Order, Claims and Inquiries Frequently Asked Questions

Payment

Can I pay with a credit card?

Yes. We use the Government of Canada payment processing system for credit card orders. The invoice amount will be charged to your credit card once your order has been shipped.

Can I open an account and charge to it?

Only customers that have obtained prior credit approval have the option to charge on account. Contact us to see if you qualify for an account.

Is checkout total the actual amount that I will be charged for my order?

The checkout total is an estimate. Shipping and handling fees, sales tax, discounts and the quantity of items available to ship may be adjusted when we process your order. We will contact you for instructions if the adjusted amount exceeds the checkout total displayed to you in our shopping cart. Otherwise, you will be charged the adjusted amount and this will be reflected in the final invoice that we provide to you.

We would be pleased to provide you with a price Quotation prior to placing your order. Contact us to request a Quotation.

To whom do I make the payment?

Make cheques or money orders payable to the "Receiver General for Canada" and mail to:

Publishing and Depository Services
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Ottawa ON  K1A 0S5

I have a question regarding my account and invoice; who do I contact?

Contact us and we will gladly answer any of your questions.

Availability

Are all Government of Canada publications available through this Web site?

Publishing and Depository Services (PDS) distributes many, but not all Government of Canada publications. If you do not find the publication you are looking for on this site, check the author department or agency Web site to see if it is listed, or contact the department/agency directly.

Why does your catalogue list products that it does not distribute?

We provide information about Government of Canada publications as a service to libraries and other users. For more information on availability in our catalogue, read Availability Explained.

Can I get access to an alternate format of a publication?

Yes. To ensure public access to government publications, and that statutory requirements for government publishing are met, departments/agencies must make publications available in multiple formats on request.

Are your publications available in all bookstores?

All bookstores can order publications from us. Our Bookstores Web page provides you with a list of bookstores that have joined our Publishing and Depository Services Distributor network.

I am looking for a copy of an Act but I cannot find it on your Web site; where can I find a list of Acts and how to order them?

Contact us to get help from our Customer Service team. You can also look up, download and print Acts and Regulations from the Justice Canada Web site.

I was notified that my item is on backorder; how can I find out when it will become available?

If you have a question about your order, contact us. Make sure that you have a copy of the order handy.


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Shipping and Returns

Can I cancel my order?

All sales are final. Once your order is shipped we cannot cancel it and give you a refund. However, if you call Customer Service within 24 hours of placing the order, we may be able to cancel the order and give you a refund.

How long does it take to receive an order?

Most orders are processed within two (2) business days of receipt and delivered to the destination within 7 to 15 business days within Canada. For more information on delivery, see Shipping and Handling.

There is a typographic or printing problem with a Government of Canada book I purchased; what can I do about it?

Read our Returns page for complete information on handling returns.

Pricing, Sales Tax, Discounts

If a price is not listed and it doesn't indicate that it is free, how will I know the price?

Some of the publications on our site are listed for reference purposes only and may not be available for purchase. For additional information on availability and price, contact us.

Do the prices of publications listed on your site include shipping costs and sales tax?

Prices do not include sales tax or shipping and handling. These charges, where applicable, will be applied to your order at checkout.

Are there any discounts available?

Bulk discounts are available only for large quantities of a single title. Read more about Bulk Discounts here.

Why do we have to pay for Government of Canada publications?

The Government of Canada has priced publications in order to recover the cost of printing and publishing these documents. It does not profit from the sales.

Also, if all publications are free, demand increases substantially. Individuals will often order free publications without analyzing whether it meets their requirements, and if it doesn't they will dispose of the publication. The cost of free distribution of all publications would significantly increase government spending.

This practice reduces costs to taxpayers and increases environmental benefits by using less paper. Nearly all governments in the world follow a similar policy.

The Government of Canada operates a Depository Services Program (DSP) whereby hundreds of public libraries across Canada may receive Government of Canada publications free of charge. Libraries normally select to receive the publications that are of interest to their clientele. In this way, DSP ensures that Canadians have ready, equal and free access to Government of Canada information.

Privacy

What happens to my personal information when I order a publication?

The Government of Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) respects the personal privacy of individuals who visit our Web sites. This page summarizes PWGSC's Web site privacy policy and practices.

The Government of Canada does not automatically gather any personal information from you, such as your name, phone number, email or street address during your visit to its Web sites. This information is only obtained if you supply it voluntarily, usually through contacting us via email.

PWGSC uses non-persistent (temporary) cookies to facilitate your transactions. These exist in your browser's temporary memory only and are deleted when you close your browser.

PWGSC participates in the Government of Canada Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which gives you the opportunity to communicate with the Department in a confidential manner.

What happens to my credit card information when I pay on-line?

Credit card payment via the Internet is voluntary. If you choose this method, you must provide your credit card number and its expiry date to complete your transaction. The summary purchase information (transaction ID, selling department, amount) is automatically transmitted to and collected by the Government of Canada payment processing Web site, from the Publications Web site.

The information collected will be used to process your credit card payment. The information (including the partially hidden credit card number) will also be available to PWGSC in reports and on-line queries for refunds, reporting and reconciliation. Your personal information will be held in PWGSC's Canada Personal Information Bank number "PWGSC PPU 100" and will be retained for 6 years, after which the record will be destroyed.

Your personal information is protected under the Privacy Act. The Government of Canada payment processing system uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protection and 128-bit encryption to ensure the safe collection and transfer of sensitive credit card data.

The Government of Canada payment-processing site uses session cookies to maintain information during your visit to the site. The cookies are non-persistent and contain only a unique random string that is used to facilitate your transactions. Session information has a lifespan of ten (10) minutes after the last action conducted during your visit to the site.

Under the Privacy Act, you have the right to request access to and correction of your personal information. Your request should be forwarded in writing to the Coordinator, Access to Information and Privacy, Public Works and Government Services Canada, at 5C1, Place du Portage, Phase III, 11 Laurier Avenue, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, K1A 0S5, or at aiprp.atip@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.

For more information about your rights, go to Info Source. This is a Government of Canada publication available at major public libraries, government information offices and constituency offices of federal Members of Parliament.

Publishing and Copyright

I have written a book that I think would be of interest to all Canadians; where should I send it?

We publish Government of Canada information only and do not get involved in private works. We suggest that you submit your publication to private publishers for consideration.