Collect on Delivery (COD)
1 | What Is Collect on Delivery (COD)? |  |
Collect on Delivery is a domestic service that is available with the following services:
- Priority™
- Xpresspost™
- Expedited Parcel™
- Regular Parcel™.
Collect on Delivery is a service by which an amount due to the sender is collected by Canada Post upon delivery, on behalf of the sender. The amount and method of collection must be specified by the sender.
Before the item is handed over to the addressee or his representative, the addressee or his representative must pay the Collect on Delivery amount as specified by the sender on the Collect on Delivery form. The sender may include in the amount of Collect on Delivery charges:
- the value of the item
- service charges in the case of repairs
- sales taxes
- postage
- Collect on Delivery fee and other special service fees.
To cancel a Collect on Delivery charge, the sender must supply the post office administrator with a letter authorizing the cancellation or change to the Collect on Delivery amount and the mailing receipt. The sender must pay Canada Post for all expenses incurred by such changes. Should the addressee want a refund for a Collect on Delivery item, this must be arranged between the sender and the addressee.
A COD item cannot be returned or refunded through Canada Post once it has been accepted by the addressee.
The sender must specify the method and amount to be collected when COD is purchased. The available methods of collection are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Acceptable Methods of Collection When the addressee pays for the package with cash, the amount is converted into a money order. Cheques, money orders and certified cheques must be payable to the sender. The amount collected is forwarded to the sender by Xpresspost™.
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NOTE:
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For FedEx Ground and Purolator, cheques, certified cheques or money orders must be made payable to the original shipper (as indicated on the FedEx or Purolator shipping label). |
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If the COD amount to be collected in cash is greater than $500, a Delivery Notice card will be left for the addressee to pick up the item at the post office. |
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The sender assumes all risks associated with payment by cheque. Post-dated cheques will only be accepted when the sender applies the “POST-DATED CHEQUES ACCEPTED” sticker to the item. |
2 | Unacceptable Items | |
Items not ordered or requested by the addressee are considered unacceptable items.
Collect on Delivery service must not be used to collect an amount owed on a previous transaction.
3 | Size and Weight | |
Size and weight is governed by the service to which Collect on Delivery is applied.
4 | Pricing Information | |
To obtain information on pricing:
5 | Payment Options | |
Table 2 lists the acceptable proofs of payment for purchasing Collect on Delivery only if payment is made in a non-automated office.
Table 2: Collect on Delivery (COD) Proofs of Payment
Table 3 lists the acceptable methods of payment for purchasing Collect on Delivery. Some restrictions or conditions may apply.
Table 3: Collect on Delivery (COD) Methods of Payment
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Credit card is available only to Customers using Electronic Shipping Tools (EST). Some exceptions apply. |
For more information, see Paying For Your Mailing.
6 | Delivery Standards at a Glance | |
Delivery standards are governed by the service to which Collect on Delivery is applied.
7 | Features | |
Features are governed by the service to which COD is applied.
8 | Options | |
Options are governed by the service to which COD is applied.
9 | Labels and Documentation Required | |
Every item must bear a Collect On Delivery label.
The COD label (33-086-397) can be used as both a commercial and counter label when shipping Regular Parcel items. It can be over-labelled with a service sticker when Priority™, Xpresspost or Expedited Parcel service is used. This 4-part label contains a bar-coded remittance label, a record of delivery copy and a customer receipt along with the shipping label.
The COD label (33-086-414) is for Commercial Customers only. This label is pre-printed with the Expedited Parcel service indicator but can also be over-labelled with service stickers. This 3-part label contains a bar-coded remittance label and a record of delivery copy.
All Commercial Customers must complete a Bulk Manifest (33-086-565) in conjunction with the applicable COD label and the shipper’s signature is required on the hard copy Manifest, where specified. The completed Manifest must be given to the authorized postal employee at the time of mailing for verification and distribution of the various copies.
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NOTE 1:
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As each Collect On Delivery item (shipping label) and remittance label has a unique barcode which defines each mailing, Canada Post will no longer accept Bulk remittances. Items must be posted on an individual basis so that each barcode (i.e. payment) can be scanned and traced. |
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2:
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The Collect On Delivery option cannot be used with a Bill of Lading. The Customer must use a COD label. |
Automated plain-paper COD labels can be used by commercial Customers who ship using the desktop and online versions of EST. Thermal COD labels are available to commercial Customers that ship using the desktop versions of EST and a thermal label printer. Both three-part label types contain a COD address label, a remittance label, and a record of delivery.
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NOTE:
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The record of delivery and remittance label are placed in a plastic pouch, with the barcode hidden from view, and affixed to the item. The COD address label is then affixed to the item. Customers should ensure that only the barcode from the COD address label is visible. |
10 | Format | |
No wording indicating that the item can be examined before acceptance by the addressee may appear on the Collect on Delivery item. The addressee may, however, be informed of the sender’s name.
11 | Addressing | |
All Collect on Delivery items must bear a complete address including a correct Postal Code. See Addressing Guidelines for more information.
All Collect on Delivery items must bear a Canadian return address.
12 | Deposit of Collect on Delivery Items | |
The Customer can deposit Collect on Delivery items at a post office or at a processing plant.
13 | Delivery of Collect on Delivery Items | |
To the door (some exceptions apply).
13.1 | Hold Period for Collect on Delivery Items |
The hold period for Collect on Delivery items is 15 calendar days (30 calendar days for northern addresses). Once the holding period has expired, unclaimed Collect on Delivery items are deemed undeliverable and returned to the sender. The sender can submit a written request to have the holding period extended to 30 calendar days.
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