Hi everyone,
After a lot of research and experimentation, I am creating this thread to list some of the options to send documents from USA to Canada. The list is not complete, if you have something to contribute please do.
From USA to Canada:
A. USPS
Many people like to hate USPS but in my own experience their service has been reliable and generally satisfactory, with two caveats: printing your labels online generally gives you better prices AND tracking which, in some cases, is not even an option at the counter. The other issue is speed of delivery: depending on the service and the geography, they take somewhere between 6-10 days to deliver your package (~2 days in the US, 1-2 days in customs clearance, ~2 days in Canada, and a weekend). Paying for a more expensive service will not help much (maybe bring it down from 9 days to 7 days but that's it). Once your package crosses the border it gets handled by Canada Post. Here are the options I personally tried:
1. USPS Priority Mail International
There is a flat rate envelope for contents under 4 lb. Costs $23.95 at the store and tracking is not an option, or $22.75 online and includes tracking. Takes 7-10 days.
2. Priority Mail Express International
There is a flat rate envelope for contents under 4 lb. Costs $41.50 at the store and online. Tracking available in both cases. Takes about 6-9 days.
3. First class package
This option is for the price-conscious adventurers. As it turns out, you can choose to send envelopes as "packages". Why you might ask? Because packages include tracking (if you buy the label online) while first class "mail" does not give you that option.
Pricing depends on weight: $9 for up to 8 oz (half a pound), $15 for up to 2 lb, etc. Again, tracking is only an option if you buy it online. Took about 10 days in my case.
4. First class mail
Definitely not for the fainthearted as it does NOT include tracking, neither online nor at the store. Pricing depends on weight but is typically between $2 and $3. Never tried it myself.
B. FedEx:
Generally more expensive than USPS, especially as your package gets heavier, but much faster. If you create an online account and print the label at home you get slightly better prices than the store. I also found a discount program called "FedEx save now" which gives an additional discount of 16% on express services and 8% on ground services.
1. FedEx International Priority
About $41 if you use the Express flat-rate envelope, which is good for under 8oz (half a pound). The FedEx Now discount brings this down to around $34. Delivered next business day in most cases. Heavier/larger packages cost more - check the website for rates.
2. FedEx International Ground
I haven't used this myself but it costs about $19 for under 1 pound (must use your own envelopes). Delivered in 2-3 business days. But they seem to require more paperwork than the first option (commercial invoice, ...?) even if it's just documents.
After a lot of research and experimentation, I am creating this thread to list some of the options to send documents from USA to Canada. The list is not complete, if you have something to contribute please do.
From USA to Canada:
A. USPS
Many people like to hate USPS but in my own experience their service has been reliable and generally satisfactory, with two caveats: printing your labels online generally gives you better prices AND tracking which, in some cases, is not even an option at the counter. The other issue is speed of delivery: depending on the service and the geography, they take somewhere between 6-10 days to deliver your package (~2 days in the US, 1-2 days in customs clearance, ~2 days in Canada, and a weekend). Paying for a more expensive service will not help much (maybe bring it down from 9 days to 7 days but that's it). Once your package crosses the border it gets handled by Canada Post. Here are the options I personally tried:
1. USPS Priority Mail International
There is a flat rate envelope for contents under 4 lb. Costs $23.95 at the store and tracking is not an option, or $22.75 online and includes tracking. Takes 7-10 days.
2. Priority Mail Express International
There is a flat rate envelope for contents under 4 lb. Costs $41.50 at the store and online. Tracking available in both cases. Takes about 6-9 days.
3. First class package
This option is for the price-conscious adventurers. As it turns out, you can choose to send envelopes as "packages". Why you might ask? Because packages include tracking (if you buy the label online) while first class "mail" does not give you that option.
Pricing depends on weight: $9 for up to 8 oz (half a pound), $15 for up to 2 lb, etc. Again, tracking is only an option if you buy it online. Took about 10 days in my case.
4. First class mail
Definitely not for the fainthearted as it does NOT include tracking, neither online nor at the store. Pricing depends on weight but is typically between $2 and $3. Never tried it myself.
B. FedEx:
Generally more expensive than USPS, especially as your package gets heavier, but much faster. If you create an online account and print the label at home you get slightly better prices than the store. I also found a discount program called "FedEx save now" which gives an additional discount of 16% on express services and 8% on ground services.
1. FedEx International Priority
About $41 if you use the Express flat-rate envelope, which is good for under 8oz (half a pound). The FedEx Now discount brings this down to around $34. Delivered next business day in most cases. Heavier/larger packages cost more - check the website for rates.
2. FedEx International Ground
I haven't used this myself but it costs about $19 for under 1 pound (must use your own envelopes). Delivered in 2-3 business days. But they seem to require more paperwork than the first option (commercial invoice, ...?) even if it's just documents.
