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Canada Post tracking status

Canada Post “Notice left”: what it means

The short answer

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Canada Post could not deliver your parcel as expected and has sent it to a post office for pickup. Wait for 'Available for pickup', then bring government-issued photo ID, plus the card if you have one. It is held for 15 calendar days.

When to act: If you were home and nobody came, or the parcel is not available at a post office after 2 business days, file a complaint and we send it to Canada Post.

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Tell me what happened. I write your complaint with you and we send it to Canada Post.

Also shown as: “Notice card left indicating where and when to pick up item” · “Notice card left” · “Item in transit to Post Office”

What to do now

  1. Look for the card at your door, in your mailbox and at your community mailbox.

  2. Enter the card number or tracking number in Track to see which post office has the parcel.

  3. Wait for 'Available for pickup' if you can, then bring government-issued photo ID and the card if you have it.

  4. If someone else is going, sign the card and print their name on it. They need their own government-issued photo ID.

  5. If you were home, write down the time and keep a photo of the card and a screenshot of Track.

  6. Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to Canada Post, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

    Start my complaint

Missed delivery or a card left with another courier

What does “Notice left” mean?

Canada Post lists these reasons: the parcel will not fit in the mail compartment, the community mailbox is full, nobody was available and the sender has not approved a safe drop, there is no protected place to leave it, the sender chose 'Card for pickup', or it was too large for a Post Office Box. If you have a card, it names the post office. If not, Track shows where and when to collect once the information is available.

A notice does not always mean someone came to your door. Canada Post says it leaves a card when the sender asked for one, when the parcel does not fit a community mailbox compartment more than 500 metres from your home, when it is issuing mailbox keys, or when a signature is needed and nobody answered. With the 'Card for pickup' option it makes no attempt at the door. In histories people share, 'Notice card left indicating where and when to pick up item' showed in the same minute as 'Item out for delivery', and sometimes no card came. Track has said under that line that the parcel will be made available at a post office, and that it will say where and when. 'Item in transit to Post Office' means it is on its way there and not ready yet.

Why does Canada Post show it?

  • The parcel was too big for the mail compartment or Post Office Box
  • The community mailbox was full
  • Nobody was available, and the sender has not approved a safe drop
  • No protected, secure place to leave it
  • The sender chose 'Card for pickup'
  • A signature was needed and there was no answer at the door

How long does it last?

Next you should see 'Available for pickup', once the parcel has reached the post office. In histories people share, cards named a time such as after 1 pm the next day, and some parcels took longer than that to reach the counter. Canada Post sends a Final Notice Card if nobody has collected it after 5 calendar days, and returns it to the sender after 15 calendar days.

Other Canada Post statuses

All Canada Post statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from Canada Post?

If you bought online from a business, the seller chose Canada Post and is its customer, so a late, lost or missing order is in most cases for the seller to put right, with a replacement or a refund. Canada Post also says that only the sender can receive compensation for a missing parcel.

For a parcel you sent yourself, Canada Post's General Terms and Conditions are the contract between you. Most Priority, Xpresspost and Expedited Parcel shipments include cover of up to $100, the first $100 must be bought for Regular Parcel, and you can add more when you mail it, up to $5,000 within Canada and $1,000 for most US and international shipments. Compensation is the lowest of the item's value, the cover you bought or the cover included, plus postage where it applies. A claim for a missing parcel has to start within 90 days of the shipping date within Canada, or 6 months for the US and abroad. A late parcel on a guaranteed service may earn the sender a postage refund, but the terms excuse causes beyond Canada Post's control, including labour disruptions and customs.

Questions about “Notice left”

What does 'Notice left' or 'Notice card left' mean on Canada Post?

Canada Post could not deliver the parcel as expected and has sent it to a post office for you to collect. It is held for 15 calendar days.

Why did Canada Post leave a delivery notice when I was home?

It says it leaves a card if the sender asked for one, if the parcel does not fit a community mailbox compartment more than 500 metres from your home, if it is issuing mailbox keys, or if a signature was needed and nobody answered. In histories people share, the scan can come minutes after 'Item out for delivery', before anyone reaches the door.

Can I track a Canada Post delivery notice number?

Yes. Track accepts a Delivery Notice Card number as well as a tracking number or reference number, and it shows where to collect the parcel when the information is available.

I lost my Delivery Notice Card. Can I still get my parcel?

Yes. Canada Post asks for the card only if you have one, but you still need government-issued photo ID. Someone collecting for you without the card needs a letter of authorization or a legal document.

Can I pick up my parcel the same day I get the notice?

Not always. Wait for 'Available for pickup' in Track, because the parcel may still be on its way to the post office. In histories people share, cards named a time such as after 1 pm the next day, and some parcels were not there even then.

Based on

  • Canada Post: Tracking statuses (notice left, ID, sending someone else)
  • Canada Post: Why did you leave a Delivery Notice Card for me when I was home?
  • Canada Post: Delivery options (Final Notice Card after 5 calendar days, 15 calendar day hold)
  • Canada Post: Flexible delivery options (Card for Pickup, no attempt at the door)
  • Canada Post: Tracking overview (Track accepts a Delivery Notice Card number)
  • Canada Post: Delivery was attempted but I didn't get a notice card
  • RedFlagDeals forum: Canada Post In Transit to Post Office (shared experience)
  • Reddit r/CanadaPost: shared history (Notice card left indicating where and when to pick up item, same minute as out for delivery)
  • Reddit r/CanadaPost: shared history (Item in transit to Post Office, then Notice card left)
  • Reddit r/CanadaPost: shared history (Item in transit to Post Office, not yet ready for pickup)
  • Reddit r/CanadaPost: shared experience (card said after 1 pm the next day, parcel not there yet)
  • Reddit r/CanadaPost: shared experience (Notice card left, no card, several days with no Available for pickup)
  • Canada Post: My package hasn't arrived (who can be paid, time limits, $100 base cover)
  • Canada Post: My package was delivered late (postage refund for the sender, guaranteed services)
  • Canada Post: Coverage options, parcel guide ($100 included, first $100 bought for Regular Parcel, up to $5,000)
  • Canada Post: General Terms and Conditions, customers without a Standing Offer Agreement (liability cover, excusable delay)

Parcel still not here?
File a complaint about Canada Post.

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