Canada Post Flat Rate Boxes + PrePaid Xpresspost

[teenytrinkets]

I live in BC and sell to a lot of buyers in MB, ON, QC and further east. Sometimes I sell to some pretty remote cities, and small prepaid Xpresspost seems to be cheaper in some cases (mostly for regional envelopes).

I love that they have National flat rate boxes again! I often get stuck paying $20+ and now I can save a few bucks or more with the small box. I just saved $8 the other day -shipping a larger package to a small town in MB!

I'm curious what other Canadian sellers do to save on shipping costs (besides the measley CP biz discount and shipping letterpost/no tracking)?

Can you save by buying prepaid envelopes in bulk or on the website? My local post offices often run out of the small regional bubble envelopes (so I just end up using the non padded ones). Is it possible to get those labels and use your own envelope?

I don't use online shipping but wondering if that could save me much more than the 5% discount I already get?

[pjcdn2005]

I haven't compared it in a while but any time that I've checked the  xpresspost prepaid envelopes were more expensive than printing my own xpresspost or expedited label.

I've always done my labels online as the discount used to be quite a bit more. I have no idea how much of a difference there is now when using a small business number online vs at the counter.  I suspect that it is a very small difference these days unless you are using tracked packet international. 

I had forgotten about the flat rate boxes and I don't know if they are even available at the regular post office here as I always use a postal outlet.  They might be useful when shipping to a more remote community or from one coast to the other but when CP had the old 'flat rate' boxes I ended up paying for more than I was able to use. The ones they have now though look more useful than the old ones.

To save money I know that some sellers use companies like chit chat express in Vancouver and Ontario who will mail their items in the US. It's much cheaper to send items to US buyers if they are mailed using USPS.

[femmefan1946]

The only PO in Victoria that has them is at Yates and Douglas
I’ve checked

[ypdc_dennis]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

... I had forgotten about the flat rate boxes and I don't know if they are even available at the regular post office here as I always use a postal outlet.  They might be useful when shipping to a more remote community or from one coast to the other but when CP had the old 'flat rate' boxes I ended up paying for more than I was able to use. The ones they have now though look more useful than the old ones.

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My postal outlet had a bunch show up last week (first time I've seen them). I think the display was cleared out in only a couple of days. $17.99 for a national small box, $29.99 for a national large box, forget what the medium box was priced at.  Prepaid, with maximum of 5kg in a box.

And unlike the old Canada Post eBay boxes somewhat sturdier construction.

-..-

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Hello @teenytrinkets  , Link attached for prepaid envelops. You should see the discount once you've signed into your account.  Other items are available such as pouches. Expedited and Small Packet air labels for free.

https://www.canadapost.ca/shop/mail-pack-ship/small-business.jsf?execution=e1s1

-Lotz

[travis7s]

I really like the idea of flat rate boxes, it would be nice if you could save a couple bucks by ordering them in bulk.