Canada Post LetterMail Services for WooCommerce

This article covers the topic of Canada Post LetterMail, the features of LetterMail, its uses, and the steps to be followed while processing any LetterMail shipments. We’ll also discuss the ability to generate rates and ship LetterMail using the Canada Post Shipping plugin for WooCommerce.

Canada Post LetterMail is a service brought to you by Canada Post for the shipping of documents, letters, invoices, and personal messages within Canada.

What is Canada Post LetterMail?

Canada Post LetterMail is a cost-effective and convenient way to send Documents, Invoices, and Messages in Canada. There are a number of reasons a business or a store owner can use LetterMail services, these include:

• Cards and Letters (including postcards) and self-mailers
• Any business report that is meant to be shipped fast and in a cost-effective manner
• Receipts and Invoices (or similar documents containing financial information)
• Notice of voting for federal, provincial, or municipal events
• A media Disc (CD/DVD – must be submitted to Canada Post for testing and approval)
• Any flexible magnets
• Any mail that is chosen is to be sent by the customer as long as they meet the available qualifications.

Canada Post has categorized LetterMail services into:

• Standard – mail that meets the size and weight
• Other (Non-standard and Oversize) – mail that does not qualify as Standard Mail and which does not exceed the maximum size and weight requirements

Canada Post Standard LetterMail Size and Weight Restrictions

Standard items that exceed any one of the maximum dimensions become Non-standard item. Standard Lettermail cards and self-mailers must be rectangular in shape. Cards and self-mailers that do not meet this ratio (e.g. square items) or square envelopes outside the allowable square dimensions are subject to Other Lettermail prices.

Canada Post Non-Standard LetterMail Size and Weight Restrictions

Canada Post Oversized LetterMail Size and Weight Restrictions

Any item that exceeds the maximum size or weight of Oversize Lettermail no longer qualifies as Lettermail and may qualify for one of the Parcel Services.**Square Envelopes are acceptable (min. size of 140 mm x 140 mm x 0.18 mm and max. size of 156 mm x 156 mm x 5 mm).

Features of Canada Post LetterMail

Below are 2 of the main Features of LetterMail as told by Canada Post:

• Mail Forwarding
• Return to Sender

Mail Forwarding

Before processing the shipment, make sure to have the Mail Forwarding request in effect. This helps with those LetterMail parcels where the delivery address is not deliverable. Instead, Canada Post will forward the Mail to the alternate address on the package.

Return to Sender

In the case where a LetterMail item had an unsuccessful delivery or if there is no Mail Forwarding request placed, then the package will be returned to the Shipper if the address is mentioned outside the package. If the return address is mentioned inside the package, then the package will be returned but at a charge.

Canada Post LetterMail Options

The Canada Post LetterMail options are:

• Registered Mail
• Forward Undercover
• Do Not Forward

Any service enhancement is considered an option. This is generally not included as part of the basic services. Here, a customer must affix an additional label on the box. The LetterMail options that Canada Post has set are available at an additional fee.

Registered Mail

With Registered Mail, senders will receive a copy of the proof of mailing, signature, and date of delivery of the package. Registered Mail will include the barcode tracking system and delivery information is updated by 12:00 PM on the business day post delivery.

Forward Undercover 

Requires the correct postage and in case the Letter is Forwarded undercover to any postmaster with the request of reposting it, should be endorsed with “Posted at < > undercover to the postmaster at < >“.In case the LetterMail is prepaid by postage stamps, it must bear the words “Postmaster, please open for cancellation and processing” and are then processed in the usual manner.

Do Not Forward 

Do Not Forward is an option that applies to LetterMail items where the address for delivery is either incorrect or there’s no one available, then the post will not be forwarded to the addressee, rather Canada Post will return the post to the original sender.In case you wish to use the Do Not Forward option, you must:

• Use either the Electronic Shipping Tools 2.0 or the Online version of EST in order to add the Do Not Forward option to an Order
• Apply the Do Not Forward endorsement to the front of each mail item (placed to the left and above the destination address, or in the upper left-hand corner below the return address).

Click on Do Not Forward Endorsement to access the Postal Indicia page

Canada Post LetterMail Format

Standard LetterMail envelopes or self-mailers have to be sealed on all sides. Any package which is unsealed contains fanfold’s or newsletters that are not enclosed in an envelope will be subject to Other LetterMail pricing. Standard Lettermail may not sag more than 22 mm toward the middle of the package. Graphics or other Printing will not be allowed in the below-mentioned areas of a Standard LetterMail:

• To the top right of the address field (all areas)
• Areas below the address block
• 19 mm high by 105 mm long, measured from the right edge along the bottom
• The prescribed area for postage.

The list of restrictions for LetterMail services is listed here

Delivery Standards of Canada Post LetterMail

The delivery standards are estimates of how long it will take for the mail to be delivered. These delivery standards are not guaranteed but have been provided for reference.

Delivery standards for items deposited at Canada Post Receipt Verification Unit (RVU) sites are subject to cut-off times. Mail deposited after the cut-off time is considered as being deposited on the next business day.

Delivery of Canada Post LetterMail

Lettermail items can be delivered to any of the following locations:

• Door delivery
• Group Mailbox
• Apartments and Condominiums
• Community Mailbox
• Rural Mailbox
• Post Office box
• General delivery
• Container shipment.

Depositing Canada Post LetterMail

The postage for LetterMail can be purchased at any local post office. By using sufficient postage on the item, it can then be deposited in a letterbox located on the street, in any post office, or in any community mailbox.

Those items with a postal indicia can only be dropped off at the post office or a registered Canada Post deposit location.

*Any items that are deposited post the cut-off time will be considered as being deposited on the following business day.

Authorized deposit location types

Deposit location types have been set based on the type of mail and volume that can be accepted at the facility: These are:

• Receipt Verification Units (RVUs):
  • An RVU accepts all products and volumes with the exception of machineable mail. All RVUs are not approved to accept all types of Machineable Mail. This list of approved deposit locations for Machineable Mail can be found at canadapost.ca/cutofftimes.
  • Machineable Mail – Mail prepared in accordance with the Machineable Mail Specifications
• Commercial Deposit Centres (CDCs):
  • Those facilities are equipped to accept, verify, and process commercial mailings with the exception of Machineable Publications Mail.
  • Commercial mailings deposited at a CDC will continue to be processed at a Canada Post mail processing plant.
  • Customers exceeding the acceptable volumes will be referred to the nearest RVU.
  • Machineable Personalized Mail is accepted by the CDC.
• Corporate Post Offices:
  • Accepts all commercial products except Machineable Publications Mail. Customers exceeding the acceptable volumes will be referred to the nearest CDC or RVU.
• Delivery Facilities:
  • Accepts Neighbourhood Mail for local delivery (to a maximum of full coverage for the Delivery facility)

Canada Post LetterMail Rates for WooCommerce

Using WooCommerce, you will not be able to generate LetterMail rates for your store, this feature is made available in the Canada Post Shipping plugin for WooCommerce. Here, the LetterMail rates have been embedded into the plugin to provide you with real-time calculated rates based on the rate table set by Canada Post. While using LetterMail services with the WooCommerce Canada Post Shipping plugin you will not be able to generate invoices or print shipping labels. In order to configure your store to display LetterMail rates using the Canada Post Shipping plugin for WooCommerce, you will have to follow the below set of instructions:

• Begin by Setting up the plugin
• Once this is done, make sure the Canada Post LetterMail Rates have the appropriate services selected (shown below)

• Proceed to the Product Data page by navigating to Products > All Products > Name of the Product > Product Data (specify the weight and dimensions to fit into a LetterMail package)
• Now that the product has been configured to meet the packaging restrictions for LetterMail, you can go ahead to the store and add items to the cart.
• Upon doing so, the plugin will calculate the weight and dimension and provide you with the available LetterMail rates and services (shown below)

• Select the appropriate Shipping service and confirm the order.
• In the order details page, the confirmed order will look like this (shown below)

• You will not be able to generate or print shipping labels for Canada Post LetterMail as the rates are coded into the plugin and not taken from the Canada Post API.
• Once the item is packed and the postage is firmly placed on it, head to a post office and deposit the LetterMail package.

Conclusion

This article covers Canada Post LetterMail rates and the availability of LetterMail services in the Canada Post Shipping Plugin for WooCommerce. We also discuss the packaging limits, features, and additional options amongst others. If there are any doubts or queries pertaining to this article please feel free to express your views in the comment section. Similarly, reach out to our Support Team to know more.