Amazon Flex Canada Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Go to Let's Drive, or download the app to see if we have opportunities available near you, or to join our interest list.

If you meet our requirements, you’ll be able to download the Amazon Flex app and complete these tasks:
• Sign up for Amazon Flex using your existing Amazon account or by creating a new Amazon account.
• You’ll need to pass a background check that includes, but is not limited to, a review of motor vehicle records
• Select a service area where you will pick up and deliver Amazon packages.
• Review our videos to learn best practices for delivering with Amazon.
• Provide tax and payment details.

You may use any car with enough interior space to safely and reliably transport all packages assigned to your route. This includes most 4-door, mid-size sedans or larger vehicles, such as a truck with a covered bed, SUV, or a van. Trucks with open beds are not eligible. If you do not come prepared with enough space, or arrive with large personal items in your vehicle, you may be turned away and the instance included in your delivery history.

In order to deliver with Amazon Flex, you must have an insurance policy that permits the delivery of goods and merchandise. The information herein is general in nature and is not intended to include all relevant details. Insurance requirements differ by province. Please ensure that you carefully read and understand your personal policy and the requirements for the province in which you will be delivering to ensure that you and the automobile are properly insured.

British Columbia
• Due to local regulations in British Columbia, Amazon is unable to obtain insurance coverage for the delivery of goods and merchandise by independent delivery partners. A Delivery Insurance (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia rate class 013) policy will allow you to conduct this type of activity.
• If you inform your personal insurance provider, your personal auto insurance policy may permit you to conduct certain kinds of commercial activity for a limited number of days per calendar month (e.g., six days per month). Amazon is unable to provide guidance on the inclusions or exclusions of your personal policy.
• It is important that you contact your insurance provider to inform them of your intentions to conduct commercial activity and determine the best insurance solution for you.

Ontario & Alberta
• If you have an existing personal auto insurance policy, you may be eligible to be covered by an Amazon-subsidized commercial fleet insurance policy only during the period you provide delivery services (“Amazon Insurance Coverage”). To receive coverage under the Amazon Insurance Coverage, you must maintain a valid personal auto insurance policy at all times. The Amazon Insurance Coverage is supplemental to your personal auto policy, but does not in any way replace your personal auto policy or provide any coverage outside of when you are providing Amazon Flex delivery services. It is your responsibility to contact your personal insurance provider to ensure you understand the terms of your personal policy, to notify them that you are providing delivery services, and to confirm the suitability of your policy for the Amazon Flex program.
• The Amazon Insurance Coverage covers Amazon Flex services that may be excluded from your personal policy, but only during the time you provide delivery services for Amazon Flex.
• In order to be eligible for supplemental coverage under the Amazon Insurance Coverage during the time you perform delivery services, your personal plan coverage must include All Perils, Collision, Comprehensive, and Specified Perils coverage. For example, if you have comprehensive coverage, the Amazon Insurance Coverage will also provide comprehensive coverage. If you don’t have comprehensive coverage, the Amazon Insurance Coverage will only cover third-party liability.
• Except for temporary incidental interruptions of delivery services as set out in the Amazon Insurance Coverage, the Amazon Insurance Coverage will not provide coverage for incidents that occur during a deviation from Amazon Flex related activities for any other personal or commercial activities.
• This summary is subject to the terms and conditions of the Amazon Insurance Coverage, which is available in the Amazon Flex App. The Amazon Insurance Coverage terms are independent of any other Amazon Flex program terms.

Quebec
• You must have an insurance policy that covers the delivery of packages and similar goods. These activities may not be covered by a personal insurance policy. If they are excluded from your current policy, you must obtain a policy that meets the requirements to deliver with Amazon Flex.
• Please direct questions about your policy to your insurance provider. If your policy does not cover delivering packages in Quebec, we have partnered with Marsh, an insurance broker in Canada, who can assist you. You can contact Marsh at AmazonFlex@Marsh.com to obtain a personalized quote.

Ontario: If you get into an accident, you are required to comply with any obligations you would customarily have (such as providing proof of auto insurance and reporting the incident to the police and to your auto insurance company, if required by the terms of your policy).

You should also immediately report the incident to Amazon Flex Support, either over phone or email (amazonflex-support@amazon.ca). Be prepared to provide details about the incident, including a description of the loss, location of the incident, information about your vehicle and the third party's vehicle or property damage, and any other documents (e.g., pictures or police reports).

Ontario Amazon Flex delivery partners can provide the Amazon Insurance Coverage policy information below to the third party if the accident occurred while you were delivering for Amazon Flex, unless you maintain your own commercial auto policy in which case you should provide the details of your own policy.

Insurer: Northbridge General Insurance Corporation
Policy Number: CBC 0669951
Effective Date: December 17, 2019
Expiration Date: June 17, 2020

British Columbia: If you get into an accident, you are required to: (a) comply with any obligations you would customarily have (such as providing proof of auto insurance and reporting the incident to the police and to your auto insurance company, if required by the terms of your policy), (b) immediately report the incident directly with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC); and (c) also report to it to Amazon Flex Support, either over phone or email (amazonflex-support@amazon.ca). Be prepared to provide details about the incident, including a description of the loss, location of the incident, information about your vehicle and the third party's vehicle or property damage, and any other documents (e.g., pictures or police reports).

Alberta: If you get into an accident, you are required to comply with any obligations you would customarily have (such as providing proof of auto insurance and reporting the incident to the police and to your auto insurance company, if required by the terms of your policy).

You should also immediately report the incident to Amazon Flex Support, either over phone or email (amazonflex-support@amazon.ca). Be prepared to provide details about the incident, including a description of the loss, location of the incident, information about your vehicle and the third party's vehicle or property damage, and any other documents (e.g., pictures or police reports).

Alberta Amazon Flex delivery partners can provide the Amazon Insurance Coverage policy information below to the third party if the accident occurred while you were delivering for Amazon Flex, unless you maintain your own commercial auto policy in which case you should provide the details of your own policy.

Insurer: Northbridge General Insurance Corporation
Policy Number: CBC 0674149
Effective Date: May 1, 2020
Expiration Date: June 17, 2020

Quebec: If you get into an accident, you are required to comply with any obligations you would customarily have (such as providing proof of auto insurance and reporting the incident to the police and to your auto insurance company, if required by the terms of your policy).

You should also immediately report the incident to Amazon Flex Support, either over phone or email (amazonflex-support@amazon.ca). Be prepared to provide details about the incident, including a description of the loss, location of the incident, information about your vehicle and the third party's vehicle or property damage, and any other documents (e.g., pictures or police reports).

Ontario & Alberta: If the accident occurred while delivering for Amazon Flex, the Amazon Insurance Coverage provides contingent collision coverage and will cover damage to your auto only if collision coverage is provided on your personal auto policy. Personal property that is damaged, lost or stolen may not be covered. Amazon Insurance Coverage has standard exclusions and does not cover incidents arising from intentional acts, driving under the influence, racing and war.

British Columbia: No. Amazon Insurance Coverage does not apply to delivery partners in British Columbia.

Ontario & Alberta: Amazon Insurance Coverage applies to delivery partners who are actively delivering during the delivery block. Passengers are eligible for coverage for Accident Benefits according to Ontario regulations. If anyone other than the delivery partner is driving when an accident occurs, the claim for any incurred losses will be denied.

British Columbia: The Amazon Insurance Coverage does not apply to delivery partners in the province of British Columbia. Please refer to your individual policy for coverage inclusions.

Yes, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is a provincial law. Delivery partners in Ontario are expected to meet AODA standards and be aware of how to interact with people with various types of disabilities. To meet these requirements, all delivery partners in Ontario are required to review the following videos and modules prior to making deliveries:

https://accessforward.ca/customerService/intro

http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/learning/working-together-code-and-aoda

Ontario & BC
No additional action is required from you. You will hear back from our background check vendor, Accurate Background, once your review process is complete, typically within 5-10 business days. Please continue to check your email as Accurate Background and/or Amazon may reach out for additional information during this process.

Alberta
You will receive an email from our background check vendor, Accurate Background, requiring you to upload your Alberta Standard Driver Abstract (5 years). Please visit the following link to learn how to obtain your driver abstract and upload your document(s) to the web link provided by Accurate in the email:

https://www.alberta.ca/get-drivers-abstract.aspx

For any submission questions, please call Accurate Client Services at 1-800-216-8024. Please continue to check your email as Accurate Background and/or Amazon may reach out for additional information during this process.

App Download

Account Setup

Amazon Flex may collect, store, and use your submitted pictures, including the picture on your driver’s licence (together your “Identity Data”) on file while you are a delivery partner for Amazon Flex and for as long as permitted by applicable law or until you request we delete it by contacting Support. Please be aware that deleting your Identity Data may block your access to the Amazon Flex app until you replace it and it is checked for validity.

Account Management

Scheduling Delivery Blocks

There are two ways to pick up delivery blocks:

1. In the Amazon Flex app, go to Calendar to update your availability. You’ll then receive offers for delivery blocks that are only available to you based on the dates you set. You’ll need to accept or decline these offers before they expire.

2. Tap Check For Available Blocks on the Amazon Flex home screen to accept offers throughout the day. These offers, available to everyone, may be released up to 24 hours before the block start time.

If you anticipate that you will be late or unavailable for a confirmed delivery block, you can forfeit it. If you don't forfeit the block in the Amazon Flex app, we expect that you will be available to make Amazon Flex deliveries . You can forfeit a block in the Amazon Flex app ahead of time and we ask that you do this at least 45 minutes prior to the start of the confirmed delivery block.

To forfeit a confirmed delivery block in the Amazon Flex app:
• Go to Calendar
• Tap the Day of the scheduled block
• Tap Forfeit block

If you accept a last-minute block that starts in less than 45 minutes, you have 5 minutes to change your mind and cancel without affecting your reliability rating.

To forfeit a block in the Amazon Flex app in this scenario:
• Tap the Orange dot for the block you want to forfeit
• Tap Confirm

Alternatively, if you want to substitute your block to another delivery partner, first ensure the other delivery partner agrees to take it and then email the block time, date, station and the email address of the alternative delivery partner to: amazonflex-substitution@amazon.ca. For a successful block transfer, the alternative DP must be included into the Cc of the email request.

If confirmed, you will receive a confirmation email. If the substitution is not completed at least 60 minutes before the start time, incorrect information is provided, or the delivery partner does not wish to accept the block then you will receive an email informing you that the substitution has been unsuccessful. If the substitution is unsuccessful, you then will have the option to forfeit the block or substitute it to another delivery partner.

Making Deliveries

• Blocks start at an Amazon.ca delivery station. The block start location will appear in the Amazon Flex app at least one hour before your block start time.
• Follow the suggested navigation in the Amazon Flex app to locate your start location.
• When you arrive at the station, tap I've Arrived or I've Parked. Follow signs and cones to drive into the station.
• You’ll be met by an Amazon employee who will ask you for identification and to use your app to scan an arrival code. You'll then be guided to your assigned order location.
• Sometimes you may need to deliver an order to a Locker.

Learn more.

Amazon Flex maps and navigation are developed specifically for the needs of delivery drivers. This includes features such as alerts with details on how to stay safe during emergencies, instructions for arrival on the correct side of the street to avoid risky road crossings, highlighted building outlines to easily identify the delivery location, and the ability to see the path to the next stop on the map as you arrive at your current stop for easier parking and departures.

You also have the choice of using your already installed third party mapping apps if you prefer. To do so, instead of tapping start travel, tap the icon with the diagonal arrow, then tap on one of the apps from the list. When you're done using the third-party mapping app, tap on the Amazon Flex icon to go back to the Amazon Flex app.

If you have any undelivered packages at the end of your block, please return them to the original pick-up location as soon as you are finished delivering all other packages. If you know the delivery station will be closed by the time you finish delivering, please return undeliverable packages by 10 am the next day. Most Amazon.ca delivery stations are open until 10 pm. If you are returning packages after 6 pm, you may need to ring a doorbell for assistance. Look for signs to guide you to the returns area or ask an Amazon associate for help. Your eligibility for the program may be impacted if you do not return undelivered packages in a timely manner.

What to Expect on Day 1

As an independent contractor, you are free to decide how to best to prepare for your block and what to wear. To help you make successful deliveries, other delivery partners suggest keeping the following items with you:

• Phone charger, or a portable power bank, so you don't have to continually plug and unplug your phone. Start with your phone fully charged.
• Reflective vest for visibility.
• Slip-resistant, closed-heel, and closed-toe shoes are strongly recommended when at the delivery station and during deliveries to help you stay safe and comfortable.
• Flashlight in case you are delivering in the dark.
• Water and snacks to stay hydrated and energized.
• Rain poncho if there's a chance it might rain, to keep you dry.
• Gloves to keep your hands warm if it's cold, or to protect your hands.
• Cart or dolly to carry heavy packages.

Consider taking the following measures to help ensure your vehicle is ready to go:

• Start with a full tank of gas.
• Check vehicle fluid levels and tire pressure.
• Empty your vehicle of trash or other unneeded items, so you can fit packages.

While you have the option to bring passengers (including persons or pets), pickups and deliveries may take you away from your vehicle for long periods of time. This policy excludes service animals. Service animals are allowed at all times. If you decide to bring passengers, Amazon expects that you will comply with the following:

Passengers will need to remain in your vehicle at all times at Amazon stations, unless escorted by a station employee for use of basic welfare facilities. At grocery or retail merchant locations, passengers are not allowed in restricted Amazon Flex areas.

Your vehicle must have enough space to safely accommodate all packages assigned to your route and any passengers.

Passengers may not perform or assist with your delivery services, including interacting with customers.

Passengers may not drive the vehicle while you’re delivering with Amazon Flex.

Non-compliance with this policy may affect your eligibility to participate in the Amazon Flex program.

Safety

Earnings

Tax Information

Per CRA regulations, Amazon requires all payees to provide tax information. Luckily, we have an easy solution. The Tax Interview is designed to obtain the information required to determine and apply the correct Canadian tax-withholding rate to ensure the withholding agent is compliant with Canadian tax regulations.

To ensure you complete the form successfully:
• Answer all questions and enter all information requested during the Tax Interview.
• Avoid misspellings or entering incorrect Tax Identification Numbers (TINs), which can result in an invalid tax interview.
• In your tax interview, upload valid and clear documents, if applicable.

You can hover over the 'i' icon to the right of each question, to assist in answering general questions while you’re taking the interview. If you have more specific questions, please consult your tax advisor.

In order to change your name in Tax interview, you need to correct the name in your account. The tax interview is designed such that, the name and address updated by you in the "About You page" during onboarding is locked and pre-populated in the tax interview.
Please reach out to Flex support team for any corrections in name within the Flex app, once the name is updated, the same will reflect on the interview page automatically and you may resume completing the tax interview.

Based on your tax interview selection and tax classification, you may be asked to provide any of the TINs below:
• Social Insurance Number (SIN) – Format: 9 digits - 123456789
• Business Number (BN) - Format: 9 digits – 123456789
• Goods and service tax/Harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) - Format: 123456789RT1234
• Quebec Sales Tax (QST) - Format: AB 1234 5678
• British Columbia Provincial Sales Tax (BC-PST)- Format: PST1234-5678
• Saskatchewan Provincial Sales Tax (SK PST) - Format: 1234567
• Manitoba Retail Sales Tax (MB RST) - Format: 123456789MT1234

Amazon is only able to determine that the tax information that you supplied does not match CA tax authorities’ records. Amazon does not detect why information is invalid and is unable to report a specific issue or solution for your tax data. However, if you need to re-take the tax identity interview, consider some of the most common causes for invalid tax information:
• Misspelling your name, not including your middle initial or middle name, or entering an incorrect Tax Identification Number (TIN) may cause tax identity information to not match CRA records.
• Use the name associated with your Canada Tax Identification Number (TIN), if applicable.
• In your tax identification interview, upload valid and clear documents, if applicable.

Typically, tax forms are not issued to Flex Delivery partners as their payments are not subject to CA tax withholding. Please consider the following to understand if you are eligible to receive a tax form from Amazon –
Payment will be reported to tax authority for non-residents of Canada only as per the below situations-
• If withholding is applied to your payments earned for professional or technical services performed in Canada.
• If your income exceeds more than CAD $ 50 in a year through rent, royalty, or interest, then all of your earnings will be reported to Canadian Tax office.

Frequently asked questions about Amazon Flex