Details about ShipStation's Canada Post integration. Includes requirements, connection process, features, integration notes, and troubleshooting.
ShipStation is a dedicated Canada Post partner! Our integration with Canada Post allows you to view rates and create both domestic and international shipping labels for Canada Post shipments.
You can use ShipStation with either a Canada Post Commercial or SFSB (Solutions for Small Business) account and you can create manifests for your outbound shipments directly in ShipStation.
Connection Requirements:
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An active Commercial or Small Business account with Canada Post.
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Your Canada Post account login credentials.
Shipment Requirements:
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Daily manifesting required for Commercial account holders! Failure to manifest shipments may result in additional monthly invoice fees. (Small Business accounts have no manifest requirements and cannot close End of Day forms in ShipStation.)
Commercial accounts can create manifests directly in ShipStation using the End of Day process. Then, each day when you drop off your shipments, provide the Canada Post driver or Canada Post counter person with a physical copy of the manifest.
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Valid recipient phone numbers required for all international shipments.
To connect your Canada Post account to ShipStation:
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Your Carriers Add-On
Certain plans will require enabling the Your Carriers add-on before you can connect your carrier accounts. If you have not yet enabled it, you'll be prompted to do so before you can connect your accounts.
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Select the Canada Post tile and click Connect.
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Select whether you have a Solutions for Small Business or Commercial account type.
Business Profile Required for Commercial Account
If connecting a Commercial account, you must have a Business Profile created for Canada Post. See Create a Canada Post Business Profile for details.
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Click Connect.
You'll be redirected to Canada Post to complete the connection.
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Log in to Canada Post (if needed).
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Choose your Method of Payment and click Continue.
Payment Requirements by Account Type
If you have a Solutions for Small Business account, you must choose Use saved credit card.
If you have a Commercial account, you must choose Pay by Account. If you do not see this method, you must Create a Canada Post Business Profile.
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Click Agree and Continue to agree to the Terms and Conditions.
To connect a Canada Post Commercial account to ShipStation, you must have created a Business Profile in Canada Post that uses your commercial contract number. If you have used your Commercial Canada Post account with another shipping provider, it's likely you have already created this. However, if you're new to Canada Post or recently upgraded from a Solutions for Small Business account, you'll need to create a new user profile that uses the contract information.
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Go to the Canada Post business login page and click Sign Up.
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Choose a new Username, enter your current Customer Number and Postal Code/Zip Code, then enter the Verification Code.
Click Sign Up to proceed.
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Enter your current Agreement Number, then click Agree and Continue.
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Fill out the required Profile Information. This information can be the same as the information in your original account profile. Click Agree and Continue once complete.
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Review the information you entered, then click Save.
ShipStation's integration with Canada Post supports these standard features:
ShipStation's integration with Canada Post allows for the following additional features:
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Feature |
Description |
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ShipStation lets you schedule a pickup in-app between 15:00 - 18:00 hrs (3:00 PM - 6:00 PM). Pickup times will display in 15-minute increments. TipWhen scheduling a pickup request, set the end-time to be no later than 17:45 hrs (5:45 PM). Canada Post does not accept a pickup window end-time of exactly 18:00 hrs (6:00 PM). This service is only available with a regular Canada Post account. Canada Post One Balance™ does not support scheduled pickups. |
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Third-party billing is supported for Canada Post Commercial Accounts. |
You can use the third-party billing option if you have connected a Canada Post Commercial account and that account is configured by Canada Post to allow third-party billing. If setting a shipment to use third-party billing, you must also enter values into the Billing Zip and Billing Country fields in ShipStation, even though Canada Post does not require these fields. Third-party billing is not available when using a Small Business Canada Post account. |
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Canada Post's new API limits Customs Descriptions to 45 characters. or fewer.
When a customs description exceeds the limit, you will be unable to create labels. Instead, the following error will return: /rs/0004597532-8157624/0004597532/shipment: cvc-simple-type 1: element {http://www.canadapost.ca/ws/shipment-v8}customs-description is not a valid instance of the element type. Value is 'ZEBCO QUANTUM XP318-02 HANDLE ASSEMBLY (BLACK)'
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Canada Post’s new API also limits SKU length to 15 characters or fewer.
The SKU is optional but preferred for use with customs declarations.
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ShipStation does not electronically submit customs documentation for international shipments. You must print and include any necessary customs documents with your shipments.
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Voiding Labels: Manifested labels cannot be voided in ShipStation. However, you can void them in your Commercial Canada Post account.
If you want to void an un-manifested label, you must wait 60 minutes after creating the label before voiding.
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Return labels are only available for Commercial Canada Post accounts. They are not supported for any shipments made using a Small Business account. Return labels cannot be voided, cannot include carrier insurance, and will always require Signature confirmation.
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Canada Post uses a specific formula called Volumetric Equivalent of Actual Weight. This accounts for the weight and dimensions of the package and charges for the shipment based on volume when applicable.
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Label Messages: Canada Post supports Label Message 1 & 2 only. Label Message 3 will not appear on Canada Post labels.
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The Card for Pickup confirmation option is not currently supported.
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Deposit Location: You may incur extra fees if you drop off packages at a deposit location that is not considered to be your nearest drop-off location. Use the Canada Post Find a Deposit Location tool to find your nearest deposit location.
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Special characters can prevent label creation. You may need to remove special characters such as & @ ` ~ | ! % * < > to create the label.
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ShipStation does not currently support creating multi-package shipments for Canada Post. You must instead split items into multiple shipments or create multiple labels for an order.
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Canada Post Commercial accounts created after May 1, 2021 will default to the credit card payment method. This change does not affect Canada Post Commercial accounts opened prior to this date.
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Canada Post COVID-19 service delays: Please visit the Canada Post COVID-19 updates page for the most recent information about service disruptions and other related news.
Here are some common issues, potential causes, and troubleshooting tips.
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Issue |
How to Troubleshoot or Resolve |
|---|---|
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Error: Method of payment Account/Credit Card is not available |
What it means: The payment method selected for the Canada Post integration is not valid, the credit card on file needs to be updated, or you have reached the credit limit of your account. What to do: Check your Canada Post account and make sure the credit card is up to date or there is still a balance on the account payment method. If neither of the above is the problem, go to IMPORTANT: Be sure to close any open End of Day forms for your Canada Post shipments before you update your billing information! If shipments are not closed prior to the change, they may be caught in a suspended or unfinished state. |
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Error: A system error has occurred. Please try again later. If the problem persists, please contact the Canada Post help desk. |
What it means: Your billing information in your Canada Post account was changed prior to closing out your shipments for the day. What to do: Contact Canada Post for assistance with closing those shipments. If you changed account settings since the last time you created shipments, Canada Post does not allow you to manifest from a third-party application like ShipStation. Shipments created after the change should manifest without issue. |
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Error: /rs/soap/shipment/v7: cvc-simple-type 1: element unit-weight value '0.000' is not a valid instance of the element type |
What it means: This error message occurs when ShipStation rounds the weight value for an international shipment and the calculation ends up with a value of 0. This can happen if you have a lightweight shipment that contains a customs line item that has a high quantity (such as a 100g package with a customs quantity of 500.) What to do: Adjust your customs declaration so that the name reflects that it is a multi-pack but the quantity is only 1. For example, use "Pack of 500 Paperclips - Qty 1" instead of "Paperclips - Qty 500." |
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Error: Rejected by SLM Monitor |
What it means: This error is caused by the Canada Post's servers throttling your requests. You may also receive this error in the event of a Canada Post server maintenance or outage. What to do: In either instance, if you receive this error, your best option is to wait a few minutes and try again. Typically, Canada Post allows 20 requests per minute. If you receive this error frequently, you can request a limit increase on your Canada Post account. |
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Error: The label for this service cannot be rendered on the type of paper provided. |
What it means: The Priority Worldwide services labels are incompatible with ShipStation. What to do: To use Priority Worldwide services for a shipment, create the label from the Canada Post portal. To create the label in ShipStation, select a different service. |