How To Avoid Paying UPS Brokerage Fees in Canada 

There's always excitement when purchasing goods online but then the dread sets in of whether you'll be dinged duties.

Worse yet, if you've ever dealt with international shipments with UPS, you know about their ridiculous customs fees.

HOW TO AVOID UPS BROKERAGE FEES

Avoid them at all costs unless you can buy from a vendor that is using a version of UPS where duties, taxes, and fees are all pre-paid.

Don't use UPS

If you're not using UPS, who should you use? We recommend USPS, Royal Mail, or any other local post office. They don't charge any type of customs or brokerage fees.

Declare the shipment under $20 CAD

The Canadian rule is that if the shipment is $20 CAD or less, it's not subject to taxes and duties. In some cases, you can ask a vendor to declare the item for less value than its worth.

There are of course insurance implications here so if an item is declared as less value, if it goes missing or is damaged, the coverage will be according to the declared value. This is why most companies won't do this. If it's friends or family, this shouldn't be an issue.

Declare the shipment as a gift and under $60 CAD

The other exception are gifts. Any gifts that are $60 CAD or less are also exempt from taxes and duties.

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