Recipient Charged on Delivery? Not With EasyCargo

You paid in Montreal. The box crossed the ocean. Then your sister in Havana opens the door — and the driver asks her for money. If this has happened to your family, you already know the feeling. It should not happen. And with the right shipping choice, it does not.

This is one of the most common complaints from Latino families in Montreal shipping to Cuba. The problem is real, it is frustrating, and it has a clear solution. Let's walk through why it happens and how to stop it for good.

The Problem: "Surprise" Fees at the Door

Picture the scene. You shipped a box of clothes, a bottle of vitamins, and a pair of shoes for your nephew. You paid in Canadian dollars at the counter. Everyone said "all included." Two weeks later, your mom calls you, upset. The courier wants cash before handing over the box.

Now your mother is embarrassed, your nephew's shoes are stuck on a truck, and you are scrambling on WhatsApp trying to figure out what went wrong.

The gift stops being a gift the moment your family has to pay for it.

Why This Happens With Other Couriers

Hidden recipient fees usually come from a handful of specific sources. Knowing them helps you avoid them.

• Fuel surcharges added after booking. Big couriers quote a base price, then tack on fuel adjustments that shift monthly. Sometimes the recipient gets the bill.
• Customs duties passed to the receiver. Cuban customs applies tariffs based on weight, value, and whether it's your first import of the year. If the sender did not pre-pay, the recipient pays in CUP at the door.
• "Dispatch" or clearance fees. Some services pay customs on arrival and then collect from whoever opens the door, plus a handling fee on top.
• Currency conversion gaps. You pay in CAD, the courier charges in USD, and the exchange shortfall gets billed to the recipient.
• Over-the-limit shipments. Cuba's non-commercial courier cap is $200 USD and 20 kg. Go over either, and the shipment gets reclassified as commercial — which triggers much higher duties your family suddenly owes.

None of this is explained at the counter in Montreal. You find out about it when your family calls.

The Rules That Make This Confusing

Cuba's import system is strict and tiered. For packages sent by courier, the non-commercial limit is a maximum of $200 USD in total value and 20 kg per shipment. Cross either line and your box moves into commercial territory, where it can be seized, returned, or hit with heavy duties.

On top of that, the Cuban customs system uses a progressive tariff for permanent residents. First import of the year up to $50.99 USD is free. From $51 to $500.99 USD is 4%. From $501 to $1,000 USD is 8%. Second and later imports jump dramatically — 100% and 200% on those same brackets.

Duties are calculated in USD and paid in CUP at an official rate of 1 USD to 24 CUP, plus a fixed clearance fee of 10 CUP. If no one pre-paid in Canada, guess who the Cuban customs system expects to collect from? The person at the door.

The Solution: Fixed CAD Price, Final Price

Here is how EasyCargo Express is built differently. When you book a shipment in Montreal, the price you see is the price you pay — in Canadian dollars. That price covers everything from your door in Montreal, Laval, or Brossard to your family's door in Cuba.

Your recipient pays nothing. Not a surcharge, not a fee, not a tip to the driver, not a customs payment at the door. Nothing.

What is included in your CAD price:

• Free home pickup across Greater Montreal
• Export documentation from Canada
• International freight to Cuba
• Cuban customs declarations, tariff classifications, and clearance
• Basic insurance on every shipment
• Door-to-door delivery to the recipient's address
• Delivery confirmation photo on 100% of shipments
• WhatsApp tracking from pickup to delivery

Shipping starts from $7 CAD to Cuba, with typical delivery in 7 to 14 days. The quote you get is the final number. No fuel surcharges show up later. No "clearance fees" appear at the door.

How to Keep It That Way: Stay Within the Rules

The fixed price works because we help you ship legally and smartly. A few habits keep every shipment smooth:

1. Stay under the courier cap. Keep each shipment at or under 20 kg and $200 USD in declared value. Splitting a big box into two smaller ones is often cheaper and avoids commercial reclassification.
2. Use the special regimes. Food, medicines, hygiene products, and medical supplies have duty-free allowances up to 20 kg and $200 USD by courier when sent as a separate, sealed, labeled parcel.
3. Declare honestly. Our team handles the paperwork, but accurate contents and values protect your shipment at both ends.
4. Ask before you ship high-value items. Electronics have per-item quantity limits and appraisal values. A quick WhatsApp message confirms what fits and what doesn't.

The price is final because the shipment is planned right from the start.

What Your Family Experiences Instead

Here is what happens on the Cuba side with EasyCargo. Your family gets a WhatsApp message when the shipment is out for delivery. The driver arrives at their door. They open the box. The driver leaves. That's it. No wallet, no CUP, no awkward conversation.

Then you get a photo of the delivered package on your phone, so you know it arrived and it arrived complete. Over 500 shipments completed, more than 200 of them medicines to Cuba, and a 4.9-star rating across 120+ reviews — because the price promise holds up every time.

Ready to Send Without the Surprises?

If you have been burned by hidden fees before, you already know how much that moment costs — not in dollars, but in trust. The next package you send should land in your family's hands cleanly, with nothing asked of them except to enjoy what you sent.

Message us on WhatsApp at +1 (438) 873-3589 for a fixed CAD quote, or book your free pickup directly at easycargoexpress.ca. We respond in Spanish, French, or English — usually in under 10 minutes, 7 days a week. One price. One promise. Your family pays nothing at the door.