Buying Car Keys Wholesale in Canada: Dispatch, Freight and Customs
CAD pricing, Ontario dispatch, 4 PM ET cutoff, free freight over $250 CAD and why duty and brokerage never apply
When a Canadian locksmith buys car keys wholesale from Car Key Source, the order is priced in CAD, dispatched from Ontario stock and delivered by domestic courier, so customs, duty and brokerage never apply to the buyer. In-stock orders placed by 4 PM ET (Mon–Fri) leave the warehouse the same business day; standard transit is 4–8 business days in Canada and expedited is 1–2 business days, counted from dispatch and not guaranteed. Free freight over $250 CAD, counted on list prices, and a volume ladder of 5–9 units −5%, 10–24 −10%, 25+ −15%. This guide sets out each of those terms, contrasts them with importing from a US seller, and explains the returns and programming guarantee.
Why customs, duty and brokerage never apply
Import charges exist because goods cross a border. A Canadian order from Car Key Source does not: Canadian orders ship from Ontario, US orders ship from our Florida warehouse, and nothing crosses the border, so there is no customs, duty or brokerage for the buyer.
That has three practical consequences.
- The invoice total is the amount you pay. There is no second bill from a courier's brokerage department days after delivery.
- The parcel is not held at a border facility waiting for classification or payment, so transit is the courier's domestic time only.
- The price you see on the listing is in CAD, so your card is not charging a foreign-exchange spread or a cross-border transaction fee.
If you have been importing fobs from US sellers, this is the single biggest difference in the landed cost and the delivery date, and it is invisible on a product page.
What importing from a US seller actually costs
Many US distributors are good suppliers and some will ship to Canada. The point is not that they are wrong to use; it is that the USD list price is not the cost of the part. When a parcel from a US warehouse enters Canada, the buyer is the importer of record, and the following are added on top of the invoice:
| Cost | What it is | Who collects it |
|---|---|---|
| Duty | A tariff on the goods where one applies to the classification and origin of the part | Canada Border Services Agency, usually via the courier |
| GST/HST | Sales tax charged on the value of the imported goods | Collected at import, usually via the courier |
| Brokerage fee | The courier's or broker's charge for clearing the parcel | The courier or broker, often as a separate bill |
| Foreign-exchange spread | The difference between the bank rate and the rate your card uses, plus any cross-border transaction fee | Your card issuer |
| Time at the border | Days added while the parcel is classified, assessed and released | Nobody, but you wait |
The exact amounts depend on the part, its declared origin, the courier and your card, so no honest supplier can quote them for you in advance. What can be said is that all five are real, that the brokerage fee in particular can be a large fraction of the value of a small parcel of fobs, and that they land after you have already quoted the customer. Compare the landed cost in CAD, not the sticker price in USD. Our supplier comparison, Where Locksmiths Buy Key Fobs in Canada, lists which suppliers hold Canadian stock.
Dispatch cutoff and what "same business day" means
In-stock orders placed by 4 PM ET (Mon–Fri) leave the warehouse the same business day. "In-stock" is the qualifier: a listing that shows stock at the moment you order is picked and handed to the courier that day. Orders placed after 4 PM ET, or on a weekend or holiday, leave on the next business day. If part of your order is not in stock, the same-day dispatch statement does not apply to it, so if you need the in-stock lines urgently, place them as a separate order.
The cutoff is in Eastern Time because the Ontario warehouse is in Eastern Time. If you are ordering from British Columbia or Alberta, 4 PM ET is 1 PM Pacific and 2 PM Mountain.
Transit times
Transit is counted from dispatch, not from the moment you click order, and it is the courier's estimate, not a guarantee.
| Service | Transit (from dispatch) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 4–8 business days in Canada | The typical range across provinces; large Ontario and Quebec centres tend to sit at the short end, western and Atlantic addresses at the long end |
| Expedited | 1–2 business days | Counted from dispatch, not guaranteed |
Because nothing crosses the border, there is no customs hold to add to either figure. Full terms are at /shipping.
Free freight and the volume ladder
Free freight over $250 CAD, counted on list prices. "Counted on list prices" means the threshold is measured against the listed prices of the items in the cart before the volume discount is applied, so a cart that clears $250 CAD on list does not fall below the line once the ladder discount comes off.
The volume ladder is 5–9 units −5%, 10–24 −10%, 25+ −15%, applied automatically per SKU line at checkout. Because the tier is counted per SKU line, five of one fob reach the first tier while five different single fobs do not, so build van stock in multiples of the parts you actually turn. Bundles group high-turn fobs into multi-unit packs for the same reason. For deciding what to stock, see Stocking the Right Fobs.
Trade pricing is unlocked with an approved wholesale account, and most applications are approved instantly. Apply at /apply; the process is described in How to Open a Wholesale Car Key Account.
Returns
30-day returns on unused, unprogrammed stock. A fob that has been programmed to a vehicle is no longer resaleable, so it cannot be returned as stock; a fob that has not been programmed and is in its original condition can be returned within 30 days of delivery. Full terms are at /returns.
The programming guarantee
If a key or remote won't program on the vehicle we listed it against, it is refunded within 30 days of delivery and we pay the return freight. There are two conditions: the vehicle must match the listing (year, make, model and the FCC ID or part number on the customer's original where the listing specifies one), and the part must come back resaleable.
The guarantee exists because a part that will not program is the one failure a locksmith cannot absorb quietly: the customer is standing there and the van is on the clock. It is also why every listing shows years, FCC ID, part number, chip, frequency and button count. Match those before you order and the guarantee is rarely needed; if the vehicle turns out to be a mid-year change the listing did not cover, the guarantee covers you. If you are new to reading fobs, start with How to Find the FCC ID on a Key Fob.
What Car Key Source stocks in Ontario for Canadian orders
The catalogue is automotive-only and everything for Canadian orders ships from Ontario.
| Line | Where to browse |
|---|---|
| Vehicle-specific smart keys, remote head keys, flip keys, fobiks, transponder keys and keyless entry remotes, deepest in Toyota, Honda, Ford, Nissan, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Dodge, Lexus, Mazda and GMC | Browse by make |
| Genuine OEM smart keys (small line, each with the original manufacturer part number) | /oem |
| Xhorse, Lonsdor, KEYDIY and Autel universal remotes and smart keys | Universal section |
| Multi-unit bundles of high-turn fobs | Bundles section |
FAQ
Do I pay duty or brokerage on a Car Key Source order in Canada?
No. Canadian orders ship from Ontario, nothing crosses the border, so there is no customs, duty or brokerage for the buyer. The invoice total is the amount you pay.
What currency are Canadian orders billed in?
Canadian orders are priced and billed in CAD, so there is no foreign-exchange spread or cross-border card fee. Free freight applies over $250 CAD, counted on list prices.
When does my order leave the warehouse?
In-stock orders placed by 4 PM ET (Mon–Fri) leave the warehouse the same business day. Orders placed after the cutoff, or on a weekend or holiday, leave on the next business day.
How long does delivery take in Canada?
Standard transit is 4–8 business days and expedited is 1–2 business days, both counted from dispatch and not guaranteed. Because the parcel never crosses a border, there is no customs hold on top of those figures.
Can I return fobs I did not use?
Yes, 30-day returns on unused, unprogrammed stock. A programmed fob cannot be returned as stock, but it may be covered by the programming guarantee if it would not program on the vehicle it was listed against.
What does the programming guarantee cover?
If a key or remote won't program on the vehicle we listed it against, it is refunded within 30 days of delivery and we pay the return freight, provided the vehicle matches the listing and the part comes back resaleable.
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About the author
Written by the working locksmiths behind the Car Key Source trade desk — the people who answer the phone when a key will not program. Questions about a specific job? Email info@carkeysource.com.
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