel price that sets it
2.5% / 1.25% Quebec Fuel Premium

GLS sets a new fuel surcharge every week, based on the diesel price (without GST) reported by the Freight Carriers Association of Canada. It is published each Thursday and takes effect the following Monday, so no percentage is printed here. GLS lists two rates, a current rate and a lower preferred rate, on its fuel surcharge page. When you quote through Secureship, the surcharge is already built into the rate you see.

Shipments to and from Quebec carry one more charge, the Quebec Fuel Premium: 2.5% within Quebec and 1.25% between Quebec and another province. The separate carbon surcharge no longer applies anywhere else: GLS removed it outside Quebec on April 7, 2025, after the federal government suspended the carbon tax.

Peak Season Surcharge

For the 2026 holiday season, GLS adds a peak-season surcharge to residential parcels and parcels that need special handling, from October 19, 2026 to January 15, 2027, on top of its standard fees. The amounts are on GLS's peak season page.

GLS can change any of its rates without notice, which is one more reason to price each shipment when you ship.

Source: GLS Canada, Fuel and Carbon Surcharges, viewed 4 Nov 2026

Save on GLS rates

How to Save on GLS Shipping Rates

There is a real gap between the list price and what you pay with the right approach. These tips come straight from how GLS prices a parcel.

📊
1. Compare Carriers on Every Shipment
GLS is strong on residential deliveries, where its published fee is the lowest of the couriers we compare, and on long items up to 120 in. It is the wrong choice for anything leaving Canada, or for personal and used items, which it carries at your own risk. 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 weight through the cubed weight formula. In the example above, a 20 × 16 × 12 in box bills at 28 lb on Ground even if it weighs 10.
📏
3. Get the Details Right Before You Ship
A GLS quote only holds if the shipment matches it. Weigh and measure carefully, round up the way GLS does, and enter the full address: a changed weight or destination voids the quote, and an address correction adds a fee.
🧾
4. Treat the List Rate as a Ceiling
GLS offers account holders discounted rates customized to their shipping, and in Quebec and Ontario its published volume rates drop by up to 55% as weekly volume grows. The published rate is the most you should pay, not what everyone pays.
✉️
5. Consider MaxPak in Quebec and Ontario
For urgent documents or small items, MaxPak is a 17 × 14 in tear-proof pack that holds up to 50 lb and goes overnight anywhere in Quebec and Ontario (some exceptions apply), at $14.65 each plus fuel in prepaid packs of 10.
🔑
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 GLS account, no minimum volume, no contract.
See How Much You Can Save

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About GLS Rates

How does GLS calculate a shipping rate?

The shipping rate is calculated from where your parcel is going, how big and heavy it is, and any extras you add. Your postal codes place the shipment in a GLS zone, and within Quebec and Ontario the price follows the distance in kilometres. GLS then bills whichever is higher, the actual weight or the cubed weight, rounded up to the next pound and inch. Options, the fuel surcharge and any other surcharges are added on top. Get an instant quote to see the total without doing the maths.


Why is my GLS bill higher than the quote?

Usually because something changed or something was added. GLS treats a quote as no longer valid if the weight, destination or dimensions differ from what was quoted, and it can reweigh or measure any parcel. On top of the rate come the weekly fuel surcharge, the Quebec Fuel Premium on shipments to or from Quebec, and any extra charges such as residential delivery or an address correction. Measuring and weighing carefully before you ship is the simplest way to avoid surprises.


What does GLS pay if my parcel is lost or damaged?

Up to $2.00 per pound, unless you declare a higher value. Without a declared value, GLS pays the lesser of $2.00 per pound ($4.41 per kg) or the invoice value of what was lost or damaged, so a 10 lb parcel is covered up to $20. A declared value over $100 needs GLS's approval in advance and costs 4.25% of the declared value, and no shipment is covered for more than $5,000. A declared value raises what GLS will pay; it is not insurance, and personal or used items are not covered at all. The full rules are in GLS's Tariff 100.


Can I get a discount on GLS rates?

Yes, in two ways. GLS offers account holders discounted rates customized to their shipping, and in Quebec and Ontario its published 2026 volume rates drop by up to 55% as weekly volume grows. Without a GLS account or high volume, Secureship group rates give smaller shippers pricing they could not reach on their own.


Does GLS have flat rate shipping?

Only in Quebec and Ontario. MaxPak is GLS's flat-rate option: a 17 × 14 in tear-proof pack that holds up to 50 lb and goes overnight anywhere in Quebec and Ontario (some exceptions apply), for $14.65 each plus fuel, sold in prepaid packs of 10. Everywhere else the price depends on the zone, weight and size, so compare GLS rates for your exact shipment.