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Postal Guide Last updated: 2006-09-18 Table of Contents
What is it? to top of page Lettermail is the most convenient and cost-effective way in Canada to send personal messages, business correspondence, invoices, and billing statements within Canada. Lettermail must meet the conditions and requirements for acceptance. It can include:
Lettermail can be: Standard is mail that has a maximum length of 245 mm and a maximum width of 156 mm, weighs 50 g or less and meets the criteria for Standard Lettermail as outlined in this chapter. Items that are paid by Account or meter must also bear the correct postal code in order to access the Standard Lettermail prices. Non-standard
Oversize is mail whose size and/or thickness exceeds those of Standard items, up to a maximum length of 380 mm and a maximum width of 270 mm, and whose maximum weight is 500 g. Any item that exceeds the size or weight of Oversize Lettermail no longer qualifies as Lettermail and may qualify for one of the Parcel services. Unacceptable Items to top of page These items cannot be mailed as Standard Lettermail:
Place punched or perforated cards, or self-mailers with a pin-feed hold strip in sealed envelopes. Do not staple the outside of a Standard Lettermail item. Enclosures to top of page Enclosures are acceptable as long as they do not impede mechanized processing, nor cause damage to postal equipment or to other mail items. Size to top of page
NOTE:
Weight to top of page
NOTE: Payment Options to top of page Proofs of Payment The following proofs of payment are acceptable for Lettermail items. Some restrictions or conditions may apply.
*A postage stamp cannot be applied to a Lettermail item ordered through the Electronic Shipping Tools. Methods of Payment The following methods of payment are acceptable for Lettermail items. Some restrictions or conditions may apply.
*Payment by cash, debit card or Money Order is available only to customers paying at a postal outlet. **Customers using the Electronic Shipping Tools cannot pay by postage stamp. For more information on payment options, Go to Section B – Chapter 5, Paying for a Mailing. Service Standards to top of page Service standards are estimates of how long it will take for the mail to be delivered from the point of deposit to the destination points. These service standards are not guaranteed.
For specific service standards, Go to Section F, Service Standards, under Communications Services. Features to top of page A feature is provided automatically as part of the basic service. Redirection: Lettermail items that cannot be delivered as originally addressed will be redirected to the addressee while there is a Change of Address Notification (COAN) in effect. Return to Sender: Lettermail items that are undeliverable, or if no Change of Address Notification (COAN) is in effect, will be returned to the sender if a Canadian return address appears on the outside of the item. When the return address is on the inside of the item, it will be returned to the customer for a fee. Options to top of page An option is a service enhancement which is not provided automatically as part of the basic service.
Registered Mail: Registered Mail provides the sender with a mailing receipt and secures the signature of the addressee, a print of the signature and the date upon delivery of the item. Bar-coded shipping labels allow Registered Mail items to be tracked. Delivery information is available, usually by noon on the business day following delivery, on Canada Post’s website, from the Customer Relationship Support group at 1 888 550-6333, the Electronic Shipping Tools or the Electronics Data Interchange, where links exist. Some exceptions apply in smaller centres. Registered Mail offers Signature Copy, Delivery Confirmation and Coverage for loss or damage. For detailed information, Go to Section C – Chapter 15, Registered Mail. Forward Under Cover: Letters forwarded under cover to a postmaster with a request for reposting must be endorsed posted at _______ under cover to the postmaster at ___________. Items containing Lettermail prepaid by postage stamps that are sent under cover to the postmaster must bear the words Postmaster, please open for cancellation and processing and are processed in the usual manner. The item containing the Lettermail must have the correct postage. Franking Privilege: Statutory privilege available to the Governor General, the secretary to the Governor General, Speaker or Clerk of the Senate or the House of Commons, the Parliamentary Librarian or Associate, members of the Senate and of the House of Commons. Franking privilege allows for the marking on an item of mail with an official signature, initials or sign (franking) indicating the right of the sender to free mailing privileges. For more information, Go to Section B – Chapter 5, Paying for a Mailing. Literature for the Blind: Materials for the use of the blind mailed in Canada for delivery in Canada may be sent free of postage. Go to Section E – Chapter 9, Literature for the Blind. Multi Channel Mail Presentment Solutions are physical and electronic communication (mail) production and delivery management services directed at both the mid-market and enterprise mailer (“Sender”). These solutions transform a sender’s communications from raw or print-ready data into the necessary and appropriate form of information (i.e., document) and delivers them physically or electronically, dependant on recipient preference. The process of transformation from data to information includes formatting the data and message as appropriate for the sender’s or receiver’s negotiated and individually-specified choice of channel medium. The key values of Multi Channel Mail Presentment Solutions are the services and activities that comprise the management of the end-to-end communication process from a single input file transformed into the desired outputs. For more information on Multi Channel mail Presentment Solutions, Go to Section G. Format to top of page All Lettermail must be fully sealed on all sides. Customers mailing unsealed envelopes or brochures, fanfolds or newsletters not enclosed in envelopes, will be charged the Non-standard Lettermail price. Envelopes and cards must be rectangular with a maximum length to height ratio of 2.6 : 1 and a minimum of 1.3 : 1. The aspect ratio does not apply to Oversize Lettermail. When supported by two level supports located no more than 10 mm from the left and right edges, Standard Lettermail may not sag more than 10 mm in the middle. NOTE: On an item of Standard Lettermail, graphics or other printing shall not be less than 45 mm from the bottom of the front of the item, nor in the area prescribed for postage. Oversize Lettermail can be mailed in closed transparent wrapping as long as the address label is under or affixed to the plastic film. If the plastic is such that it cannot be written upon, the plastic film must have a 20 mm-wide white opaque band. The address label must be large enough to accommodate postal endorsements. If the closed transparent material can be written upon, a sample of the envelope must be submitted for testing and approval by Canada Post. For more information on window envelopes, form numbers, return addresses, advertising on mail pieces, all of which apply to Lettermail, Go to Canadian Postal Standards. Addressing to top of page Addresses must be legible, complete and include the correct postal code, Go to Section B – Chapter 3, Addressing. Only one return address is permitted and it must be Canadian. Mail Preparation and Presortation to top of page There are no mail preparation and presortation requirements for Standard, Non-standard, or Oversize Lettermail. However, Lettermail tendered with an Order (Statement of Mailing) must be containerized as set out in the Mail Preparation and Presortation Guide. A processing fee applies to all manually-prepared Orders (Statements of Mailing). For more information on the Order (Statement of Mailing), Go to Section B – Chapter 5, Paying for a Mailing. Deposit of Lettermail to top of page Postage for Lettermail, either a stamp or meter impression, can be purchased at any postal outlet. If postage is affixed to the item, it may be deposited in a street mailbox, at any postal outlet, or at a processing plant. Items paid on Account must be dropped off at a postal counter, facility or processing plant. Delivery of Lettermail to top of page
General Terms and Conditions to top of page Go to General Terms and Conditions. |
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