GLS vs Canada Post: Which Is Better for You?

There's no single winner here, because the two carriers are built for different senders. The biggest difference for a household is cover: GLS carries personal belongings and used goods at your own risk, so it won't pay if they are lost or damaged, even with a declared value, while Canada Post includes $100 of liability on Priority, Xpresspost and Expedited Parcel. Canada Post also delivers to PO boxes, which GLS doesn't, and its fee schedules list no residential surcharge, pricing distance into the base rate instead.

For business parcels, the picture flips. GLS takes pieces up to 68 kg (150 lb), more than twice Canada Post's 30 kg ceiling, up to 120 in long, and flies parcels from Ontario and Quebec to 20 cities by the next business day. Personal shipments and PO boxes lean Canada Post; heavy or long business parcels lean GLS. The smart move is comparing both for your exact shipment, which Secureship does in one quote.

GLS vs Canada Post at a Glance

How the two carriers compare on the factors that actually change your cost and delivery experience:

FactorGLSCanada Post
Max weight per piece68 kg / 150 lb30 kg / 66 lb
Max size120 in long (108 in outside its direct network), 165 in length plus girthNo dimension over 2 m, length plus girth up to 3 m
Residential surcharge$4.50 per shipmentNone in the fee schedule; priced into the base rate instead
Delivery daysMonday to Friday, plus paid Saturday in the Quebec and Ontario direct networkMonday to Friday, no weekend parcel delivery
Delivery hoursNo published window; delivery by appointment for a feeHomes from 9 am until as late as 8 pm
Liability included$2.00 per lb or invoice value, whichever is less$100 on Priority, Xpresspost and Expedited Parcel
Personal and used itemsAt your own risk: no liability, even with a declared valueCovered like any parcel, with more available up to $5,000
PO boxesNot servedParcels addressed to a PO box accepted
Fuel surchargeWeekly, from the FCAC diesel priceWeekly, from Kalibrate's average diesel price
U.S. and internationalNone today; parcel service to Europe announced as coming soonA full published U.S. and international lineup

Fuel isn't a tie. Both carriers set their fuel surcharge every week, but from different diesel prices: GLS from the price the Freight Carriers Association of Canada reports, Canada Post from Kalibrate's average. Check GLS's and Canada Post's current percentages rather than assuming one is always lower.

Sources: GLS Canada Tariff 100, Canada Post Parcel Services Customer Guide

GLS and Canada Post fees compared

Per-Incident Fees Side by Side

On per-incident fees, Canada Post is lower on most lines. GLS's amounts are from its Tariff 100, effective January 1, 2026; Canada Post's are from its features, options and surcharges schedule, effective September 7, 2026.

FeeGLSCanada Post
Address correction$15.25 per shipment ($39.55 outside its direct network)$7.00
SignatureIncluded on business deliveries; $5.75 on a home delivery$2.00
Extra liability coverage4.25% of a declared value over $100$2.75 per additional $100
Over the carrier's maximum$495.00 per piece (over 150 lb, 165 in or 120 in)$300.00 out-of-spec surcharge (over 30 kg)
Collect on deliveryNot offered$7.25

Two rows run the other way. GLS includes a signature on business deliveries at no charge, and a 30 to 68 kg parcel is a normal GLS parcel, while Canada Post charges its $300.00 out-of-spec surcharge on anything over 30 kg. GLS's full list is in our GLS Surcharges & Fees guide.

Top reasons to choose GLS

Top Reasons to Choose GLS

150 lb per piece
120 in maximum length
Next day GLS Express by air
Saturday Quebec and Ontario

For heavier, longer and time-sensitive business parcels, GLS stands out:

  • More than twice the weight per piece, 68 kg (150 lb) against Canada Post's 30 kg ceiling.
  • Long items: pieces up to 120 in (304 cm) long within GLS's direct network, where Canada Post allows no side over 2 m.
  • Next-day air from Ontario and Quebec: GLS Express delivers the next business day to 20 cities in 8 provinces. The cities are listed in our GLS Services guide.
  • Saturday in Quebec and Ontario: GLS sells Saturday delivery, pickup and hold for pickup within its direct network there. Canada Post doesn't deliver parcels on weekends.
  • Signatures included at businesses, per GLS's FAQ, with a photo as proof on home deliveries left without one.
Where Canada Post wins

Where Canada Post Wins

None residential fee
30 kg max weight
8 pm latest home delivery
PO boxes accepted

For personal shipments, homes and reach, Canada Post has the edge:

  • Personal and used items are covered. Canada Post includes $100 of liability on Priority, Xpresspost and Expedited Parcel and sells more up to $5,000. GLS carries these items at your own risk.
  • PO boxes: Canada Post accepts parcels addressed to a PO box, and one too large for the box waits at the post office. GLS doesn't deliver to PO boxes.
  • No residential surcharge as a line item. Canada Post prices distance into the base rate instead. GLS adds $4.50 per shipment to a home.
  • A published delivery window: Canada Post delivers to residences "from 9 am until as late as 8 pm", per its delivery hours page. GLS publishes no delivery-hour window.
  • Lower per-incident fees: $7.00 for address correction against GLS's $15.25, and $2.00 for a signature against $5.75 on a home delivery. See the fees table above.

When to Use GLS vs Canada Post

Use GLS when...Use Canada Post when...
The parcel is over 30 kg, up to 68 kg (150 lb)You're sending personal or used items
It's longer than 2 m, up to 120 inThe address is a PO box
It has to reach a major city by tomorrow from Ontario or QuebecThe receiver needs a delivery as late as 8 pm
It has to arrive on a Saturday in Quebec or OntarioYou want $100 of cover without declaring a value
How to choose between GLS and Canada Post

How to Choose Between GLS and Canada Post

🧳
Check what's inside
Personal belongings or used goods? Canada Post covers them and GLS doesn't. Business stock? Both carry it, so compare on price and speed.
📦
Check the weight and size
Under 30 kg and under 2 m? Both are worth comparing. Heavier or longer? GLS's 68 kg (150 lb) and 120 in limits take over.
🏠
Check the address
A PO box rules GLS out. A home address adds GLS's $4.50 residential fee, while Canada Post builds distance into its rate. A business in a GLS Express city opens up next-day air from Ontario and Quebec.
🚀
Let Secureship do the math for you
Secureship pools shipping volume from thousands of businesses to negotiate rates neither carrier offers on its own. Enter your shipment once, no separate accounts, contracts, or minimum volume.
Compare GLS and Canada Post Rates Now

Enter your shipment and Secureship shows live GLS and Canada Post rates side by side, along with every other major carrier. Takes 30 seconds, no account required.

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GLS vs Canada Post, Frequently Asked Questions

Is GLS cheaper than Canada Post?

It depends on the parcel. On published per-incident fees, Canada Post is lower on most lines: address correction is $7.00 against GLS's $15.25, a signature on a home delivery $2.00 against $5.75, and its fee schedules list no residential surcharge, where GLS adds $4.50 per shipment. Weight is the big exception: over 30 kg, Canada Post charges a $300.00 out-of-spec surcharge, while GLS takes pieces up to 68 kg (150 lb) as standard. The base rate for your exact route decides it, so compare both live.


GLS vs Canada Post, what are the weight limits?

GLS accepts pieces up to 68 kg (150 lb), up to 120 in long within its direct network (108 in outside it) and 165 in in length plus girth. Canada Post's ceiling is 30 kg, with no dimension over 2 m and length plus girth up to 3 m.


Do GLS and Canada Post deliver on weekends?

Neither delivers parcels on weekends as standard. GLS sells paid Saturday delivery, pickup and hold for pickup in Quebec and Ontario, within its direct network; Canada Post delivers Monday to Friday only. See our GLS Delivery Times guide.


Can I send personal items with GLS or Canada Post?

Yes, with both, but the cover is very different. GLS carries personal belongings and used or refurbished goods at your own risk, so it won't pay if they are lost or damaged, even with a declared value. Canada Post includes $100 of liability on Priority, Xpresspost and Expedited Parcel and sells more up to $5,000. For anything you would miss, Canada Post is the safer choice. Compare both for your shipment.


Is GLS part of Canada Post?

No. GLS Canada is part of GLS Group, and it delivers through its own network. GLS names no delivery partner, Canada Post or otherwise, though its terms allow it to subcontract a shipment when that is needed. The two carriers set their own rates, which is why it pays to compare them on every shipment.


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Sources

GLS figures are sourced from official GLS Canada documentation. Canada Post figures are Canada Post's own published claims. Last updated: November 5, 2026.