Classes of Canadian Mail: Different Types of Mails by Canada Post. Pricing, Size, Shipping Time & Requirements
There are different classes of Canadian Mail. While you may be familiar with many of them, most of you have limited knowledge of their unique characteristics. The pricing, size, shipping time, and other direct mail requirements can vary depending on the different types of Canadian Mail you use.
Some of the popular types of Mail by Canada Post used for business communication include the following:
- Lettermail – First Class (Used for Non-Promotional/Non-Marketing Communication Mails)
- Personalized Mail – Standard Class (Used for Personalized Marketing Communication Mails) – Formerly Addressed Admail
- Neighbourhood Mail – Bulk Mailing (Used for New Customer Acquisition) – Formerly Unaddressed Admail
- Publications Mail – (Used for Newsletters, Newspapers and Magazines)
- Parcel Mail – Used for Mailing Parcels and Packages
Now that we have listed the different classes of Canadian Mail, let us ̧ look at their characteristic features in detail.
Lettermail
First Class (Used for Non-Promotional/Non-Marketing Communication Mails)
Lettermail is one of the most popular postal mail services offered by Canada Mail. It is incredibly convenient and cost-effective. Canada Post’s Lettermail service is ideal for sending the following:
- Business correspondence
- Personal messages
- Billing Statements
- Invoice
Some of the popular applications of Canada Post’s Lettermail include sending:
- Letters
- Cards
- Reports (annual, quarterly, etc.)
- CDs and DVDs
- Notices for voting events
- Flexible magnets
There are numerous applications to Lettermail, but it is generally used for sending the things that we have listed above. Usually, Lettermail falls into two categories, and they are:
- Standard Lettermail
- Non-standard and Oversize Lettermail
Canada Post categorizes Lettermail into Standard and Non-standard (Oversize) Lettermail based on the size and weight of the mailer. The following table should help you better understand the size and weight requirements of the two types of Lettermail.
| Attribute | Standard Lettermail | Non-standard or Oversize Lettermail |
| Weight | 50g or less | 0g to 500g |
| Minimum Size | 140 mm x 90 mm x 0.18 mm
or 5.6 inches x 3.6 inches x 0.007 inches |
140 mm x 90 mm x 0.18 mm (5.6 inches x 3.6 inches x 0.007 inches) |
| Maximum Size | 245 mm x 156 mm x 5 mm
or 9.6 inches x 6.1 inches x 0.2 inches |
380 mm x 270 mm x 20 mm
or 14.9 inches x 10.6 inches x 0.8 inches |
| Pricing | $0.92 to $1.30 | $1.92 to $5.47 |
| Shipping Time | 3-7 days | 3-7 days |
You can reduce the shipping time by using First-Class mail delivery. However, First-Class Mail is better suited for personal communications.
Personalized Mail
Standard Class (Used for Personalized Marketing Communication Mails) – Formerly Addressed Admail
According to the Canada Post, Personalized Mail is defined as the mailing service with the primary intention of motivating the recipient to take action. The Personalized Mail usually uses one of the following strategies to encourage the recipient to take action.
- It promotes a product/service/program/event.
- Ask for donations or contributions.
- Reports on financial performance.
- It promotes some sort of loyalty program.
Personalized Mail often uses Standard Mail delivery. You can observe more details of Personalized Mail from the table below.
| Attribute | Personalized Mail |
| Weight | 0g to 1.36kg |
| Minimum Size | 140 mm x 90 mm x 0.18 mm
or 5.6 inches x 3.6 inches x 0.007 inches |
| Maximum Size | 380 mm x 270 mm x 20 mm
or 14.9 inches x 10.6 inches x 0.8 inches |
| Pricing | $0.50 to $3.024 |
| Minimum Quantity | 100 |
| Shipping Time | 4 -15 days |
Neighbourhood Mail
Bulk Mailing (Used for New Customer Acquisition) – Formerly Unaddressed Admail
Neighbourhood Mail was formerly called unaddressed mail. It is a targeted direct mail product from Canada Post. Neighbourhood Mail enables you to send marketing mailers to an audience in a particular area even if you don’t have their address.
However, there are a few conditions in using Neighbourhood Mail. First of all, you should not provide any address on the Neighbourhood Mail. The next thing you need to do is to meet the minimum volume requirement for Neighbourhood Mail.
| Attribute | Standard Neighbourhood Mail | Oversize Neighbourhood Mail |
| Weight | 500g or less | 500g or less |
| Minimum Size | 10.85 in.2 (70 cm2) area | 10.85 in.2 (70 cm2) area |
| Maximum Size | 30.50 cm x 15.24 cm x 2.54 cm
or 12 inches x 6 inches x 1 inches |
30.50 cm x 28.00 cm x 2.54 cm
or 12 inches x 11 inches x 1 inches |
| Pricing | $0.17 to $0.29 | $0.18 to $0.324 |
| Shipping Time | 3-14 days | 3-14 days |
Note: The maximum dimension for non-letter carrier routes is 14 inches x 11 inches x 1.5 inches with a maximum weight of 1,000 g or 35.3 oz.
Publications Mail
(Used for Newsletters, Newspapers and Magazines)
Publications Mail is a postal mail service from Canada Post, ideal for sending Periodical Mail. In other words, Publications Mail is the perfect choice for you if you want to send magazines, newsletters or editorials. However, you must ensure that it does not contain more than 70% advertising.
| Attribute | Standard Publications Mail | Oversize Publications Mail |
| Weight | 100g or less | 1.36kg or less |
| Minimum Size | 100 mm x 70 mm x 0.18 mm
Or 3.9 inches x 2.8 inches x 0.007 inches |
100 mm x 70 mm x 0.18 mm
Or 3.9 inches x 2.8 inches x 0.007 inches |
| Maximum Size | 245 mm x 156 mm x 5 mm
Or 9.6 inches x 6.1 inches x 0.2 inches |
380 mm x 380 mm x 55 mm
or 14.9 inches x 14.9 inches x 2.2 inches |
| Pricing | $0.53 to $0.85 | $0.53 to $0.85 |
| Shipping Time | 3-8 days | 3-8 days |
Parcel Mail
Used for Mailing Parcels and Packages
Canada Post offers a Parcel Mail service that lets you send packages of printed materials conveniently. The postal mail service is perfect if you want to send large volume packages as it offers drop shipping. Canada Post further sweetens the offer by providing local rates and delivery times.
There are mainly two types of Parcel Mail used by businesses, and they are
- Expedited Mail
- Priority and Express Mail
| Attribute | Expedited, Priority, and Express Mail |
| Weight | 50 g to 1.36 kg (Documents)
100 g to 30 kg (Parcel) |
| Minimum Size | 140 mm x 90 mm x 1 mm (Documents)
230 mm x 200 mm x 25 mm (Parcel) |
| Maximum Size | 380 mm x 270 mm x 20 mm (Documents)
2m x 2m x 2m (Parcel) |
| Pricing | Based on unique requirements |
| Shipping Time | 1-7 days |
Conclusion
Canada Post offers a wide range of postal mail services that can quickly deliver practically any direct mail requirement you have. However, it is hard to keep track of every detail concerning every different type of mail by Canada Post.
Keeping track of the fluctuating postage rate of different classes of Canadian Mail can become a daunting task. However, there is a quick fix for this problem. Using an automated direct mail system such as PostGrid, you no longer have to worry about your direct mail process.
PostGrid takes care of all your direct mail needs. It keeps track of all the different postage rates and dimensional requirements for various classes of Canadian Mail. All you have to do is set when and where you want your postal Mail delivered, and PostGrid will do it for you.
Also Read: US Postage Rates
