Linking your Canada Post account with shopify

ShawnBouchard
Pathfinder
93 1 88
Quite disappointed to learn that when I linked my Canada Post small business account to my Shopify, my shipments don't contribute to my savings level increasing. Shopify only USES my current rate. My shipments don't contribute to my ACTUAL CP account.
5 year e-commerce, 11 years B&M store. www.shopbraeheid.com
Replies 31 (31)

Sophia
Shopify Staff
1666 108 217

Hi, @ShawnBouchard!

Sophia here from Shopify.

 

Thank you so much for sharing this feedback about how the Carrier Calculated Shipping feature currently works. At this time, connecting your Canada Post account will allow you to display your negotiated rates to customers in the checkout. The appropriate teams here have received your feedback and will take into consideration with Canada Post whether we can update the feature so that it does contribute to your Canada Post account in the future.

Thanks again for sharing this! Please let me know if you have any questions in the meantime.

 

Sophia | Social Care @ Shopify 
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ShawnBouchard
Pathfinder
93 1 88

It really hurts to see how this system works. I almost exclusively ship through shopify admin, in order for me to get a better discount I need to use MY canada post account. So my negotiated rates won't be any better than someone who ships 1 package a year, because shopify uses their account to purchase my labels, instead of the account I have linked to my shopify shipping admin. So in order to start trying to climb the canada post discounts on my account, I would need to ship $2,500 - $4,000 using canada posts website, then start using shopify admin on the order pages after that in order to even qualify for any additional discounts. 

 

If Shopify lets me link my account in the admin, it seems like it should be very logical that it is actually MY account that the labels are being purchased under. 

5 year e-commerce, 11 years B&M store. www.shopbraeheid.com
Sophia
Shopify Staff
1666 108 217

Thank you, @ShawnBouchard.

I understand the frustration here and have notified the appropriate teams that you'd like to see your label purchases in the Shopify admin count towards your Canada Post account instead of only displaying the negotiated rates to customers at checkout. While I can't guarantee when and if these changes can be implemented, our team appreciates the detailed feedback and will take it into consideration for future updates.

Sophia | Social Care @ Shopify 
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ShawnBouchard
Pathfinder
93 1 88

 appreciate your reply. I believe I have negotiated a commercial rate with Canada Post, and will likely be exporting our shipping to cvs and printing the labels with Canada posts software. 

5 year e-commerce, 11 years B&M store. www.shopbraeheid.com
Anindo
Shopify Partner
555 1 27

To start climbing the canada post discounts on your account, there is no need to go to the Canada Post website and perform shipping individually. You do this within Shopify using the Multi Carrier Shipping label app. With this app, your account will be used to show real time quotes as well as generate labels, schedule pickups, etc. This way, Canada Post will be aware of your progress in contributing to shipments and hence you can rise levels quickly. 

Product Owner @ PluginHive
Shipping Automation | FedEx shipping | Multi-carrier shipping | Shipment Tracking | Australia Post shipping
ShawnBouchard
Pathfinder
93 1 88

Yes, I've ended up migrating to Shipstation integration and it's working in a way that it contributes to my savings level. 

5 year e-commerce, 11 years B&M store. www.shopbraeheid.com
BryceChristian
Tourist
7 0 6

We have the exact same issue.

Canada Post discounts would have been significantly more than the Shopify discount rate, but they want us to use their own SnapShip.

Shopify is getting SIGNIFICANT discounts with Canada Post, but anyone using Shopify doesn't qualify for more than the rate of their Shopify plan.

 

Furthermore, because Shopify bills in USD, the amount ends up being more spent through Shopify than with Canada Post.

It sucks that there's integration built-in but Canada Post either refuses to allow it to contribute to the business number or Shopify has specifically not added it, and made it look like that's what should be happening.

ShawnBouchard
Pathfinder
93 1 88

We use shipstation app now, integrates with Canada post and shopofy (what shopify should be doing) and it actually uses your account to purchase the labels. Worth the $40 a month if you're shipping any real quantity.

5 year e-commerce, 11 years B&M store. www.shopbraeheid.com
Jointhewildlife
Visitor
2 0 0

Hi Shawn,

 

Curious if ship station is still working for you. We just launched a store in March and realized that we were paying more than we should be using the built-in shipping label functionality in Shopify. Its annoying to me that we have to pay another monthly fee, but I think it would pay off ... before we go down that path, just curious if you're still having success?

 

Appreciate your insight and sharing.

Heather

BryceChristian
Tourist
7 0 6

Hi Heather! 

 

I hope that I can reply and offer a suggestion as well. I looked into shipping apps and options as well, and found that using GoShippo was the better option for me. It links with Shopify and syncs all of your orders, including fulfilling items and automatically adding the tracking number when you buy a label. It allows you to link any third party courier, including Canada Post commercial and small business accounts. It's a free app, but they charge 5c (7c CAD) per label, which seems like a pretty good deal to me. It wouldn't be worth it for someone shipping thousands of orders, but it would take 575+ orders per month to meet the cost of the other app.

 

After Canada Post had their delay announcements, we looked into other couriers, so we have Canada Post and fedex on goshippo, it shows us all of the rates and estimations of delivery time and we can select different options based on the product.

 

It adds to our Canada Post account, unlike Shopify, so its great because GoShippo completes all of the steps in Shopify for you, and you get better discounts.

I sound like I work for them haha, but I just find it easy, and in these uncertain times I would prefer paying a few cents extra per label so that I'm not locked into an app subscription fee.

 

Jointhewildlife
Visitor
2 0 0

Thank you very much for this feedback! Thats very helpful. I've taken a look at GoShippo and it looks like a really great option!  Thanks again!

Heather

Kitscrubs
Visitor
1 0 0

Will linking a personal Canada post account give us a better rate? Or if we just set up shipping through shopify will the shipping be the same? 

 

 

chcsep
Shopify Partner
79 3 28

Taxes are the big issue now. I'm in Ontario, and the same package sent to Ontario charges the customer 13% tax on shipping (HST) but 12% if sent to BC, when using the integrated Shopify Canada Post rates with our contract number. This is presumably 5% GST and 7% PST, even though I'm the one who would be buying the shipping label, not the customer, so I am the one collecting the PST and would be expected to remit it, even though we don't have any relationship with BC's tax agency. This is a dealbreaker. CRA would chop off our heads if we charged PST without remitting it! (Apparently this started in February 2018)

@Kitscrubs I tested this today, and got the same price for the same parcel to the same destination (1) on the Canada Post website using our contract rates, (2) displayed to our customer, and (3) charged to us by Shopify Advanced (not on our contract). The Shopify (pre-tax) rate then appears on our monthly bills in US dollars. You might not get the same level of discount on a lower Shopify plan, and I only tested this with one parcel to one destination.

I'm also not sure if using Shopify's shipping will affect my contract, i.e. will I still be able to get pickups if I use Shopify's integrated shipping? I've spoken to four or five different people at Canada Post and they all keep directing me in circles.

I was very disappointed to discover this problem when we launched our store in June 2018 (and remain so) when all the Shopify ads and promotional material suggested we could ship with Canada Post using our contract rates right out of the box, but there were a number of issues. We've been manually entering our orders ever since and it's a huge drain on our resources. I'm going to have to look at those apps to see if I can find one that resolves all these issues, and am frustrated that we have to pay extra for that when Shopify led us to believe that it was built in.

LeighHelena
Visitor
3 0 0

Hi chcsep, I am running into the same problem. Have you found better options with the apps?

chcsep
Shopify Partner
79 3 28

I've had found the Multi Carrier Shipping Label app to meet my needs, and it also makes fulfillment a breeze. Their developers are very responsive to bug reports and easy-to-implement feature requests.

TenxTina
Tourist
3 0 1

Had this ever been resolved?  Im trying the pluginhive multi carrier shipping but the Ux is absolutely horrendous and it doesn't work with my thermal printer. 

LeighHelena
Visitor
3 0 0
I was not able to link my Canada post account. Tried a bunch of different
apps and ultimately just went with Shopify shipping
TenxTina
Tourist
3 0 1

I feel like this is how I'm going to go also, what a giant waste of time negotiating rates....

Flow13
New Member
5 0 0

Is it true that you can only link your Canada Post business account if you have anything BUT a basic shopify package?  I'm just starting out and I see nowhere to connect my CP account.  If I google it tells me to do it with 3rd party shippers but I then need to upgrade my plan in order to even have the option of doing this.  Is that correct?

chcsep
Shopify Partner
79 3 28

@Flow13 It might be possible with a shipping app, like Multi Carrier Shipping Label? 

Note that 'connecting' your CPC account only displays your prices. If you click the "print shipping label" option in Shopify, it will charge you the Shopify pricing/labels, not apply it to your account. (But you can do it with a third party app like MCSL... long story short, the Canada Post integration sucks and you should find an app that does what you want)

PluginHive
Shopify Partner
797 31 100

Hi,

Yes, as @chcsep has mentioned, you might face issues with printing labels using your own Canada Post account directly from Shopify. There has been some of the other threads mentioning similar issues.

Our Multi Carrier Shipping Label app is a go-to solution for automating the complete shipping process with Canada Post. You can get negotiated rates, print shipping labels in bulk and also automate the tracking process. You can try the app with a 14-day free trial and let us know if you have any other specific requirement.

I hope this helps!

Customer Success @ PluginHive
Shipping Automation | FedEx shipping | Multi-carrier shipping | Shipment Tracking | Australia Post shipping
BryceChristian
Tourist
7 0 6

Hey Flow 13,

You can pay an extra $20 per month to them for the privilege of using 3rd party carriers. You need to call in for this option, as they don’t advertise it at all. 
Alternatively you can upgrade to the next tier, but it’s cheaper to just add-on third party carrier rates. 

 

Sophia
Shopify Staff
1666 108 217

Hi, everyone!

Sophia here from Shopify. I really appreciate you all continuing to share your experiences, questions, and feedback here regarding how Shopify integrates with Canada Post. This allows me to forward concerns and feature requests to our developers and our Shipping team.

While I can't guarantee which changes will be made and when, I can ensure that our developers receive your feedback and specific use cases for consideration in future updates. In the meantime, I'd like to review the options that are currently available that have been mentioned throughout this thread.

Shopify Shipping

Shopify Shipping allows you to use Shopify's discounted rates with Canada Post to display to customers at checkout, and use to purchase labels directly in the admin. This feature is available on all standard plans, so there is no additional cost other than the cost of purchasing labels. Details including available shipping services can be found here: Shopify Shipping with Canada Post.

Carrier-calculated shipping

Carrier-calculated shipping allows you to connect your own Canada Post account in order to display your negotiated rates to customers at checkout. This feature is included in the Advanced Shopify and Shopify Plus plans, and can be added to any of the standard plans for $20 USD/month. Alternatively, the carrier-calculated shipping feature can be included for free if you are on an annual, biennial, or triennial plan rather than a monthly subscription. To add this feature to a standard plan, please contact us through the Shopify Help Center.

Third-party apps

Carrier-calculated shipping can connect your negotiated rates to Shopify, but it does not currently support label purchasing with your rates. This means that labels purchased in the admin will use Shopify Shipping rates. As others have mentioned in this thread, you can use a third-party app to purchase Canada Post labels, allowing your purchases to be reflected in your Canada Post account so that you can negotiate new rates based on your purchase volume. These are the apps that merchants in this thread have noted they use:

The first two apps here offer free trials, and the third is free to install (though charges may apply depending on your label purchases). You can view the other third-party shipping apps here in the Shopify App Store.

Any platform updates or feature releases will be posted on the Shopify Changelog. If you have any questions about the current options or any specific use cases you'd like to share with our developers, please let me know. Thank you!

Sophia | Social Care @ Shopify 
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mandd
Tourist
11 0 10

Hi Sophia.

We have level 4 savings with Canada Post.  Shopify's discounted rates are level 2 at most.

Unless we pay $300 Shopify plan, we can not use our Canada Post account number to access level 4 savings when making shipping labels on shopify. 

 

ONLY Advanced Shopify Plan  allows:

  • Third-party calculated shipping rates

    Show calculated rates with your own account or third-party apps at checkout.

You seem to imply that it
"can be added to any of the standard plans for $20 USD/month"
Unless it can? Could you instruct on exact steps please. 
 
Not sure if this is a "developer" problem.
banned
BryceChristian
Tourist
7 0 6

Yeah you just have to call them and they can add it for you over the phone for $20 USD extra per month. 

SeigiDesign
Visitor
2 0 0

No longer true in 2023.

Sophia
Shopify Staff
1666 108 217

@mandd wrote:

Hi Sophia.

We have level 4 savings with Canada Post.  Shopify's discounted rates are level 2 at most.

Unless we pay $300 Shopify plan, we can not use our Canada Post account number to access level 4 savings when making shipping labels on shopify. 

 

ONLY Advanced Shopify Plan  allows:

  • Third-party calculated shipping rates

    Show calculated rates with your own account or third-party apps at checkout.

You seem to imply that it
"can be added to any of the standard plans for $20 USD/month"
Unless it can? Could you instruct on exact steps please. 
 
Not sure if this is a "developer" problem.

Hi, @mandd.

 

Our team can add carrier-calculated shipping to any of the standard plans for you. Adding this feature to a monthly subscription is $20 USD/month in addition to your current plan. If you are on an annual, biennial, or triennial billing cycle rather than a monthly billing cycle, carrier-calculated shipping can be added at no additional cost.

 

Since this process is specific to your account, we'll need to you get in touch with us securely through the Shopify Help Center so that we can add the feature to your plan. Our team is available via live chat, email, and callback 24/7.

Sophia | Social Care @ Shopify 
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 - Was your question answered? Mark it as an Accepted Solution
 - To learn more visit the Shopify Help Center or the Shopify Blog

SeigiDesign
Visitor
2 0 0

"Our team can add carrier-calculated shipping to any of the standard plans for you. Adding this feature to a monthly subscription is $20 USD/month in addition to your current plan."

I've just chatted with a Shopify advisor and this is no longer true. I have the basic plan which works fine for my needs but I wasn't able to add the feature as described above. I would have to upgrade to a USD105 Shopify plan and then it seems an additional 20USD on top of that just so I can use my Canada Post Small Business Account, which would give me significant savings over the Basic Plan Canada Post discounted rate. 

 

bengeminii
Visitor
1 0 1

Is there any update on this integration?  We have a substantial discount with Canada Post already (higher than yours) which means we have to manually generate the label on Canada Post and then come back to message the customer when we ship.  

ShawnBouchard
Pathfinder
93 1 88

I'm currently purchasing labels with Canada Post in commercial tier 8, and using shipstation integration with Shopify. 

 

Jump into shipstation, refresh it, print your labels and it automatically updates and closes out the Shopify order. 

 

All you have to do is remember to do your end of day every day or they (Canada Post) charge you $1 per package that you forget to do end of day for. 

5 year e-commerce, 11 years B&M store. www.shopbraeheid.com

Mattv1
Visitor
1 0 1

Quite disappointed that this issue still hasn't been resolved with Shopify. It only seems logical for them to offer this feature since they allow you to display negotiated rates to customers.