Expanding your WooCommerce store to Canada is a smart move, but international shipping can be expensive and complicated. From customs paperwork to unpredictable rates, manual handling often cuts into your profits. USPS offers cost-effective and reliable options for international shipments. When combined with the right plugin, you can automate your USPS shipping, all from your WooCommerce dashboard.
In this guide, we’ll explore why shipping to Canada can be costly and how to ship affordably using the WooCommerce USPS Shipping Plugin.
Article Contains:
- Why Shipping to Canada Can Be Expensive for WooCommerce Store Owners
- How USPS Supports Cost-Effective Shipping to Canada
- Documents Required to Ship to Canada With USPS
- Offer USPS Shipping to Canada in WooCommerce
- Real-World Example: WooCommerce Store Shipping Apparel to Canada
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Why Shipping to Canada Can Be Expensive for WooCommerce Store Owners
For WooCommerce store owners, shipping to Canada often means facing higher costs that can affect profitability and customer satisfaction. Here’s why:
- Complex Customs Processes: Store owners must prepare accurate customs documentation and declarations for every shipment. Mistakes can lead to delays, additional fees, or even returned packages, all of which add to operational costs.
- Variable USPS Shipping Rates: WooCommerce stores that use flat or manual shipping rates risk either undercharging or overcharging customers. Without live USPS rates, shipping fees might not reflect the true cost, resulting in lost revenue or cart abandonment.
- Higher Freight and Fuel Surcharges: International shipments typically incur extra fuel surcharges, security fees, and handling charges. These additional costs are often unpredictable.
- Longer Transit Times Affect Customer Experience: Slower delivery options may reduce shipping costs, but can lead to unhappy customers and increased support inquiries. Faster, more reliable services tend to cost more.
- Returns and Failed Deliveries: Cross-border returns and failed deliveries due to incorrect customs forms or addresses can be costly for WooCommerce store owners.
Let’s explore how USPS helps address these challenges.
How USPS Supports Cost-Effective Shipping to Canada
USPS offers WooCommerce store owners several affordable and reliable shipping options to Canada, balancing cost, speed, and convenience. Here’s how:
1. Multiple Shipping Options
USPS offers various international shipping services to Canada, allowing store owners to choose based on their budget and urgency. Options include:
- First-Class Package International Service
- Priority Mail International
- Priority Mail Express International
- Global Express Guaranteed
2. Competitive Pricing
USPS international shipping rates are generally more affordable compared to private carriers. This is especially true for small and medium-sized packages, making it a cost-effective choice for WooCommerce stores shipping to Canada.
3. Customs Forms and Paperwork Integration
USPS simplifies customs documentation by integrating customs forms into its shipping process. This reduces errors and delays, which can add extra costs or cause returns.
4. USPS Flat Rate Boxes for Predictable Costs
USPS offers flat-rate boxes for international shipments, including to Canada. These boxes allow store owners to ship at a fixed price regardless of weight (up to box limits).
5. Partnership with Canada Post
USPS works closely with Canada Post for last-mile delivery. This partnership helps ensure reliable delivery within Canada and leverages local postal networks to keep costs down.
By leveraging these USPS services, WooCommerce store owners can offer affordable, reliable, and efficient shipping to Canadian customers.
Documents Required to Ship to Canada With USPS
1. PS Form 2976 (Customs Declaration CN 22)
- Used for First-Class Package International Service (FCPIS) shipments containing merchandise valued at $400 or less.
- This form is a simple customs declaration that includes information about the contents, value, and weight of the package.
2. PS Form 2976-A (Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note – CP 72)
- Used for Priority Mail International shipments, including Flat Rate Envelopes and Small Flat Rate Boxes, regardless of value.
- This more detailed form requires information about the sender, recipient, and a comprehensive description of the contents.
3. PS Form 2976-B
- Used for Priority Mail Express International shipments.
- This form serves as both the shipping label and customs declaration, providing detailed information required for expedited shipments.
4. Commercial Invoice (Additional Documentation)
For commercial shipments, a Commercial Invoice may be required, especially if the shipment’s value exceeds $2,500 or if it’s subject to specific export regulations.
Important Considerations
- All customs forms must be electronically generated. Handwritten forms are no longer accepted.
- Ensure that the items you’re shipping are not prohibited or restricted by Canadian customs regulations. Commonly prohibited items include certain food products, plants, and hazardous materials.
Offer USPS Shipping to Canada in WooCommerce
The PH USPS Shipping Plugin for WooCommerce makes it easy for store owners to offer affordable and reliable USPS shipping to Canada. With this plugin, you can automate your entire fulfillment process.
To get started with the plugin, refer to the WooCommerce USPS shipping setup guide for step-by-step instructions.
The plugin supports three integration methods:
- USPS Ship: Ideal if you already have a USPS Web Tools account and want to connect it directly.
- USPS via Stamps.com: Offers access to discounted commercial rates.
- USPS via EasyPost: provides similar benefits, allowing you to ship using USPS with commercial pricing.
After selecting and connecting your preferred method, head to Rate Automation, which allows you to display live USPS shipping rates at checkout.
Here, you can customize which USPS services are shown and choose whether to display the most cost-effective options for shipping to Canada with longer transit times or the more expensive ones with faster delivery.
Similarly, you can go to Plugin Settings > Automation > Setup to enable services label printing.
In the print settings, you can select documents for shipping, as you will need a set of documents for customs clearance.
Once your settings are configured, customers will see USPS live rates at checkout as shown in the image below.
With this WooCommerce USPS plugin, you’ll be able to generate the required documents without ever leaving your WooCommerce dashboard.
When printing, you’ll get three essential documents:
- CP72 Form – includes tracking and shipping labels.
- Customs Declaration – shows contents and value for customs.
- Dispatch Note – summarizes items in the shipment.
Once your packages are ready, the plugin lets you request a USPS Pickup directly from the Orders.
After pickup is requested, you can fulfill the order to update the WooCommerce order status to Completed and send USPS tracking details to customers via the Order Shipped Email.
For more tracking information, refer to this article.
Real-World Example: WooCommerce Store Shipping Apparel to Canada
A WooCommerce store based in New York sells urban fashion and frequently ships orders to Canada. While expanding internationally helped them grow, shipping across the border brought several challenges:
Problems Faced:
- The store used a $15 flat shipping rate for Canadian orders. While this worked for small packages, larger orders often cost more than expected, leading to profit loss.
- Each order required filling out PS Forms 2976 or 2976-A by hand. Even small errors in the customs declaration led to shipment delays or returned packages, frustrating customers and increasing operational costs.
- Customers often ask, “Where’s my order?” because store owners manually copy and email tracking numbers, leading to delays and wasted time.
- The fulfillment team had to print labels separately, fill out customs forms, and physically drop off packages at the post office, taking hours each week.
The Solution:
They installed the PH USPS Shipping Plugin for WooCommerce, which automated and simplified the entire USPS shipping process.
- The plugin showed accurate shipping costs based on the customer’s address and cart contents.
- Customs documents like PS Form 2976 were created automatically with each label, reducing human errors.
- As soon as a label was created, the plugin emailed the customer with the USPS tracking number, no manual effort needed.
- The store could now generate shipping labels, print customs documents, and even schedule USPS pickups right from the WooCommerce dashboard.
This case shows how automating USPS shipping with the right plugin can turn cross-border shipping into a smooth and cost-effective process.
Conclusion
Shipping to Canada can be affordable and hassle-free with the right tools. USPS offers cost-effective international services, and when combined with the PH USPS Shipping Plugin for WooCommerce, you can automate shipping rates, label printing, and customs paperwork, all from your dashboard. This setup not only reduces shipping errors and delays but also improves the experience for your Canadian customers while saving you time and money.
Need Help? Reach out to PluginHive’s support team for quick assistance with setup or questions.
FAQs
- What is the cheapest USPS service for shipping to Canada from WooCommerce?
The most affordable option is First-Class Package International Service, ideal for lightweight items (under 4 lbs). It offers reasonable delivery times and low costs.
- Are there any restrictions on what I can ship to Canada using USPS?
Yes. Canada prohibits or restricts certain items like firearms, tobacco, perishables, and some cosmetics. Always check Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) guidelines before shipping.
- What happens if a USPS shipment to Canada is lost or delayed?
If a shipment is delayed or gets lost, you can file a missing mail claim with USPS. Services like Priority Mail International and Priority Mail Express International come with limited insurance and tracking, which can help in claims processing.
- Can I bulk print shipping labels for multiple Canadian orders?
Yes. The PH USPS Shipping Plugin allows you to bulk-generate and print labels, including customs documents, saving time for high-volume stores.
- Are returns from Canada to the U.S. supported by USPS?
While the plugin primarily supports outbound shipping, you can include a USPS return label in the original package. The customer would need to drop it off with Canada Post or arrange for cross-border return shipping.
