Signature and identity services

Our Signature and identity services ensure that:

  • A personal hand-off of the item occurs at delivery and that there’s proof of this activity
  • We only hand the item over to a person with acceptable ID proving the required age (18, 19, or 21)

Signature

By buying the Signature option (a no-charge option for the Priority™ service and Xpresspost™ Certified), you’ll ensure that a personal hand-off of the item occurs at delivery, and that there’s proof of this activity. We record the name of the person signing and the signature. You must select Signature at the time of shipping to ensure it’s properly captured and linked to the unique tracking number. Buying the Signature option is mandatory for Additional Liability Coverage. For Priority, the no-charge Signature option must be selected when Additional Liability Coverage is purchased.

If the receiver refuses to provide a signature, the delivery agent will indicate “SIGNATURE REFUSED” for item-tracking purposes. Before we can hand the item over, the delivery agent will capture the first initial and last name of the receiver. This process varies for items shipped by Xpresspost™ Certified. If the receiver refuses to sign for the item, we’ll send the Xpresspost Certified item back to the original shipper (Return to Sender).

When we collect the signature at the door:

When someone answers the door, the delivery agent will get the signature and the signatory’s name, then hand the item to the receiver. We don’t deliver Signature items to children. If there’s no answer at the door, the delivery agent will leave a Delivery Notice Card in the addressee’s mail receptacle that directs the addressee to the designated post office to pick up the item.

When the signature is collected at the post office:

Only the addressee, someone living at the same address (co-habitant), or the addressee’s authorized representative can pick up an item with Signature at the post office.

The addressee must present one valid piece of government-issued photo identification that shows the same address as on the item. Visit our Policies page for details.

If an individual is picking up an item addressed to another individual, they must present one valid piece of government-issued photo identification and one of the following:

  • A Delivery Notice Card or a copy of the Delivery Notification email signed by the addressee with the printed name of the individual authorized to pick up the item.
  • A legal document showing their authority to act on behalf of the other individual. For example, power of attorney or appointment as trustee.
  • A letter of authorization.

If a co-habitant is picking up a parcel at the post office on behalf of someone living at the same address, we’ll need one valid piece of government-issued photo identification with the same address as the address on the item. If the piece of identification doesn’t show the address, we’ll need proof of residence (for example, a utility bill).

Signature Hard Copy

If you selected the Signature option at the time of shipping and need a hard copy of the name and signature of the individual who signed for the item, we offer this option.

Proof of Age (18, 19, or 21)

Proof of Age is available (for a fee) to:

  • Solutions for Small Business cardholders
  • Commercial shippers who use a Canada Post-approved electronic shipping system

The Proof of Age option ensures that, when the receiver appears to be less than 30 years of age, we’ll:

  • Ask for photo identification (ID) proving age
  • Record the signature and name of the signatory

We’ll only hand the item over to a person with an acceptable ID proving the required age (18, 19, or 21) you selected as part of the Proof of Age option. Visit our Policies page for a list of age of majority identification by province or territory.

Please note:

As the legal age for certain goods may differ from age of majority by province or territory, it’s your responsibility to make sure that you select the proper age under the Proof of Age option.