Purolator Surcharges and Fees List

Purolator's advertised rate is rarely the final price. On top of the base transportation charge, most shipments pick up one or more surcharges, and accounts can also see administration charges on their invoice. Here is the full 2025 to 2026 list, with the current amount for each and when it applies.

Weekly fuel surcharge changes
$4.65 residential delivery
$27.60 oversized handling
$16.50 address correction

Shipping Surcharges

SurchargeAmountWhen It Applies
Fuel Surcharge (Courier)Varies, a % of base (updated weekly)Applied as a percentage of the base transportation rate, updated weekly as fuel prices move. Check the current rate on Purolator’s fuel surcharge page before shipping.
Fuel Surcharge (Freight)Varies (set weekly)Applied to Purolator Freight services. Set weekly based on diesel prices from the Freight Carriers Association of Canada.
Oversized Surcharge$27.60 per piece (2025–2026)Applied to packages weighing more than 50 lbs (≤150 lbs) or with the longest side exceeding 48 inches (≤108 inches).
Adult Signature Required$8.00 per shipment (2025–2026)Required signature from an adult (21+) upon delivery.
Address Correction$16.50 per piece (2025–2026)Charged when Purolator needs to correct an invalid or incomplete delivery address.
Residential Delivery$4.65 per shipment (2025–2026)Applied when the destination is deemed residential or low commercial density. Does not apply to Express Evening or Ground Evening services. Can be avoided by shipping to commercial addresses or Purolator access points.
Beyond Point (Extended Area)Varies by origin/destinationApplied when the origin or destination is deemed remote or not serviced directly by Purolator.
Redelivery$6.00 per shipment (2025–2026)Applied when Purolator is unable to complete delivery on the first attempt through no fault of its own. Charged per subsequent delivery attempt.
Large Package$99.00 per piece (2025–2026)Packages with total overall size between 130″ and 165″ (L + 2W + 2H). Minimum billable weight of 90 lbs.
Over Maximum Limit$1,000.00 per piece (2025–2026)Packages exceeding 150 lbs, 165″ total size, or 108″ longest side. Minimum billable weight of 120 lbs. Purolator may refuse these packages.
Declared Value4.75% of declared value over $100No surcharge for declared values up to C$100. For values over C$100 (max C$5,000), 4.75% of the declared value is applied.
Chain of Signature$10.00 per pieceProof of delivery recorded at each transfer point throughout the shipment journey.
Healthcare PlusContractual (fee-based)Preferential handling for medical and healthcare shipments. Available by contract.
RedirectPer shipmentChange of delivery address while the shipment is in transit.
Saturday Service$25.00 per shipmentDelivery on Saturday in select areas. Available for Express services.
Signature Required (Residential)$6.20 per shipmentRequires a signature upon delivery at residential addresses.
Signature Not RequiredPer shipmentOpt out of signature requirement. Origin Signature Not Required also available.
Dangerous Goods$65.00 (fully regulated) / $14.00 (limited quantity)Applied to shipments containing hazardous materials. Fully regulated requires special documentation and handling.
ExpressCheque (COD)$14.00 per shipmentCash on delivery service. Purolator collects payment from the recipient and remits to the shipper.
Return ServicesPer shipmentManaged return shipment services including Returns Management for e-commerce.
Customs Clearance / Entry PrepVaries by shipment valueCustoms brokerage and entry preparation fees for cross-border shipments. U.S. Ground fees vary by declared value bracket.

Administration Charges

These apply to how an account is billed rather than to a specific shipment, and most are avoidable with electronic billing and accurate account details.

FeeAmountWhen It Applies
Late Payment6% of past due balanceCharged per invoice, per month for outstanding amounts on overdue accounts.
Rebilling$12.50/shipment ($30.00 min)Applied when a customer requests an invoice change or Purolator must correct charges due to incorrect manifest data, reused, or voided bills of lading.
Paper Invoice Fee$2.50/invoiceCharged for each paper invoice instead of electronic billing.
Multi-Format Invoice$3.25/invoiceApplied when an account receives invoices in more than one format (EDI, PDF via ePost Connect, or paper).
Invoice Dispute Fee$2.00/disputed chargeApplied when Purolator investigates disputed charges and determines the original invoice was correct.
Invoice Reissue Fee$25.00/copyCharged when a customer requests a copy of a previously issued invoice.
Credit/Refund Fees5% of credit amountAdministrative fee for credit and refund requests deemed to be a customer-generated invoicing discrepancy.
Credit Card RetrievalFree up to 6 monthsBackup for credit card transactions provided free for six months from payment date. Fee applies after six months.
Returned Cheque Charges$45.00/chequeCharged when a payment cheque is returned by the bank.
Missing/Invalid Account Number$13.50/shipmentApplied when no account number or an incorrect account number appears on the bill of lading.
Manual Shipping$4.25/shipmentApplied to shipments processed using a manual bill of lading or one that must be manually processed by Purolator. Service guarantees do not apply.
Statement of Account$25.00/copyCharged when a customer requests a copy of their account statement. Self-serve access available via online billing portals.

Source: Purolator Rate Guide (September 1, 2025). Amounts shown for the 2025 to 2026 rate year. The fuel surcharge changes weekly, so confirm the current rate before shipping.

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How Purolator Surcharges and Fees Work

A surcharge is an extra charge added to the base rate to cover a specific cost or handling requirement. They matter because they can move the total well past the quoted rate, and a single parcel often carries more than one at once. The base rate covers standard pickup and delivery; everything beyond that, from fuel to residential delivery to oversized handling, is layered on top.

The single biggest lever is the fuel surcharge. As a percentage of the base rate for courier services, it is not a flat fee but scales with the size of the shipment, and it updates weekly as fuel prices move. On most invoices it is the largest single add-on. After that, the flat per-shipment and per-piece fees, residential delivery, oversized handling, signatures, and address corrections, are what most shippers run into day to day.

Two things also shift the whole table. Purolator applied an average 5.7% rate increase effective September 1, 2025 for the 2025 to 2026 rate year, and during the holiday season it adds peak surcharges on top of everything else.

Peak Season Surcharges

For the October 27, 2025 – January 18, 2026 season, Purolator adds the following per-piece charges on top of the standard fees. They stack, so a heavy residential holiday parcel can trigger several at once.

  • Additional Handling: CAD $6.00/piece
  • Oversized (>50 lbs, ≤150 lbs or longest side >48" ≤108"): CAD $6.00/piece
  • Residential Heavyweight (>70 lbs, ≤150 lbs, residential): CAD $6.00/piece

How Purolator Calculates Its Surcharges

Weekly courier fuel surcharge updates
Fuel-linked rate tracks average fuel prices
Per piece flat handling, oversized, and signature fees
% of value declared value and customs charges

Purolator uses three different methods, which is why some fees are a few dollars and others run into the hundreds:

Percentage of the base rate

The fuel surcharge works this way. The courier rate is applied as a percentage of the base transportation charge and updated weekly as fuel prices move. Purolator publishes the current percentage on its fuel surcharge page. Purolator Freight uses a separate fuel surcharge based on diesel prices. Because it is a percentage, it grows with the shipment.

Flat per shipment or per piece

Most handling fees are fixed amounts: $4.65 for residential delivery, $27.60 per piece for oversized packages, $8.00 for an adult signature, $16.50 for an address correction. These do not scale with the rate, they are added once per shipment or per qualifying piece.

Percentage of declared value

A few charges are tied to what the shipment is worth. Declared value above C$100 is charged at 4.75% of the value, up to a C$5,000 maximum, and cross-border customs and entry preparation fees vary by the shipment's declared value bracket.

One more factor decides which weight the surcharges are applied to: dimensional (cubed) weight. Large, light packages are billed on their size rather than their actual weight, which can push a shipment over the oversized threshold. The full dimensional weight explainer, with the cube factors and formula, lives on the Purolator shipping rates page.

Limits That Trigger Extra Fees

Several surcharges are triggered when a package crosses a size or weight threshold. Staying under these keeps the higher per-piece fees off your invoice.

ThresholdWhat it meansFee if exceeded
OversizedOver 50 lbs (23 kg), or longest side over 48 inches (122 cm) on longest side$27.60 per piece
Residential heavyweightOver 70 lbs (32 kg) to a residential address$50.00 per piece
Large packageTotal size of 130–165 inches (330–419 cm) total size$99.00 per piece (min billable weight 90 lbs)
Maximum weightAbsolute limit is 150 lbs (68 kg) per piece$1,000.00 per piece (min billable weight 120 lbs)
Maximum lengthLongest side up to 108 inches (274 cm); total size up to 165 inches (419 cm)$1,000.00 per piece (min billable weight 120 lbs)

Source: Purolator Rate Guide (September 1, 2025), weight and dimension limits. Packages beyond the maximum limits may be refused.

How Secureship Helps You Manage Surcharges

You cannot avoid every surcharge, but you can keep them from quietly inflating what you pay. Two things make the biggest difference: the base rate that the percentage-based fees are calculated from, and whether you are tied to a single carrier's fee schedule. Secureship helps with both.

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Group rates shrink the fuel surcharge too
The fuel surcharge is a percentage of your base rate, not a flat fee, so the lower your base rate, the lower the fuel charge added on top. Secureship's group-negotiated rates lower that base, so you save twice: once on the base rate, and again on the fuel surcharge calculated from it.
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You are not locked into one carrier's fee schedule
These surcharges are Purolator's own, and other carriers set theirs differently, some skip fees like residential delivery altogether. Secureship lets you ship any major Canadian carrier from one place, with no accounts, contracts, or minimum volume, so you can send each parcel by whichever carrier suits it best instead of being tied to one fee schedule.
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Purolator Surcharges and Fees, Frequently Asked Questions

What surcharges and fees does Purolator charge?

Purolator adds several surcharges on top of the base transportation rate. The largest is the fuel surcharge, a percentage of the base rate for courier services that changes weekly. The rest are flat per-shipment or per-piece fees, such as $4.65 for residential delivery, $27.60 for oversized packages, $8.00 for an adult signature, and $16.50 for an address correction, along with administration charges like rebilling and paper invoice fees. During peak season, additional handling, oversized, and residential heavyweight surcharges of $6.00 per piece stack on top. The full list, with current amounts, is in the tables above.


What is the Purolator fuel surcharge?

The Purolator courier fuel surcharge is a percentage added to the base transportation rate. It changes frequently, updated weekly as fuel prices move, so there is no single fixed figure. Purolator Freight uses a separate fuel surcharge based on diesel prices. Because it tracks fuel costs, always check the current rate on Purolator’s fuel surcharge page before you ship.


What is the Purolator peak season surcharge?

During the holiday shipping rush, Purolator applies peak season surcharges on top of its standard fees. For the 2025 to 2026 season, running October 27, 2025 to January 18, 2026, the peak surcharge is $6.00 per piece and applies to additional handling, oversized packages, and residential heavyweight shipments. These stack on the regular oversized and residential fees, so a heavy holiday parcel can carry more than one surcharge at once. Shipping before the peak window opens avoids them.


How can I avoid Purolator surcharges?

Several surcharges are avoidable with small changes. Shipping to a commercial address, or to a Purolator access point, avoids the $4.65 residential delivery fee. Right-sizing your packaging keeps you under the oversized threshold of 50 lbs or 48 inches, avoiding the $27.60 oversized fee and the higher large-package and over-maximum brackets. Electronic billing avoids the paper invoice and multi-format charges. And comparing carriers on every shipment, which you can do in one quote on Secureship, shows when another carrier costs less once all the fees are counted.


What is the Purolator residential delivery fee?

Purolator charges $4.65 per shipment for residential delivery, applied when the destination is a home address or a low commercial density area. It does not apply to Express Evening or Ground Evening services. You can avoid it by shipping to a commercial address, or to a Purolator access point, instead of a residence.


How much is the Purolator oversized surcharge?

The Purolator oversized surcharge is $27.60 per piece for the 2025 to 2026 rate year. It applies to packages that weigh more than 50 lbs (up to 150 lbs) or have a longest side over 48 inches (up to 108 inches). Larger packages move into higher brackets: $99.00 per piece for large packages between 130 and 165 inches in total size, and $1,000.00 per piece for anything beyond Purolator’s maximum limits.


Sources

All amounts on this page are sourced from official Purolator rate documentation and Natural Resources Canada fuel reporting. Last updated: August 4, 2026.