Answer in 30 Seconds
Quick Answer:
Choose by what you need most: proof, speed, or price.
- Registered Mail — Canada Post's proof-and-tracking service for letters. Best when you need a mailing record, delivery tracking, and (optionally) a signature. From a flat $22 add-on at PostPal.
- Xpresspost — Canada Post's fast, tracked courier service with guaranteed delivery dates. Best when speed is the priority. Costs more and is priced by size, weight, and distance.
- Regular lettermail — cheapest and simplest, but no tracking and no proof. Fine for everyday mail nobody will dispute.
For legal notices, CRA and government correspondence, and disputes, Registered Mail is usually the right choice — and you can send registered mail online without a trip to the post office.
Registered Mail vs Xpresspost vs Regular Mail: Side by Side
| Registered Mail | Xpresspost | Regular Mail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Proof & delivery record | Speed | Everyday letters |
| Tracking | Yes | Yes | No |
| Proof of mailing | Yes | Yes | No |
| Signature on delivery | Optional | Optional | No |
| Speed | Standard lettermail | Fastest (dated guarantee) | Standard lettermail |
| Cost | $ (flat add-on) | $$$ (by size/weight/distance) | $ (lowest) |
| Send online with PostPal | Yes — from $22 add-on | No | Yes — $6 letter |
Xpresspost pricing varies by parcel size, weight, and destination, so it is not a flat rate. PostPal offers regular letters and Canada Post Registered Mail online; Xpresspost is a Canada Post counter/courier service.
Registered Mail: When You Need Proof
Registered Mail is Canada Post's proof-and-tracking service for letters. It creates a record that you sent the item, tracks it to delivery, and — if you add signature on delivery — captures the recipient's signature as confirmation they received it.
It is the right choice whenever a letter's date or delivery could be challenged later: legal notices, demand letters, CRA and government correspondence, landlord and tenant notices, and contract cancellations. The cost is small next to the consequence of a missed deadline or a "we never got it."
The catch used to be the counter: Registered Mail traditionally meant filling out a form in person. Not anymore — you can send registered mail online, and the Canada Post tracking number is emailed to you within 2–3 business days. Full walkthrough: how to send registered mail online in Canada.
Xpresspost: When You Need Speed
Xpresspost is Canada Post's fast, tracked service with a guaranteed delivery date. It includes tracking and offers signature options, and it is the fastest of the three — the right pick when a document has to arrive in a day or two and speed matters more than cost.
The trade-offs are price and format: Xpresspost is priced by size, weight, and distance rather than a flat letter rate, and it is a counter or courier service, not something you send as a simple letter online. If your real need is proof rather than speed, Registered Mail usually gives you the record you want for far less.
Regular Lettermail: When Simple Is Enough
Regular lettermail is the cheapest, simplest option — but it is invisible. Once it leaves your hand there is no tracking and no record it existed. That is perfectly fine for the vast majority of mail: personal letters, cards, and routine correspondence nobody will ever dispute.
With PostPal a regular domestic letter is a flat $6 — printed, sealed, stamped, and mailed for you, no printer or post-office trip. Only reach for Registered Mail when the letter is one you might need to prove you sent.
Which Should You Use?
- Need to prove it was sent and delivered? Registered Mail — add signature on delivery for legal, tax, and official documents.
- Need it there fast, above all? Xpresspost.
- Just sending a normal letter? Regular lettermail.
For the documents most people worry about — CRA letters, demand letters, notices, disputes — the answer is almost always Registered Mail, because the whole point is a defensible record. Send registered mail online with PostPal →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is registered mail or Xpresspost better?
It depends on your goal. Registered Mail is better when you need proof of mailing, delivery tracking, and an optional signature at a low, flat cost. Xpresspost is better when speed is the priority — it is the fastest option, with a guaranteed delivery date, but it costs more and is priced by size, weight, and distance.
Does regular mail have tracking in Canada?
No. Regular Canada Post lettermail has no tracking and no delivery record. If you need to track a letter or prove it arrived, use Registered Mail or Xpresspost.
Can I send registered mail or Xpresspost online?
You can send Canada Post Registered Mail online with PostPal — no post-office trip — for a flat $22 add-on on top of the $6 letter, with the tracking number emailed within 2–3 business days. Xpresspost is a Canada Post counter/courier service and is not sent as an online letter.
Is registered mail the same as certified mail?
"Certified Mail" is a United States Postal Service term. In Canada, the equivalent proof-of-mailing-and-delivery service is Canada Post Registered Mail. If a US form or website asks you to send something "certified," registered mail is the Canadian equivalent.
Which is cheapest?
Regular lettermail is cheapest, but it has no tracking or proof. Registered Mail adds proof and tracking for a small flat fee. Xpresspost is the most expensive of the three because it is a fast, distance-priced courier service.