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LetterAgent cannot ship internationally: its labels are Canada-only, so a parcel leaving Canada needs a carrier label bought another way. Pick a service that fits the destination, fill out the customs form honestly, and check the destination's banned items before you pack. Duties and taxes usually fall on the recipient unless you choose a service that bills them to you.
Start with the destination and the deadline. Canada Post international parcel services suit most personal shipments, while couriers like UPS, FedEx, and DHL offer faster transit and door-to-door tracking for urgent or valuable parcels. Compare on the full picture, not the headline transit estimate: courier services often include customs brokerage, while postal services may leave brokerage and duties to the recipient. For a gift to family, a postal service is usually enough. For a sale, a courier's detailed tracking and delivery confirmation protect both sides if the buyer claims the parcel never arrived.
| Choice | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Postal service | Personal parcels and gifts | Recipient may owe duties and brokerage on arrival |
| Courier | Urgent or valuable parcels | Higher upfront cost, stricter size rules |
| Tracked packet | Light, low-value items | Tracking may stop at the border |
| Prepaid duties service | Gifts where you want no surprise bill | Not offered for every destination |
List every item in the parcel, with a plain description, quantity, and honest value. Vague descriptions like "gift" or "miscellaneous" are the most common reason customs holds a parcel, and understating value to dodge duties can lead to seizure or a fine for the recipient. Mark whether the parcel is a gift, a sale, or a return, since that choice changes how duties are assessed. Attach the form where the carrier tells you to, usually in a clear pouch on the outside, and keep a photo of the completed form. For the United States, note that the duty-free threshold for personal imports has changed over time, so check the current rule before you assume a low-value parcel enters duty-free.
Every destination has its own banned list, and it goes well beyond the obvious. Aerosols, perfumes, lithium batteries on their own, and many food products are restricted or banned on air services, and some countries ban items that Canada allows freely, such as certain seeds, wooden products, and books. Check both the carrier's list and the destination country's list before you pack, since a parcel refused abroad may be destroyed rather than returned. If you are unsure about one item, leave it out: a parcel held for a single banned item delays everything else in the box, and the sender usually pays the return cost if return is offered at all.
By default, the recipient pays duties and taxes when the parcel arrives, which is why surprise bills cause so many refused international parcels. Tell the recipient in advance that a charge may arrive, and roughly what kind of charge, so they are not caught off guard. Some services let you prepay duties and taxes at checkout, which suits gifts and business shipments where you want a clean delivery. Keep the receipt and tracking number until the parcel shows as delivered and any duty question is settled: if the recipient refuses the parcel over duties, it comes back to you, often slowly, and return postage may fall on you as well.
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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