Micro Mailing Canada
Publications Mail for Canadian Newspapers, Magazines and Newsletters
Publications Mail is the Canada Post mail class built for newspapers, magazines and newsletters, and it's the option we use most often to get individual issues into subscribers' mailboxes or bundles onto newsstands. Whether you print weekly or twice a year, the class covers both delivery to individual addresses and bulk delivery to newsstands and other receivers, provided your publication meets Canada Post's content and frequency rules.
What Counts as Publications Mail
Publications Mail is meant for newspapers, magazines and newsletters, as well as any periodical published at least twice a year. It's the distribution service of choice for delivering news and information to Canadian addresses, and it works whether you're a large national publisher or a small operation putting out two issues annually.
Not every printed piece qualifies. Canada Post excludes handbooks and manuals, street, telephone and other directories, catalogues, business or technical price listings, annual and quarterly financial performance reports, and transcripts of proceedings or by-laws, among other categories. If your publication straddles one of these categories, it's worth checking eligibility first rather than assuming it will be accepted.
How We Process and Deliver Your Issues
We deliver individual copies to subscribers and, separately, bundles of unaddressed copies to newsstands or other bulk receivers, all according to established service standards. That split matters for publishers running both a subscription list and newsstand distribution from the same print run, since the two streams are handled differently within the same mailing.
Publications Mail also carries advertising enclosures to a motivated, engaged readership, including free standing inserts, product samples, and promotional or novelty items. For publishers who sell ad space or run their own promotions inside the publication, this turns each issue into a vehicle for more than editorial content. Full options are covered on our Publications Mail features page, and if your run needs bundling, polybagging or other prep before it enters the mail stream, that's handled through our processing and fulfilment service.
Subscriber Copies
We deliver individual copies of your publication directly to each subscriber's address, processed against your list for every issue you print.
Newsstand Bundles
Bundles of unaddressed copies ship to newsstands and other bulk receivers on the same schedule as your subscriber mail, so both streams move together.
Advertising Enclosures
Free standing inserts, product samples and promotional items can ride along inside your publication, giving advertisers access to an engaged, subscribed audience.
Qualifying for Publications Mail
To be considered Publications Mail, your publication must be in newsletter, newspaper or magazine format; consist of a single publication or bundle of publications going to a single address; be published with a regular frequency of at least twice a year; and contain news and information intended for public dissemination. Canada Post also requires that the publication contain over 70% advertising in more than half of the issues delivered in a 12-month period.
Because these rules determine whether your title is accepted at all, it's best to ask first rather than after your issue is printed. We can review your format, frequency and content against the current rules and flag anything likely to cause a rejection before you commit to a full print run.
Delivery Guidelines and Getting Started
Delivery guidelines for Publications Mail call for 3 business days for local delivery, 4-5 business days provincially, and 4-13 business days nationally. The wider national range reflects the distance a subscriber copy travels from a press run to addresses spread across every province.
Getting started with Publications Mail means getting your format and content approved once, then running the same list through the process each issue. Get a quote for your title, or start with our Publications Mail getting started guide if this is your first campaign.
What makes a mailing work
- Newsletter, newspaper or magazine format
- Published at least twice a year on a regular schedule
- Single publication or bundle going to a single address
- News and information intended for public dissemination
- Not on Canada Post's excluded content list
Frequently asked questions
What qualifies as Publications Mail in Canada?
Your publication must be a newsletter, newspaper or magazine, published at least twice a year on a regular schedule, and mailed as a single publication or bundle to a single address. It has to carry news and information meant for public dissemination, and it must contain over 70% advertising in more than half of the issues delivered in a 12-month period. Full acceptance rules are in our Publications Mail Content Guide.
What publications are excluded from Publications Mail?
Canada Post excludes handbooks and manuals, street, telephone and other directories, catalogues, and business, commercial, technical, stock or price listings. Annual, quarterly or other regular-frequency financial performance reports, and transcripts of proceedings or by-laws are also excluded, among other categories. If you're unsure whether your title fits, check before you print rather than after your first run is ready to mail.
Can I include advertising or product samples with my publication?
Yes. Publications Mail is an effective vehicle for carrying advertising enclosures to a motivated, engaged readership, including free standing inserts, product samples, and promotional or novelty items. That makes each issue useful for advertisers as well as editorial content, since the enclosure reaches the same subscriber or newsstand audience as the publication itself.
Do you deliver to both subscribers and newsstands?
Yes. We deliver individual copies to subscribers and bundles of unaddressed copies to newsstands or other bulk receivers, according to established service standards. Publishers running both distribution channels from a single print run have each stream handled separately within the same mailing, so subscriber copies and newsstand bundles don't get mixed up.
How long does Publications Mail delivery take?
Delivery guidelines are 3 business days for local delivery, 4-5 business days provincially, and 4-13 business days nationally. The wider national range reflects the distance and number of postal facilities a subscriber copy passes through on the way to addresses across the country.
What's the difference between Publications Mail and Personalized Mail or Neighbourhood Mail?
Publications Mail is specifically for newspapers, magazines, newsletters and other periodicals published at least twice a year. Personalized Mail (formerly Addressed Admail) and Neighbourhood Mail are Canada Post advertising mail products aimed at individually addressed or unaddressed marketing pieces rather than regularly published editorial content, so the eligibility rules and content requirements differ.
Should I contact Micro Mailing Canada before my first Publications Mail campaign?
Yes. It's best to contact us before undertaking a Publications Mail campaign for the first time, since eligibility depends on format, frequency and content rules that can disqualify a title after it's already printed. Contact us with a sample issue and we'll confirm where your publication stands before you commit to a print run.
Quick quote
Price your campaign
Send the neighbourhood, the quantity and the date you want it in homes. You get a single price covering data, printing, mail preparation and postage.
- Printing and postage quoted together
- Canada Post booking handled for you
- No account or minimum contract
