Shipping policy

Shipping Policy

Domestic Shipping (Canada):

Processing Time:

We aim to process and ship all domestic orders within 48 hours of receiving them.

  • Express and priority orders are prioritized and typically shipped within one full business day whenever possible.
  • Some products, such as colour swatch wallets and colour flags, are made or assembled in-house and may take up to 7 days to dispatch.
  • For urgent orders, please place a note at checkout advising us of the urgency and required-by date.

Shipping Costs & Methods:

  • Orders up to $1,000 CAD: Flat rate shipping of $20 CAD (Canada Post standard shipping).
  • Orders over $1,000 CAD and under $3,700 CAD: Free standard shipping (Canada Post standard shipping).
  • Orders over 20 kg cannot be shipped in one box under Canada Post regulations and do not qualify for flat rate or free shipping.
  • Carriers: Canada Post, FedEx, UPS, Purolator. Carriers and shipping options are subject to change at any time.

Canada Post Options:

  • Regular Parcel™: 1 to 10 business days
  • Expedited Parcel™: 1 to 8 business days
  • Xpresspost™: 1 to 2 business days
  • Priority™: Next day

FedEx Options (If applicable or available upon request):

  • FedEx First Overnight®: Next business day delivery by 10 a.m. to most metropolitan areas.
  • FedEx Priority Overnight®: Next business day delivery by 5 p.m. (businesses) or 8 p.m. (residences).
  • FedEx 2Day®: Delivery in 1 to 2 business days.
  • FedEx Economy®: Delivery in 1 to 3 business days.

Shipping to the United States:

Processing Time:

We aim to process and ship all U.S. orders within 48 hours of receiving them.

  • Express and priority orders are prioritized and typically shipped within one full business day whenever possible.
  • Some products, such as colour swatch wallets and colour flags, are made or assembled in-house and may take up to 7 days to dispatch.

Shipping Costs & Methods:

  • Orders up to $700 USD: Flat rate shipping of $20 USD (Canada Post standard shipping).
  • Orders over $700 USD and under $3,400 USD: Free standard shipping (Canada Post standard shipping).
  • Orders over 20 kg cannot be shipped in one box under Canada Post regulations and do not qualify for flat rate or free shipping.
  • Standard carriers: Canada Post, FedEx & UPS. Carriers and shipping options are subject to change at any time.

Canada Post Options:

  • Small Packet™: 5 to 8 business days (may not be offered)
  • Tracked Packet™: 4 to 7 business days
  • Expedited Parcel™: 4 to 7 business days
  • Xpresspost™: 2 to 3 business days

FedEx Options:

  • FedEx International First®: 8 a.m. next business day
  • FedEx International Priority® Express: 10:30 a.m. next business day
  • FedEx International Priority®: 5 p.m. next business day
  • FedEx® International Economy: 2nd business day delivery
  • FedEx International Ground™: 2 to 7 business days

Delivery times listed above are provided by the respective carriers and cannot be guaranteed. Actual delivery times may vary due to carrier delays, weather conditions, and customs processing.

U.S. Duties & Customs — Required at Checkout (DDP)

  • For shipments to the United States, import duties are collected at checkout.
  • We ship Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) and remit duties on your behalf to U.S. customs.
  • No surprise bills: You should not receive additional customs invoices from the carrier prior to delivery.
  • Transparent totals: Checkout shows merchandise, shipping, and duties in USD.
  • Pre-orders & custom items: Duties are still collected at checkout now so your parcel can clear customs smoothly once ready to ship.

International Shipping:

Processing Time:

We aim to process and ship all international orders within 48 hours of receiving them.

  • Express and priority orders are prioritized and typically shipped within one full business day whenever possible.
  • Some products, such as colour swatch wallets and colour flags, are made or assembled in-house and may take up to 7 days to dispatch.

Shipping Costs & Methods:

  • Shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on weight, destination, and shipping method selected.
  • Orders over 20 kg cannot be shipped in one box under Canada Post regulations and do not qualify for flat rate shipping.
  • Standard carriers: Canada Post, DHL & FedEx. Carriers and shipping options are subject to change at any time.

Canada Post Options:

  • Small Packet™ Air: 6 to 10 business days (may not be offered)
  • Small Packet™ Surface: 4 to 12 weeks (may not be offered)
  • Tracked Packet™: 6 to 10 business days
  • International Parcel™ Air: 12+ business days
  • International Parcel™ Surface: 4 to 12 weeks
  • Xpresspost™: 4 to 7 business days

FedEx Options:

DHL Options:

For DHL shipping options and transit times for your country, please visit DHL International Shipping.

Delivery times listed above are provided by the respective carriers and cannot be guaranteed. Actual delivery times may vary due to carrier delays, weather conditions, and customs processing.

General Shipping Information:

Order Tracking:

  • Once your order has been shipped, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with a tracking number if your shipping method includes tracking.
  • You can track your order using the tracking number provided.

Customs and Duties:

  • United States: Duties are collected at checkout (DDP) and remitted by us; you should not receive additional customs bills prior to delivery.
  • Canada: No import duties apply. Taxes are calculated at checkout per provincial rules.
  • International (outside North America): Import duties, taxes (VAT/GST), and clearance fees may be charged upon arrival and are the recipient’s responsibility unless otherwise stated at checkout.

Customs Requests for Information / Payment of Fees:

If you are located outside of Canada, your local customs authorities or shipping carriers (e.g., FedEx, DHL, Canada Post, USPS, or other postal or government customs bodies) may contact you regarding your order. These communications are often time-sensitive and your prompt response is required to prevent delays or returns.

  • U.S. DDP orders: Carriers should not request payment for duties, as these are paid at checkout and remitted by us; however, they may still contact you for delivery scheduling or verification.
  • In some countries you may be asked to provide a tax identification number for customs clearance. If you receive a message that appears suspicious, please forward it to product@imageinstitute.com for verification or contact the company directly using the number listed on their official website. Shipments returned due to non-response or unpaid local fees will be reshipped once reshipment fees are paid.

Shipping Delays:

  • While we strive to meet our processing and delivery times, there may be occasional delays due to factors beyond our control, such as weather conditions, customs processing, or carrier delays.
  • We appreciate your understanding and patience in such cases.

Undeliverable or Returned Parcels

If a shipment is returned to us due to the recipient being unavailable, incorrect or incomplete contact or address information, refusal to pay local customs fees (where applicable), or failure to respond to courier or postal service notifications (including customs clearance requests), we will contact you to arrange reshipment. Shipping charges will apply for the new shipment. We do not offer free reshipment for returned parcels in these circumstances.
In some cases—particularly with couriers such as DHL or FedEx—refusal to accept delivery or pay duties/taxes (for destinations where these are collected on delivery) may result in return shipping fees or penalties being charged to us. If this occurs, these charges will be deducted from your refund or invoiced prior to reshipment.
If you require the order urgently and prefer not to wait for the original parcel to return, you are welcome to place a new order. A refund for the original order (less any shipping or return fees incurred) will be issued once the original parcel has arrived back at our office.

Contact Us:

If you have any questions or concerns about your order, please contact our customer service team at product@imageinstitute.com.