GCSurplus vs GovDeals Canada (2026): Federal vs Municipal Surplus Compared

GCSurplus is the Government of Canada's own surplus sales service, run by Public Services and Procurement Canada, and it charges no buyer's premium: you pay your bid plus GST or HST for the province where you take the item. GovDeals Canada is a commercial marketplace, owned by Liquidity Services, where municipalities, police services, school boards and other public bodies list their own surplus, and each seller sets its own buyer's premium, payment terms and pickup rules. GCSurplus sells federal assets nationwide from nine sales centres; GovDeals Canada lots are strongest in Ontario. Today we index 790+ live GCSurplus lots and 250+ from GovDeals Canada.

Both are real government surplus, open to the public and free to register. The difference is who is selling and who writes the rules: on GCSurplus it is always the federal government, on GovDeals it is whichever city or agency posted the lot.

Quick answer

• Lowest fees: GCSurplus. "Purchasers do not pay a buyer's fee or premium," says its FAQ.
• Most predictable rules: GCSurplus. One set of terms for every lot. On GovDeals, read each seller's terms.
• Local municipal kit and police-recovered property: GovDeals Canada.
• Shipping: GCSurplus ships parcels within Canada from its sales centres. Most GovDeals sellers do not ship.

Side by side

Terms can change. GCSurplus terms apply to every lot; on GovDeals the seller's own terms on the listing apply.

Who sells on each

GCSurplus sells federal property that departments have declared surplus: vehicles, boats, farm and heavy equipment, office furniture, electronics and more. It also sells goods forfeited to federal and provincial law enforcement agencies, and bulk materials such as metal, wood and textiles. It does not sell real estate, e-waste or controlled goods; controlled military goods go through a separate GCMil process. It traces its history back to the post-war Crown Assets Disposal Corporation, and today disposes of surplus Crown assets under the Surplus Crown Assets Act. In our index today GCSurplus lots are spread across the country, with Ontario and Quebec largest, and are mostly electronics, office furniture, tools, lab equipment and vehicles.

GovDeals Canada lists surplus posted by Canadian municipalities, police services, school boards and other public bodies. In our index today the largest single seller is a municipal police service selling recovered and unclaimed property, followed by cities and counties in Ontario, Yukon and Alberta selling fleet vehicles, equipment and sporting goods. Some listings are restricted to bidders in the seller's province, which the listing states.

Fees and taxes

GCSurplus adds no premium. Your cost is the winning bid plus tax, plus your own transport or shipping. Tax is charged at the rate of the province where you take possession; if the item is shipped, the destination province's rate applies. Vehicles are treated separately in its tax table. Current federal rates from the Canada Revenue Agency are 5% GST in Alberta and the territories, 13% HST in Ontario, 14% HST in Nova Scotia (since April 1, 2025) and 15% HST in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island, with provincial sales tax on top in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec.

GovDeals Canada has no single rate. Each seller sets a buyer's premium, shown in the bid box on the listing, as a percentage of the final price or a fixed amount. One school board listing we checked charged 6% plus a separate fixed fee. Taxes apply "as appropriate to the location from which the goods were sold", so a lot in Ontario carries Ontario HST regardless of where you live. Do not assume the US GovDeals premium range applies; check the Canadian listing.

On a $2,000 winning bid for a lot picked up in Ontario:

The GovDeals column assumes tax on the premium and ignores any fixed fee; the seller's terms decide both. Our GST/HST and buyer's premium guide explains the rules, and the true-cost calculator runs the sums.

Bidding mechanics

GCSurplus runs two formats. Most auctions are open: you see the current bid, can set a maximum bid, and increments are published (from $1 under $100 up to $100 over $5,000). A bid in the last minute extends the close by two minutes, and keeps doing so while bids come in. Closed bidding is a single sealed best offer by a fixed closing time; you can revise a closed bid but not cancel it, and nothing below the minimum bid is accepted. See how GCSurplus works for a walkthrough.

GovDeals Canada runs online auctions with auto-bid (proxy bidding) and some sealed-bid sales. Where the seller uses auto-extension, a bid in the final three minutes adds three minutes, repeating until bidding stops. New GovDeals accounts start on probation with a spending cap that lifts after you complete purchases or place a deposit.

Payment

GCSurplus emails your invoice within 48 hours of the close. The payment deadline is the number of days shown on the individual listing. Online it takes Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Visa or Mastercard debit (not prepaid cards); in person, by appointment, it takes cash, debit, money order, bank draft or certified cheque payable to the Receiver General. Not paying gets your account suspended for 30 days.

GovDeals Canada leaves payment terms to the seller. Amounts of $5,000 and over must be paid by wire transfer. One city's terms, for example, gave 5 business days to pay. Non-payment triggers a default fee of 10% or $50, whichever is greater.

Pickup and shipping

GCSurplus sets a removal deadline on the bill of sale and says plainly that extensions are not given. Pickup is by appointment, and you need government photo ID and the Authority to Release. Miss the deadline and the sale is cancelled. GCSurplus can ship parcels up to 4,500 lb within Canada by Purolator or Canada Post from its sales centres, but not vehicles.

GovDeals Canada pickup rules come from the seller. One city allowed 10 business days to remove items and may charge $25 a day in storage after that. GovDeals' own FAQ notes that most sellers do not ship, pack or palletize, so plan to collect.

For vehicles from either site you will need to register the vehicle in your province. In Ontario that means a Safety Standards Certificate before plating; see the surplus vehicle guide and the glossary.

Who each one suits

• Cost-conscious buyers anywhere in Canada: GCSurplus, with no premium and one set of rules.
• Buyers who need shipping: GCSurplus for parcels (not vehicles).
• Buyers after municipal fleet, public-works kit or police-recovered goods near home: GovDeals Canada.
• Buyers who like sealed bids: GCSurplus's closed bidding lets you make one best offer without watching the clock.

Search both at once

GovAuctions indexes GCSurplus, GovDeals Canada, BC Auction, Alberta Surplus Sales and Police Auctions Canada in one free search. See every source on the Canadian sources page, browse by province such as Ontario, or read how the BC and Alberta provincial sites compare.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does GCSurplus charge a buyer's premium?

No. GCSurplus's FAQ says purchasers do not pay a buyer's fee or premium. You pay the winning bid plus GST or HST (and provincial tax where it applies) for the province where you take possession.

What is the GovDeals Canada buyer's premium?

There is no single rate. Each Canadian seller sets its own premium, shown in the listing's bid box as a percentage or a fixed amount. Check the listing before you bid.

Which tax rate applies on GCSurplus?

The rate for the province where you take possession of the item, or the destination province if it is shipped. For example, 13% HST in Ontario, 5% GST in Alberta, and 14% HST in Nova Scotia since April 1, 2025.

Can I get an extension to pick up a GCSurplus item?

No. GCSurplus says removal deadlines are not extended, and if you miss the deadline on the bill of sale the sale is cancelled.

Does GCSurplus ship?

Yes, for parcels. It ships items up to 4,500 lb within Canada by Purolator or Canada Post from its sales centres. Vehicles are not shipped.

Is GovDeals Canada the same as GovDeals in the US?

It is the same company and platform, but Canadian lots are sold by Canadian public bodies on their own terms, in Canadian dollars, with Canadian sales taxes based on where the goods are sold.