LetterAgent
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Most of the time you pay the carrier: couriers prepay the government and collect from you at the door or online before delivery, and Canada Post collects at the counter or post office when you pick the parcel up. If the bill looks wrong, you can also self-clear at a CBSA office: bring the shipping documents, pay there, and take the stamped form to the carrier to release your parcel.
Private couriers act as your customs broker by default. When your parcel reaches the border, the courier files the entry, pays the duty and taxes to the government out of its own pocket, and then comes to you for reimbursement plus a brokerage fee for the service. You will usually get a text or email with a payment link before delivery, or the driver collects at the door. The detail that stings first-timers: the brokerage fee is separate from the duty itself, and on a low-value parcel it can be larger than the tax owed. Some couriers let you decline their brokerage and self-clear instead, but you have to say so before they file the entry: once they have paid, the fee is locked in.
| Payment route | How it works | Extra fees | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courier collects | Pay online or at the door; parcel is released after payment | Brokerage fee on top of duty and tax | You want the parcel with minimum effort |
| Canada Post collects | Pay at the counter or post office on pickup | A modest handling fee | Postal parcels from abroad |
| Self-clear at CBSA | Pay duty and tax directly at a customs office, then show the stamped form to the carrier | No broker fee | The bill is large or looks wrong |
Postal parcels clear through a different channel than courier freight. Canada Post presents the parcel to the CBSA, which assesses duty and tax; Canada Post then collects that amount from you when the parcel is delivered or when you pick it up, plus a small handling fee. You cannot prepay it online in most cases: the charge is simply due on receipt. If nobody is home, the parcel goes to the post office with a pickup card, and the amount owed is written on the card. One practical note: Canada Post's handling fee is far smaller than a courier's brokerage fee, which is one reason postal shipping is often cheaper overall for cross-border parcels, even before you compare postage.
Self-clearing means you do the broker's job yourself. You ask the carrier for the shipping documents (the cargo control document or bill of lading), take them to a CBSA office, pay the duty and tax directly, and bring the stamped paperwork back to the carrier's warehouse to collect your parcel. It is worth it when the duty bill is large or the brokerage fee looks inflated relative to the work. It is not worth it for small amounts: the trip to the customs office and the carrier depot can eat half a day, and some CBSA offices keep limited public hours. Call the carrier first and tell them you intend to self-clear before they file the entry, or you may end up paying their fee anyway.
Sometimes. If the assessed value is wrong (the sender declared the retail price on a warranty replacement, for example), you can ask for a reassessment with proof of what you actually paid. If the item qualifies for a trade-agreement exemption or a personal exemption and it was not applied, that can be corrected too. What you generally cannot dispute is the rate itself: the tariff classification decides the percentage, and arguing that it feels too high goes nowhere. Keep every document: the commercial invoice, your payment receipt, and the carrier's duty statement. And pay first if a deadline is looming: you can usually pursue a refund after release, but an unpaid parcel sitting in a warehouse racks up storage fees while you argue.
Accurate paperwork is the kindest thing a sender can do. Declare the real transaction value, describe the contents specifically, and include the country of origin: trade agreements between the shipping and receiving countries can reduce or eliminate duty, but only if the origin is stated. Marking a sale as a gift does not fool anyone and can trigger penalties. For warranty replacements and repairs, note that clearly on the invoice with the original purchase details, since many countries assess duty only on the repair value rather than the full item value when the paperwork supports it.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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