Canada Post is the primary postal operator in Canada, connecting communities from coast to coast. Due to the country's vast geography and challenging weather conditions, tracking delays or delivery hurdles can sometimes occur.
If you are facing difficulties while tracking a Canada Post parcel or navigating a missed delivery, this guide provides practical solutions for the most common postal issues, along with direct customer service contact details.
Missing a Canada Post Delivery
What happens if I am not home for a delivery?
If you are not home and the package requires a signature, won't fit in your mail receptacle, or cannot be safely left at your door, the letter carrier will leave a Delivery Notice Card. This card indicates that your item could not be delivered and has been securely routed to a local post office for pickup.
What do I do with the Delivery Notice Card?
The Delivery Notice Card contains crucial information, including the specific post office where your parcel is being held. When the information becomes available, Canada Post will update the Track tool to tell you where and when it is ready to be collected.
What ID is required to collect a package?
When you go to the post office to pick up your package, you must bring the Delivery Notice Card (if you have one) and a piece of government-issued photo ID.
How long will Canada Post hold my missed parcel?
Canada Post delivery notice cards typically hold the parcel for 15 calendar days. If you do not collect the parcel within this retention period, it is marked as "Unclaimed" and returned to the sender.
🔍 Resolving Tracking & Pickup Issues
Can I collect a package on behalf of someone else?
Yes, you can send someone else in your place to pick up the package. They will need to bring their own government-issued photo ID. Additionally, they must bring either the Delivery Notice Card (signed by you, with their name printed on it as your authorized representative) or a legal document/letter of authorization demonstrating they have the authority to act on your behalf.
What if I lost my Delivery Notice Card?
If you lost the physical card left at your door, you can still collect your package. You will need to check the status on the Track tool. Once it tells you where and when to pick up your package, you can go to the post office with your tracking number and required government-issued ID.
Why is my tracking stuck?
Delays can occur due to severe weather, rural routing logistics, or high parcel volumes. Cross-country routes can create quiet stretches of a day or two where the parcel is traveling but not being scanned. "In transit" means Canada Post has received the package and it is en route, while "Verifying recipient's address; Possible delay" means there is an addressing error that the delivery agent is trying to resolve before it is returned to the sender.
Canada Post Tracking & Delivery FAQs
Why does my tracking say "Electronic information submitted"?
This means the sender has created the shipping label and transmitted the details to Canada Post, but the physical parcel has not yet been scanned into the postal network. If this status remains for more than a business day, it usually means the parcel has not yet been handed over to Canada Post by the sender.
What should I do if my package says "Delivered" but I haven't received it?
First, check with everyone in your household to ensure someone else didn't receive or retrieve it. Also, check the tracking to see if a signature was recorded. The delivery person might have left the package in a secure location or left a Delivery Notice Card. If you still cannot locate it, you can ask Canada Post to start an investigation to try and find it.
How do I file a claim for a missing package?
You can ask Canada Post to initiate an investigation into the missing package. They will monitor it for a few days for new scans; if none appear, it will be declared missing. If there is no confirmed delivery, an investigation starts automatically and Canada Post will contact the receiver. Note: Only the sender can request compensation for the insured value of the package and the postage cost once the package is officially declared missing.
Does Canada Post deliver on weekends?
Generally, Canada Post offices are closed on weekends and they do not deliver on Saturdays or Sundays. However, some authorized private post offices that act as subsidiaries may operate on weekends.
How late does Canada Post deliver?
For residential addresses, the delivery timing is Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. For business addresses, delivery hours are Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM.
How to Contact Canada Post Customer Service
If you need to investigate a delayed parcel or escalate a routing issue, you can reach Canada Post through their official channels:
- General Customer Service / Package Support: 1-866-607-6301
- Help Desk: 1-877-411-8585
- Commercial Customer Service: 1-866-757-5480 (Available Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm, ET)
- Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf: 1-800-267-2797
- Outside of Canada: +1 416 979 3033