Feature Request: Fix Domestic Rate Tables by enforcing Canada Post's 2nd-digit FSA rural rule
Summary: lud-4367 raised a concern regarding eBay's domestic shipping rate tables which fail to apply rural surcharges in Canada correctly, according to Canada Post's FSA rule. They suggested a programming update to correct this. lotzofuniquegoodies supported the issue, highlighting other aspects of shipping inconsistencies, while flipistics proposed a more nuanced approach to categorizing regions based on shipping costs. The discussion grew contentious as lud-4367 emphasized a software mapping bug. A community moderation team member reminded participants to maintain respectful dialogue.
I'm posting about this again to clarify how eBay handles domestic shipping rates for Canada, and this time I've got a bit of help from AI to lay out the technical breakdown clearly.
Feature Request / System Improvement Suggestion
Currently, eBay’s Domestic Rate Tables allow sellers to set separate shipping surcharges for Urban vs. Rural regions within Canadian provinces. However, in practice, the rate table system fails to apply the designated rural rate to rural orders in provinces like Ontario, defaulting instead to the lower urban flat rate.
The Problem: Canada Post determines rural vs. urban service routes using a simple, explicit rule in the postal code’s Forward Sortation Area (FSA):
2nd character is
0= Rural Area (e.g.,N0B,K0H,L0J)2nd character is
1–9= Urban Area (e.g.,N6A,M5V,K1P)
Because eBay's rate tables currently do not check the 2nd digit of Canadian postal codes, rural buyers are undercharged, leaving sellers to absorb unexpected shipping cost spikes when using flat-rate setups.
Suggested Solution: Please update the Domestic Rate Table logic for Canada Post so that any postal code with a 0 as the second character automatically triggers the designated Rural rate table tier.
Implementing this simple postal code check would fix the rate table functionality, protect Canadian sellers from unexpected shipping losses, and make flat-rate shipping far more reliable across all provinces.
# In programming, index [1] refers to the 2nd character:
if buyer_country == "CA" and postal_code[1] == '0':
apply_rate_table_tier("RURAL")
else:
apply_rate_table_tier("URBAN")
P.S. I know calculated shipping exists, but as a casual seller, I package items as they sell. Every item is unique and nothing is packed in advance, so the final package size and weight depend on how it's actually boxed up. Because of this, I use flat-rate shipping based on estimated dimensions, and it has been working well except for rural areas.
EDIT: Here's my original post on this issue for reference.
Shipping rate table doesn't apply to Rural Ontario | Selling | eBay Canada EN
flipistics
·1 week ago@lud-4367 This would actually cause other problems . The issue is that there's no breakdown for very remote regions. Just because an area is rural doesn't mean it's crazy expensive (although it could be). Having to treat a normal rural postal code the same as an airstage location could be just as big of an issue. A breakout of the crazy expensive places into their own tier would be the ideal solution, with the normal rural but not remote places being moved to the rural tier. -> Remote, Rural, Urban
lud-4367
OP1 week agoYou forgot the fact that the rate table is optional, and sellers are pricing the fees. In fact, I don't think you read my post properly, and I don't want to repeat again. Try reading my other post and try setting up a rate table by yourself.
flipistics
·1 week agoI use rate tables on everything except expedited lite qualifying items . I know exactly how they work and what the issues are with them. I also do NOT price fees into them, nor tax since I have a GST/HST number and get that back.
Lumping all the '0' postal codes currently in the urban category in with rural where you have to deal with things like airstage would be just as big a mess as what's currently going on. In fact it might be a bigger mess. Not all '0' postal codes have a cost premium. As an example, I recently sent an 830g book from Northern Ontario (my postal code is P0R) to Coteau de lac (J0P). It cost me $11.50 plus tax. The cost of that same item to Quebec City (G1H) would have been the exact same price (and yes, these quotes are Canada Post).
Regardless, there's so many shipping options now that you can limit or completely eliminate the damage if you shop around for labels.
lud-4367
OP1 week agoYou seem like one of those students who keeps asking the same question over and over. You'll never get it at this rate, pun intended. Having said that, I'm leaving this here so other readers don't get confused, even though I dislike spoon-feeding people:
You are muddling Canada Post's pricing structure with eBay's software mechanics. Canada Post literally defines the second character
0as rural. eBay's rate tables offer a "Rural" surcharge tier for Canada, but eBay’s backend fails to route0postal codes into that tier. That is a flat-out software mapping bug, not a debate about whether a postal code deserves a surcharge. Last but not least, there is no routing code for "remote" in Canada Post's FSA system. It is strictly either urban or rural.Rate tables are customizable by the seller. If a seller doesn't want to charge extra for a specific rural zone, they simply don't fill in a surcharge for it. Reporting the bug doesn't force anyone to overcharge. It just enables the tool to function as designed for sellers who need to adjust for rural postage costs.
You are missing the casual seller context entirely.
Suggesting to "shop around for labels across multiple carriers" ignores that many sellers rely solely on Canada Post.
flipistics
·6 days agoI'm going to address these points and then I'm done with this conversation.
1. Rate tables are designed to be used with all carriers. All carriers have different definitions for what we're calling "urban" or "rural". eBay, for whatever reason, only broke out the really nasty postal codes, presumably using a combination of air stage and locations that UPS / Fedex designate as being out of the service area or whatever they call it, and decided to call them rural. There's no mapping bug. They aren't following Canada Post's designations, nor should they. Rate tables are NOT designed just for Canada Post.
The best fix, as I suggested, is probably for eBay to add a tier and rearrange the postal codes in each bucket. An urban one for major centers, a rural one for most other addresses, and a remote one for the nasty to ship to places.
2. The problem with lumping all of the '0' postal codes in with rural is that this effectively creates the same problem you want to solve. It forces the seller to either eat a lot of money for really remote postal codes or drastically overcharge for most of the other '0' postal codes that for the most part have relatively small additional rate charges. It doesn't solve the problem, it simply shifts it.
3. Most casual sellers aren't using rate tables. Most probably don't know they even exist.
4. You can buy Canada Post labels from many different places, and some have crazy good rates. It's hard to beat eBay's expedited lite rates, but for all other items Shipping Chimp seems to usually be the cheapest (other than for really remote destinations for some reason). Click Ship has special rates for packages up to 500g (actual and volumetric). They're not quite as flat as expedited lite's rates are, but they're still a great option for smaller items between 250 and 500g. If you have a GST/HST number, EasyShip or NetParcel's rates will likely be effectively cheaper than eBay's since they break the tax out. None of this is including Woosh, the legitimacy of which the jury is still out on, which would almost eliminate the problem entirely if it is legit.
mod-claude
·5 days agoHi everyone,
This discussion has gotten a bit heated. Please remember that, while it is fine to disagree with others, discussion should always remain friendly and respectful as required by the Community Guidelines.
You can review our Community Guidelines here: https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/member-behavior-policies/community-content-policy?id=4265
Thank you for your cooperation.
eBay Community Moderation Team
lotzofuniquegoodies
·1 week ago@lud-4367 In reviewing a shipment created this morning to hub:
@jtg204
Entered: 23 x 16 x 9 - 400 grams
Displayed on Label: 22 x 20 x 9 - Dim weight .830
See underscored section.
As per label page Canada Post minimums are as follows: Minimum 23 x 20 x 2.5cm. Maximum weight 30kg, length 200cm and length + girth 300cm. To work out the girth, add the two shorter sides together and multiply the result by 2
As per CP page:
Minimum Size Requirements
Parcels:
Length: 230 mm (9.1 inches)
Width: 200 mm (7.9 inches)
Height: 25 mm (1.0 inch)
Minimum Weight: 100 g (0.2 pounds)
Canada Post uses minimum parcel sizes mainly to ensure packages can move smoothly through automated sorting machines without getting lost, jammed, or damaged.
Why Minimum Sizes Matter
Machine Processing: High-speed sorting belts and optical scanners require a minimum surface area and thickness to grip, read barcodes, and track items accurately.
Jammings and Loss: Tiny or paper-thin packages can slip through conveyor rollers, drop out of machinery, or jam automated systems, causing costly processing delays.
Label Space: Parcels must have enough flat space on at least one side to display a postage label, a barcode, and customs documentation clearly. (easiest work around in just to print labels in a size to fit properly.)
Handling and Visibility: Extremely small items are easily misplaced in large bins or overlooked by postal workers during manual sorting and delivery.
Most users on Reddit agree that while official minimum dimensions exist for automated equipment guidelines, slightly smaller packages are often processed in practice without being outright rejected—though staying above the minimum ensures optimal handling and prevents system errors.
This would be what is causing any potential inflating of the final charges. Unsure if calculator is fully jiving with final data and any upgrades. Having these CP minimums defeats the practice of trying to ship using the most economical means for buyer.
flipistics
·1 week ago@lotzofuniquegoodies This is not the same issue. It is a problem that needs to be addressed though.
lotzofuniquegoodies
·1 week ago · Edited@flipistics It is if rural buyers are seeing and paying incorrect amounts for shipping. Not much a seller can do after the buyer has paid. Over the last year there have been numerous reported problems with shipping...calculated and otherwise. All these problems are most likely inter-connected. AFAIK we've never really gotten a status update of how close everything is to being fixed.
lotzofuniquegoodies
·1 week ago@lud-4367
@devon@ebay Can you pass this on to your shipping department to address ASAP please? Thanks.
Calculated/Flat rate/Combined + Multiple unit shipping ALL needs to work and be reliable.
devon@ebay
Hi @lotzofuniquegoodies ! I will be sure to have this passed along to the Shipping team.