LetterAgent
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A LetterAgent shipping label covers parcels up to 5 kg only, so a heavier parcel needs a different label or a courier service. Weigh the packed box first, then split the shipment or buy a heavier-weight service.
Weigh the packed box, not the item alone. The box, the cushioning, the tape, and any inner packaging all count toward the weight the carrier carries and charges for, and a parcel that feels light in your hands can tip over the limit once packed. A bathroom scale works for a rough check: weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding the box, and take the difference. A kitchen scale works for smaller boxes, and a post office counter scale settles any doubt before you buy a label.
Watch for the edge case. A parcel that weighs just under the limit at home can weigh over it at the counter if you add a last item, switch to a sturdier box, or pack with extra cushioning after weighing. Weigh the final, sealed box, exactly as it will travel. If it sits right on the boundary, treat it as over, since a carrier re-weigh can disagree with your scale by a small amount and send the parcel back or hold it for a corrected label.
| Option for a parcel over 5 kg | When it fits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Split into two parcels | Contents divide naturally, each box under 5 kg | Two tracking numbers; tell the recipient both are coming |
| Heavier Canada Post parcel service | One box must stay whole and the destination is in Canada | A different service, label, and delivery window than Xpresspost |
| Courier service | Heavy, large, or urgent parcels, or a pickup at your door | Size limits and surcharges for oversized boxes still apply |
| Counter purchase | You want staff to weigh and confirm on the spot | Counter hours and queues, and the parcel must be ready to hand over |
Splitting is often the simplest fix, and it works whenever the contents divide without damage: books in two boxes, clothes split by person, a set of items sent as two parcels. Each box gets its own label and its own tracking number, and each must stay within the weight limit on its own. Tell the recipient that two parcels are coming, with both tracking numbers, so they do not report the first box as a partial delivery or refuse the second as a duplicate.
Splitting does not work for a single item that is itself over the limit, such as a cast-iron pot, a large tool, or a dense piece of equipment. Cutting a single item apart is not an option, and neither is removing its packaging to cheat the weight: a carrier weighs the parcel as presented, and an unpacked heavy item risks damage and refusal. For a single heavy item, move to a heavier-weight service instead.
Canada Post offers parcel services beyond the flat-rate Xpresspost label that LetterAgent provides, with higher weight limits and different delivery windows, and you can buy those at a post office or through Canada Post's own online tools. Couriers also take heavy parcels, often with door pickup, which helps when a box is awkward to carry to a counter. Compare the services on the factors that matter for your parcel: weight and size limits, whether the service is tracked, the delivery window, and whether pickup or drop-off suits you better.
Size matters as much as weight for heavy parcels. A long, bulky box can attract an oversized surcharge or need a different service even when its weight is modest, because carriers charge by whichever is greater: actual weight or dimensional weight, which is a formula based on the box's size. Measure the packed box on all three sides before you compare services, and be honest about the largest dimension, since a carrier re-measure can change the charge after you ship.
Do not test the limit. A parcel presented over a service's weight limit can be held, returned, or delivered with an extra charge to the sender or the recipient, depending on the carrier's rules, and a held parcel can miss the occasion it was meant for. Worse, an overweight label can confuse tracking, since the parcel may be pulled out of the normal stream for re-weighing and re-labelling. The delay and the extra charge together cost more than buying the right service in the first place.
If you discover the problem after drop-off, contact the carrier promptly with the tracking number and ask what your options are: in some cases the parcel can still be re-labelled before it leaves the origin plant, while in others it will come back and you start again. Either way, keep the receipt and the tracking number, since those are what the carrier needs to find the parcel in its system.
LetterAgent shipping labels are Canada Post Xpresspost labels, Canada-only, for parcels up to 5 kg. You ask your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, pay once through Stripe, and receive a label PDF. If your packed box weighs more than that, do not use a LetterAgent label for it: split the shipment if the contents allow, or buy a heavier-weight service that fits the parcel.
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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