Outgoing Mail and Packages
Central Receiving and Mail Services (CRMS) will help deliver your items to their intended recipient.
Courier shipments
UBC’s Okanagan campus does not offer centralized shipping. However, Central Receiving and Mail Services (CRMS) acts as a convenient pick-up location for courier services, such as Purolator and FedEx.
We also provide US customs and Dangerous Goods forms to help meet your shipping needs.
Follow these best practices to help ensure your package arrives safely and promptly at its destination.
1. Choose your courier
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- You can choose who you like (Purolator, FedEx etc).
- Many departments on campus use Purolator for their shipping needs. If you would like to set up a Purolator account for your department, email centralreceiving.ok@ubc.ca and we will provide you with the information for a dedicated customer care agent.
2. Prepare your item
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- Fill out a weigh bill according to the courier’s requirements.
- You are responsible for packaging, labeling and filling out all shipment forms.
- For all packages/boxes leaving the Okanagan campus:
- the UBCO faculty/staff member is the shipper
- use your UBC address
3. Provide your items to CRMS
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- Ensure that your items are packaged securely for shipping prior to drop-off at CRMS.
- Drop off the package at CRMS and we will hold your package for pickup.
- For urgent shipments, please deliver your shipment to the CRMS loading dock by 1 pm for shipment that day. Otherwise, the courier may pick up your shipment the following day.
- For large packages, arrange for pickup by contacting CRMS.
Many couriers offer basic minimum insurance with any package. Check with your courier to ensure that your needs are being met.
If you need additional insurance:
- packages can be purchased directly from your department’s courier of choice, or
- additional insurance for high dollar-value items can be purchased through Risk Management Services at UBC’s Vancouver campus.
All dangerous goods leaving campus require the shipper to hold a valid Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TGD) certificate email hse.ok@ubc.ca.
- To comply with customs guidelines, check the requirements of your destination country for shipments.
- Three signed copies of any commercial invoices associated with your package will be required.
- Use the online shipping options provided by your courier wherever possible.
CRMS has developed a fillable commercial invoice form that can be downloaded and completed by your department for use in international shipping.
Sending mail and packages via Canada Post
All mail and packages being addressed to off-campus recipients must comply with the addressing guidelines of Canada Post.
- CRMS applies Canada Post postage using an automated postage machine. Your department’s 3-digit mail code must be written on or attached to your mail and packages in order for the postage to be applied. To obtain this, please email centralreceiving.ok@ubc.ca.
- CRMS will pick up your outgoing items from your mail room or designated mail delivery/pick-up location.
Bulk Mail-Outs
Departments are responsible for the cost of bulk mail-outs.
Please give CRMS as much notice as possible of bulk mail-outs. Depending on the volume of the mail-out, we may not be able to process all of your mail at once.
Sending internal UBC mail and packages
CRMS will pick up your internal mail and packages from your mail room or designated mail delivery/pick-up location and deliver the item the following business day.
Use provided internal mail envelopes and address all internal mail and packages using the format below:
- Full name of recipient
- Department name
- Building name
Look up your recipient’s info in the UBC Directory.
Internal mail and packages going to Vancouver should also indicate that the item is destined for the Vancouver campus with the full building address included.