Ordering a Postal Walk via Canada Post

Here is the process of ordering a postal walk via the Canada Post website.  This will give a good understanding of selecting, targeting, and ordering if you haven't done this in a while or at all before. If you can order through your brokerage, it's recommended that you do so, as you likely have a Nationally negotiated brokerage rate that is better than what is offered to the general public, but in case you do not, you can follow the steps below.  

If you need assistance ordering your mailwalk call: Canada Post Commercial Help line: 1-800-260-7678.  Press 1 for English.  Type in your 10 digit customer number. Press 5 for Commercial Products.  Press 2 for Assistance with Precision Targeter.

Videos from Canada Post can also be here: Canada Post Precision Targeter Video Tutorials

If you are ordering via a brokerage link please refer to the video below. 

The number of steps below looks long and complicated but as you follow along on the Canada Post website it will all make sense ;) You may want to print these out for your first go:

Getting Started

1. Go the Canada Post website: www.canadapost.ca
2. Log into Canada Post - if this is your first time, create a User account. (Make Sure to create a Small Business Account.) I highly recommend that you Login first - sometimes Precision Targeter does not record your choices in you login later/midway through the process and you might need to start over from the beginning!
3. Click on Tools in the top menu (in the header next to the Canada Post logo)
4. Select Precision Targeter in blue bar.
5. Select “Planning a Canada Post Neighbourhood Mail Campaign”
6. Check off agreeing to terms and conditions and click Get Started.

Step 1: DESCRIBE MAILING

1. Describe your mail piece
   • The mail piece is Standard
   • Leave the default weight (Each piece weighs 30 grams)
2. Choose your mailing date
   • When I drop it off (this is when the postcards will be dropped off at Canada Post) - date should be 1-2 days hence assuming you are sending the documents to SeeVirtual for print immediately.
     • On a specific date - this refers to the start date of the mailwalk itself
3. Set the costs of your mailing
   • Optional: Set your Budget Limit if you’re unsure about the total postcard number.
   • Make Sure to check the option to "Include Transportation fees."
   • Select include taxes, select BC
4. Click Continue.

Step 2: REFINE YOUR AUDIENCE

1. Choose your target listing type.  The window will open with ALL options selected, we recommend deselecting all items that are not your main focus group:
• Definitely uncheck businesses unless you are targeting commercial sales
• If selling a non-rural House, deselect Apartments and Farms;
• If selling an Apartment deselect Houses and Farms.  
2. Filter by Demographics - a target audience can be selected using the 3 Categories to narrow the audience of who will receive your postcards. As this depends on your preference and type of listing we leave this to your discretion.
3. Click Continue

Step 3: DEFINE DELIVERY AREA

1. Select Custom and hit Continue
2. Type in the listing address (or your target area for the mailers) and click Continue.  It will present a list of possible options; select the correct address from the drop down menu.
3. A map will appear of the target area.  
4. Imagine the area of the map you would like the postal walk to cover. You are going to draw a box around that area, start by clicking once on the map to set a point and then click the other corners of the desired area.  This should create a purple box which encompasses the selected area. Double-click to confirm the area and display the estimate (A good starting radius is probably 1km, you can use the scale on the bottom left to gauge.)
5. The map will then load the postal walks of your selected area. The postal walks are mailing routes designated by 2 letters and 4 numbers. (eg.LC0071) and are displayed on the map in different coloured lines.
6. The total number of mail pieces can be very high or low depending on the area you've selected and the walks that touch that area.  High-rise apartment buildings can have hundreds of units in a very small area while rural farms might contain just a couple.  
• Please keep in mind that you must do the entire walk, it cannot be selected in parts and pieces, if you do not have enough cards to complete the mail walk the postal walker will arbitrarily pick which addresses in the mail walk area the postcards are delivered to. The target area you selected is only a rough selection that is refined by the actual routes of the postal walk.
7. To increase or decrease the selected area.  When I tried to use the Edit Selection button, (fourth button from the left is the - looks like a white square on a blue background with a pencil over top) I experienced a LOT of difficulties with the map reloading. Instead I would recommend skipping to step 8 and deselecting undesired routes manually. 
   • Please select it to change the selection area. (it will move upwards slightly when selected). Now double click on the purple selection area which will show the corners of the selection as grey boxes. Move these boxes to increase or decrease the selected area.  Once satisfied with the revised area, deselect ‘Edit Selection’ by clicking once on the same button. This will allow the targeter to recalculate the number of pieces. Some browsers work better than others with Precision Targeter; if you are having trouble with reloading the target field, you might want to try using a different one.
8. Selecting particular mail walks.  The selected area will automatically include all the different mail walks it touches. However, some walks might not be beneficial as they extend too far outside of the target area.  Go to the 5th button on the white bar called Routes and click (it will move upwards slightly when selected). Hover over any of the mail walks and it will light up to clarify the exact area of that specific walk.  Hovering over the mail walk for an extended period will show exactly how many pieces are required to fill that particular mail walk.  Deselect a walk by clicking on it. It will become white when deselected and will update the total number of mail pieces and cost. You can also select and deselect particular routes using the Data View (top right, looks like a small graph) which lists the info.
9. When the approximate number of pieces and/or cost is to your satisfaction, select Place Order.
10. If you did not sign in before, the process will ask you sign in and/or create your account now.
11. Create a Mailing Name for the order - using the listing address and whether it is a Just Listed or Just Sold will help distinguish this order from others you do in the same area.

Step 4: MAIL & SHIP ONLINE

1. Configure Deposit
   • Mailing and Timing have already been entered.
   • Deposit Location: The optimized deposit location is the one closest to the listing address and by using it, will reduce the delivery costs, we recommend using the Optimized deposit location. If you do select another location, a transport fee will apply.
   • Click Continue.
2. Configure Preparation
   1. Containers: Select Customer Supplied Boxes 18 x 11 x 4.5 inches (this is the size of the box typically supplied by Staples)
   2. Bundling: Enter mail piece dimensions. Length and Width.
      • 1/2 Page postcard is 5.5 x 8.5 inches
      • 1/3 Page Postcard is 3.5 x 8.5 inches
   3. Next to the Optimize button, Click Configure Manually
      • 100 pieces per bundle
      • 10 bundles per container
   4. Click Apply and it will update with the Delivery Installation, Pieces and Containers
   5. Select Continue
3. Payment Method
   • Complete with your Credit Card Info and Click Continue
4. Place Order
   • It will give a summary of your order, check over one last time and click Place Order
5. Your order is now successfully completed!
6. Go to Print and select the Statement of Mailing and Container Label - this should start an automatic download of the 2 files as pdfs.
7. Rename the files as: Listing Address - Statement of Mailing and Listing Address - Container Label e.g "123 Anywhere St Vancouver - Statement of Mailing.pdf"
8. The printer will organize the postcards into bundles and containers and will deposit to Canada Post
9. Reply to the proof email we sent you and attach the 2 pdfs so we can include them with your print-ready postcard pdf for printing, bundling, boxing, labelling, and delivery to Canada Post.