How to Address a B2B Postcard in Canada: Who, Format and What to Check

To address a B2B postcard in Canada, put a named contact on the first line, their role or department on the next, then the business name. Write the street line with the unit number first and a hyphen before the civic number (308-520 3 AVE SW), and finish with the municipality, province and postal code. Before you print, confirm the person still works there and the address is the right location. After you mail, use returned pieces to clean your list and QR scans to see who engaged.

Getting this right is what separates a card that lands on the right desk from one that comes back. Below is the format Canada Post prefers for business mail, with a side-by-side example of the style you'll often see online.

1. Who goes on the label

A business address gets the card to the building. The lines above it get it to the right desk. Use three pieces of information:

• A named contact. A real person's name is what gets the card picked up and passed along. "Attention: Marketing" is easy to set aside.
• Their role or department. This helps a receptionist or mail room route the card, and gives it a second chance if the person has moved on.
• The business name. Shared buildings have many tenants. The company name tells the carrier and the front desk which one it's for.

Choosing the right person is its own decision. Our guide on who should receive your B2B postcard covers it in detail.

2. How to format the address

Canada Post's addressing guidelines describe a simple order: the addressee, then the civic address, then the municipality, province and postal code. Extra delivery information, such as a title or department, goes between the addressee and the civic address, and the whole block can't be more than six lines.

The detail most lists get wrong is the unit number. Canada Post's preferred format puts the unit before the civic number, joined with a hyphen. Here's the same business address written two ways:

Three things change: the unit moves to the front with a hyphen, the street is written without the ordinal (3 AVE, not 3rd Ave), and the block is set in capitals without commas. With the contact and role added, a full label looks like this:

For graphics-heavy designs: RABI codes

If your design has a lot of imagery near the address, Canada Post may recommend RABI codes: small printed markers that frame the address block so sorting machines can find it. They're not required for every postcard. When they're used, they sit close to the address while leaving room for the longest label in the mailing. Canada Post provides the specifications and can review a sample before you print.

3. What to verify before printing

A correctly formatted address can still be the wrong one. Check three things for every recipient:

• Does the contact still work there? People change jobs often. Check a recent source, such as the company's team page or the person's current profile, close to your print date.
• Is it the right business location? Many companies have a head office, branches and a separate mailing address. Send the card where that person actually works, and watch for listings that point to a warehouse or a registered office.
• Are the unit and postal information complete? A missing suite number in a tower is a common reason mail doesn't arrive. Make sure the postal code matches the street address, not just the city.

More on this in how to verify B2B prospect data. If Yotru builds your list, we source and check the contacts and mailing addresses, format them for Canada Post, and you review every recipient before you pay.

4. What to learn after mailing

Two signals come back after a mailing, and each tells you something different.

• Returned pieces improve the list. Set up the mailing so undeliverable cards come back to a return address you control. Log each return against the record, then fix or remove it before the next wave.
• QR scans show engagement. A unique code per recipient tells you which card was scanned and when, so sales can follow up while it's fresh.

For the full measurement picture, see how to track direct mail responses.

Not sure your list is ready? Let Yotru handle it

Formatting, verification and return tracking take time to do well across hundreds of records. Yotru handles all of it: we find the right contacts, check and format every address for Canada Post, mail the cards, track QR scans and log returned pieces so your list stays current. You review every recipient before you pay.

A checklist before you print

Frequently asked questions

How do you write a unit number in a Canadian address?

Put the unit number before the civic number with a hyphen, for example 308-520 3 AVE SW. This is Canada Post's preferred format for addresses with a unit or suite.

How do you address a postcard to a business in Canada?

Use the contact's name, their role or department, the business name, the unit and civic address, then the municipality, province and postal code on the last line. Keep it to six lines or fewer.

What's the difference between US and Canadian address formats?

The biggest one for business mail is the unit. US addresses put it after the street (Ste 308 or #308). Canada Post prefers it before the civic number with a hyphen (308-520). Canada also uses six-character postal codes instead of ZIP codes.

Can I copy business addresses from Google Maps?

You can use Maps to find an address, but Canadian listings usually show the US-style unit format. Rewrite the street line in Canada Post's format and confirm it's the location where your contact works.

Should a business postcard include the person's job title?

Yes, when there's room. A title or department helps the front desk route the card, and gives it a chance of reaching the right team if the named person has left.

What are RABI codes on Canadian mail?

Small markers printed around the address block to help Canada Post's sorting machines find the address. They're optional, and Canada Post may recommend them for designs where the address sits near a lot of graphics.

Does a QR code scan mean the right person saw my postcard?

Not necessarily. A unique code shows that card was scanned, but a colleague may have scanned it. Use it as a reason to follow up, not as proof.

References

• Canada Post: Addressing guidelines for Canadian addresses
• Wikipedia: Postal codes in Canada
• Yotru Knowledge Base: How to find business mailing addresses