Canada Post announces new surcharge pricing for upcoming holiday season

Some Canada Post customers will be paying a little more to do business with the national carrier this upcoming holiday season.

In a letter to customers outlining the decision Canada Post’s Vice-President of Sales Serge Pitre writes that “high parcel volumes make the holiday season the busiest time of the year by far and space in our facilities becomes extremely limited.”

To meet this demand, he continues, Canada Post is “investing” in its network through actions such as seasonal employees, weekend, delivery, additional parcel pickups, and longer business hours.”

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However, this increase in service doesn’t come for free.

Pitre writes that beginning on November 11, 2019, and continuing through until January 12, 2020, there will be three surcharge adjustments which will apply to Canada Post’s Commercial and Solutions for Small Business Customers department.

The surcharge adjustments are:

• The existing $100 surcharge for items that don’t comply with Canada Post’s specifications for size or weight will become $200. This applies to items with an actual weight greater than 30 kg, and/or one side greater than two metres, and/or length and girth greater than three metres.
• The existing $12 surcharge for oversize items will become $17. This applies to items where the longest side is greater than one metre, and/or items where the second longest side is greater than 75 centimetres.
• The existing $12 surcharge for unpackaged items will become $17.

Pitre also writes that adjustments will be made to the company’s service guarantee.

“The on-time service performance guarantee for Priority, Xpresspost, and Expedited Parcel items… is being modified,” he writes. “Claims will only be considered for payment if the item is delivered two or more days after the published delivery standards.”

This adjustment, he writes, “is aligned with industry standards and has been a Canada Post practice for the peak holiday season since 2016.”

Pitre concludes the letter by stating that Canada Post is “committed to high service performance and to providing the best possible customer experience during the holiday season. Our teams across the network remain focused on meeting the published delivery standard.”