Rules to shipping by lettermail?

[generatorgames]

I am new to selling and am unclear what the rules are to shipping by Canada Post Lettermail. In particular, for items like trading cards and game manuals, can these simply be mailed in a regular envelope with some rigid paper/thin cardstock to prevent damage? Is there anything else I should know that is vastly different from small parcel shipping? Thanks for any clarification.

[space_pirate · Accepted solution]

I've been selling online for 20 years. Yes, of course you can mail such items with regular letter mail. Basic letter mail is a maximum of 0.5mm thick. Oversized is ia maximum of 2cm. Whether within Canada or abroad. Check on Canada Post's website for letter mail postage rates to various countries and the maximum dimensions of regular and oversized envelopes. Don't use cheap envelopes if the item is on the heavier side though because such envelopes might tear easily. Use a padded envelope instead. You can get cheap envelopes of all types at a Dollar store. NEVER buy them at CP. They're way overpriced and it will cut into your profits. If you want padded envelopes that are plastic on the outside, then try to buy them in bulk somewhere. The dollar stores usually don't carry that type (only paper on the outside). As you mentioned, it's a good idea to use some cardboard if you want to keep the product straight and prevent it from being bent easily. As the other person mentioned, some mail carriers don't give a hoot and will use force to bend an envelope anyway just to make it fit into a mailbox. I'd suggest writing "DO NOT BEND" on the front and back of your envelope. Buy yourself a small digital scale that handles up to 5kgs. You can get the Starfrit branded ones for $10 - $15. Canadian Tire often has them on sale. This way you can weigh all of your envelopes or packages in advance and know exactly how much postage to charge in your listing. EBay will automatically run the calculations for packages using Canada Post's rates. However, you have to enter letter mail postage manually based on your item. For letter mail there are 3 rate categories based on weight and measure: Canada, USA and International. In essence you only have to enter 3 separate prices.

TIP: Anything that you send abroad (USA or Interntional) which costs $5.00 or more in postage is not subject to any sales tax. That goes for letter mail or package mail. So don't put $5.00+ worth of stamps on your international letter mail. Go to the post office and pay at the counter. Anything below $5.00 is subject to tax, so therefore you might as well put the stamps on yourself and throw the letter into the mailbox. Domestic postage an any price is subject to sales tax.

ADDITIONAL TIP: Even if the item that you are sending qualifies as letter mail (remember: max. 2cm thickness), it is important to check the package rates in order to compare the prices. When you have something heavy, the package rate might actually be a better deal. International package rates begin with the cheapest service called "Small Packet" - Surface or Air.  If you find out that the package rate is a better deal, then use weight and measure in your listing and the correct rate will be calculated for you. If the regular postage rate is cheaper, then you have to enter the price manually as mentioned earlier.

Don't leave anything up to chance. ALWAYS check the rates beforehand for comparison, and also check the rates for domestic, USA and International. You need to know what the buyer will be charged in order to make sure that 1) it's correct and 2) whether your total price is competitive vs. other sellers with whom you might be competing with.

By they way, it's not just the letter mail that gets split into 3 main categories (Canada, USA and International). This also applies to package rates. The difference however is that the prices vary according to destination. Within Canada the prices goes up the further away the buyer is. The USA has flat rates everywhere. Even to Hawaii, Alaska or Guam. For all other countries it's based on distance or what they charge at their end.

When you set up your listing for package mail do it this way:

Canada - Regular Parcel and Expedited Parcel (Expedited doesn't work in many smaller towns or rural areas)

USA - Small Packet USA Air

International - Small Packet International Air

Same idea for letter mail. Split into 3 since you'll have 3 prices.

Here are some links to get you started:

Compare package mail vs letter mail: https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s1

Stamp prices: https://www.canadapost.ca/cpc/en/personal/sending/letters-mail/postage-rates.page

Starfrit kitchen scale 5kgs. Often goes on sale for about 40% to 60% off. I paid $10 for mine. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/starfrit-digital-kitchen-scale-assorted-5-kg-0424076p.html

[generatorgames · Accepted solution]

Thank you this was very thorough, especially as I wasn't finding much direct info in other threads.

[space_pirate · Accepted solution]

I'm glad to have been of help. Another thing to keep in mind is that only shipments with a tracking number include insurance. The only exception to the rule is CP regular parcel, but you can add insurance for an extra fee. That being said, it's not worth it to destinations where CP provides Expedited service. The Expedited price is often the same or only slightly more expensive and already includes $100. Thereafter you have to pay more per $100 bracket. I see that you have some items that are larger and more expensive. Sign up for PP and then use that account to sign up for Netparcel (shipping broker). Their UPS rates are better than CP for packages and always include tracking and insurance. Just drop off the package at a UPS store, it's that easy. If you sign up for Netparcel without linking to a PP account then you'll pay about 10% to 15% more. That's what they told me when I inquired. And don't use the rates on their website (without an account login) as a guidline because they're also more expensive than the rates you see with a logged in account. https://pp.netparcel.com/home.action. I've been using them since last summer and have dumped CP completely for all packages destined to Canadian or US locations in larger metropolitan areas. CP and USPS cannot compete. Since we can't link the Netparcel account to eBay, just use the regular CP rates in your listings. After you sell something, log into Netparcel and check the UPS rates for comparison. If UPS is a better deal then go with it. Even if it's a bit more expensive in certain cases. They're faster, more efficient and they ALWAYS scan their packages. Most of time you'll see that the UPS rates are about equal or cheaper. Right now I'm sending a small package weighing 160g from MTL to Chicago for $9.40 with UPS. CP small packet = $9.70 (no tracking) and a tracked packet = $14.00. All prices include tax and fule surcharge. If I send the same package to California it will cost about $9.70 with UPS.

[generatorgames · Accepted solution]

This is great, thank you. I was just doing the default process I remembered when listing items with shipping last time around, which I realize now can be pretty costly especially in the long term. I have had pretty awful experiences with Canada Post as a buyer (multiple parcels not arriving and sellers thankfully refunding me) so I definitely don't want to experience that on the seller end as much as I can avoid it. It's kind of comical that Canada Post wouldn't just always have tracking for their own use at the very least, but I guess it's us who pays. Thank you again, will look into signing up for netparcel tonight.

[jorstev-5425 · Accepted solution]

What about when a buyer doesn’t receive the item?? I’m running into that problem. They want me to add tracking to the lettermail which you cannot do…