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Home > Guides > Shipping a package to a mail forwarding service
Use the exact forwarding address the service gave you, including your customer number or suite number, and address the parcel to yourself in care of the forwarder exactly as the service instructs. Forwarders match incoming parcels to accounts by that identifier, so a parcel addressed to the wrong name or missing the identifier can sit unclaimed or be returned.
A mail forwarding service gives you an address at its warehouse, plus a personal identifier that links parcels to your account. When a parcel arrives, staff scan the label, look up the identifier, and log the parcel into your account. You then choose what happens next: forward it to your real address, hold it while more parcels arrive so they can ship together, or in some cases return it. Some services also open parcels for inspection or photos, and some repackage items to cut down on size and weight. The important point is that the forwarder is a middleman: the carrier delivers to the warehouse, and the forwarder takes over from there. The carrier's tracking ends at the warehouse door, so the forwarder's own tracking takes over for the second leg.
Forwarders reject or hold parcels when the name on the label does not match any account. This is the most common reason a parcel stalls at a forwarder. Use the name on your forwarding account, spelled exactly the same way, even if you normally go by a shorter name or a nickname. If you order from a store under a different name, change the shipping name at checkout to match your forwarding account, or ask the forwarder in advance whether it accepts parcels under alternate names. Some services let you register alternate names, such as a spouse's name or a business name, but only if you add them before the parcel arrives. A parcel addressed to a name the forwarder has never seen looks identical to a misdelivery, and staff cannot guess who it belongs to.
| On the label | What happens |
|---|---|
| Your account name plus your identifier | Logged to your account, usually the same day |
| Your account name, no identifier | Delayed while staff search for a match |
| A different name, with your identifier | Often held pending confirmation from you |
| A different name, no identifier | May be refused or returned to sender |
Every forwarder publishes a restricted list, and it is worth reading before you ship. Common refusals include hazardous materials, aerosols, lithium batteries shipped loose, alcohol, tobacco, perishables, and live plants. Some forwarders also refuse oversized or overweight parcels that their warehouse cannot handle, or items that need refrigeration. International forwarders add another layer: they will not forward anything that cannot legally cross the destination border, and they may refuse items that attract high duties or need special permits. If a parcel arrives that the forwarder cannot accept, it may be held for a short window while you arrange a return, and storage fees can apply. Check the restricted list before you order, not after the parcel is already on its way.
When a forwarder ships your parcel onward across a border, the receiving country may charge duties and taxes on the declared value, and the forwarder will usually ask you to declare that value honestly. Underdeclaring a value to dodge duties is a bad idea: customs can open the parcel, reassess it, and fine the recipient, and some forwarders will close accounts over false declarations. Repackaging helps in a different way: forwarders can remove retail boxes and extra packing, combine several parcels into one box, and cut the billable size. But repackaging has a trade-off: the original retail box and packing are gone, which matters if you later need to return the item to the store. Ask the forwarder to keep original packaging if a return is plausible.
Track in two stages. First, follow the carrier tracking until it shows delivered to the forwarder's warehouse. Second, check your forwarding account: the parcel should appear there once staff log it, usually within one business day of delivery. If it does not appear, contact the forwarder with the carrier tracking number, the sender's name, and a description of the contents. Do not file a lost-parcel claim with the carrier yet: from the carrier's side, the parcel was delivered successfully, and only the forwarder can say what happened after that. Keep the carrier tracking number until the parcel reaches your final address, since the forwarder may ask for it to resolve a mismatch.
LetterAgent provides Canada Post Xpresspost shipping labels within Canada: you ask your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, pay once through Stripe, and receive a label PDF. That works for sending a parcel to a Canadian forwarding address, as long as the parcel is within the flat-rate Xpresspost limit of 5 kg. LetterAgent labels are Canada-only, so they cannot send a parcel to a forwarder in another country, and they cannot cover the forwarder's second leg onward. For that leg, you pay the forwarder under its own rates and rules.
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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