Canada Post parcel held at customs: pay or dispute
If Canada Post says duty and taxes are owing, your parcel waits until they’re paid — including a $9.95 handling fee. Here is how to pay online, at the door or at the post office, and how to dispute the amount.
- PayPay button on Canada Post tracking
- Fee$9.95 handling, in the total
- Disputewith the CBSA
Customs rules change — confirm with the official sources on this page or with a licensed customs broker before you ship.
Canada Post messages, in plain words
Typical wording — your tracking may phrase it differently.
- Item processed by customs / in customs
- The CBSA is assessing it. Nothing to do yet.
- Duty and taxes owing
- Pay online with the Pay button, at the door or at the post office.
- Notice card left / available for pickup
- Pick it up at the post office shown, and pay there.
- Item is being returned to sender
- Not paid or not picked up in time, or refused. Contact Canada Post now.
Two ways to get this done
Do it yourself
Everything you need is on this page, step by step, from official government sources.
Read the guideLet a broker handle it
Importing for a business by mail? A licensed customs broker can clear your goods and handle disputes for you. Free quote, no commitment.
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Why Canada Post is holding your parcel
Mail from abroad is assessed by the CBSA. When duty or taxes are owed, Canada Post collects them for the CBSA before delivering, together with a $9.95 handling fee that is included in the amount owing.
Read the details
You can pay online once the item has been assessed and is in transit, but not yet out for delivery: the Pay button appears on Canada Post tracking. Otherwise you pay the delivery agent or at the post office.
If you think the amount is wrong, you can refuse the parcel and ask the CBSA for a reassessment, or pay and then ask for an adjustment.
Getting a held parcel delivered
Track it on canadapost.ca
Track the parcel at canadapost.ca/track or in the Canada Post app with your tracking number — not from a link in a text message.
Pay online if you can
If the Pay button appears, pay by credit card (or Apple Pay or Google Pay in the app). Keep the confirmation email: it shows a proof-of-payment number.
Or pay at delivery or pickup
If you don’t pay online, the delivery agent can collect at your door, or you pay at the post office by cash, debit, credit card, cheque or money order.
Dispute the amount if needed
To dispute, refuse the parcel and request a reassessment, or pay and request an adjustment from the CBSA with your receipt and invoice.
A text asking you to pay is probably a scam
The CBSA never asks for payment by text, email or phone. Canada Post’s real payment page is on canadapost.ca. If a message pushes you to pay a “customs fee” through a link, don’t click it: open canadapost.ca yourself and track the package there.
Common questions
What is the $9.95 Canada Post fee?
It’s Canada Post’s handling fee for collecting duty and taxes on behalf of the CBSA. It’s included in the amount owing. The CBSA refunds it only if the goods should have been duty- and tax-free.
How long will Canada Post hold my parcel?
Canada Post doesn’t publish one fixed period, and the window to pay online can be short — sign up for tracking notifications and pay or pick up as soon as you can.
How do I dispute the duty on a parcel?
Refuse it and request a reassessment before paying, or pay and request an adjustment from the CBSA with your receipt and invoice. Requests about value, classification or origin must be made within one year.
I paid online but the driver asked me to pay again.
Show the proof-of-payment number from your confirmation email. If you paid twice, Canada Post’s terms allow a refund in that case.
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