You pay duties and taxes at checkout, not on delivery. Checkout works out the duties and taxes that apply to your order and collects them with your order total, so there's nothing to pay UPS for them when the package arrives.
Shipping is charged separately. Free shipping on orders $75+ is for US addresses only, so Canadian orders pay for UPS shipping, shown at checkout.
What checkout works out
Depending on what's in your order and what it's worth, the amount at checkout can include:
- Sales tax: GST or HST, plus provincial sales tax in some provinces.
- Duty: on some shipments.
- Surtax: Canada charges a surtax on some goods from the United States. Any surtax that applies to your order is part of what checkout works out.
The amount depends on the order, so there's no single figure we can give here. It's worked out for each order at checkout, as part of the total you pay.
You'll still sign a Power of Attorney
Paying duties at checkout doesn't replace customs clearance. UPS still asks Canadian customers to sign a Power of Attorney so it can clear the parcel. UPS emails the form, and the package waits at the border until it's signed. Why UPS asks for a Power of Attorney explains it, and covers clearing the parcel yourself with UPS and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) instead.
If the paperwork isn't completed
If the customs paperwork isn't completed, the parcel is held, returned, or abandoned. Under our Terms of Service (section 21), that isn't grounds for a refund or a replacement. For a parcel that's already stuck, see my Canadian order is held at customs.