Shipping policy

*Important Updates*

• Starting from August 27th, 2025, Japan Post has temporarily suspended all commercial parcels to the United States until further notice. You can still choose other shipping options.
  
  

• Due to the current global situation in the Middle East, we regret to inform you that there may be a delay in shipping. The following regions are currently affected:

  Middle East
  United Arab Emirates, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon
  Europe
  All European regions
  South Asia
  Pakistan
  Africa
  All African regions

  For official updates, please refer to the Japan Post website (Japanese only):
  https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/index.html
  You may use your browser’s translation function to view the information in your preferred language.

Where do you ship to?
We ship to most countries, except within Japan. If you do not see a shipping option listed for your country, or you prefer another shipping method, please email us at contact@zenpop.jp.

We are currently unable to ship to delivery addresses including P.O boxes or APO/ FPO.

What international shipping methods are available?
We offer you the following shipping methods for international shipping, which can be divided into two categories: Postal Service and Courier. Signature may be required for delivery for your protection. 

Postal Service: Japan Post 

Courier: FedEx, UPS*, DHL**, SF Express***, ECMS Express, Zen Express

*Please note that courier services such as UPS may charge extra brokerage fees upfront (not included in the shipping fees) when they deliver the parcel. For more information please read here: https://www.ups.com/us/en/supplychain/tools/surcharges/brokerage-general-rates

**Some countries may be required to pay mandatory DDP using DHL, the DDP is 3,300 JPY per shipment. An additional invoice will be issued.

***SF Express is available mainly for Asian regions such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc. 

(The information is as of April 2026 and might be altered or revised.)

How long does shipping take?
Shipping time depends on the shipping method you chose at checkout. When you select the shipping method at checkout, you will be able to check how long it takes for that particular shipping method. Please note that fulfillment of your order may up to 3-5 business days, and longer during holiday or order peaks.

As part of the standard import process, Customs may ask for certain item's safety declaration, depending on the materials involved. This may delay the shipping times up to 1 week.

How much is international shipping?
The international shipping fees vary according to your shipping destination and the shipping option you choose. For most accurate information, please check the rates on the checkout page. 

Do you offer free shipping?
Yes, all orders above 15,000 JPY (or equivalent amount in another currency) enjoy free shipping! 

Update: As we are currently running our final clearance sale, the free shipping option is no longer available.

If you’d like to learn more about our closure, you may find more details here:
https://zenpop.jp/blog/post/5827/zenpop-end

The default shipping method for Free Shipping is the best value option available with tracking, such as Japan Post, ECMS Express or ZenExpress, depending on your location.

If you have a preferred shipping method or any specific requests, feel free to let us know—we’re happy to help!

When will you ship my items?

Once your order has been placed, and your shipping details are confirmed, we will ship your parcel up to 3-5 Business Days. (ZenPop's business days are Monday to Friday 9am-5pm JST) Holidays and peak season may take longer.

Do you provide a tracking number?
Yes, you can select the shipping method that offers include tracking service. Once your parcel has been dispatched from our warehouse, you can find the tracking link in email or through your order history.

Do I have to pay any customs-related fees upon arrival of my parcel?
What to Expect: Depending on your destination and the nature and value of your items, you may have to pay customs duties, import taxes, and tariffs imposed by your country.

Customer Responsibility: The customer is responsible for covering these additional costs.

Country-Specific: Fees and restrictions vary by country, and ZenPop cannot provide estimates beforehand.

Pre-Shipment Check: Customers should check the destination country's customs rules before shipping.

For certain countries, please make sure you have included your Tax ID before placing your order to ensure the delivery is successful. 

Countries & Required Shipping Methods:

• Argentina: UPS, FedEx, DHL
• Brazil: All shipping methods
• Chile: UPS
• Indonesia: EMS, AVIA_SM, AVIA, Surface
• Israel: EMS
• South Korea: UPS, FedEx, DHL, ECMS Express
• Mexico: All shipping methods
• Argentina: All shipping methods
• Ecuador: All shipping methods
  
• Vietnam: All shipping methods

Which specific taxes can be pre-charged through ZenPop?
As an e-commerce business, we are required to pre-collect import consumption tax for certain shipments and remit it to the relevant authorities in the destination country. If your parcel is subject to this tax, the applicable amount will be displayed on the payment screen and collected together with the shipping fee.

Import consumption tax is referred to by different names depending on the country, such as Value-Added Tax (VAT) or Goods and Services Tax (GST). For more details on applicable shipments, please refer to the information below.

Pre-collection simplifies local customs procedures and helps avoid additional handling fees. However, please note that standard tax rates are applied uniformly, even if the items you purchase would normally qualify for a reduced rate in your country.

There is an option for those who have a VAT tax-exempt status or are eligible to pay tax at a lower rate in the respective jurisdiction. When the option is utilized pre-collection will not occur—but please be aware that this may result in additional fees such as local processing charges.

• Australia 10% GST (Goods and Services Tax):

Pre-charged for parcels below or equal to 1,000 AUD
Note: If multiple parcels addressed to the same recipient arrive in Australia on the same plane, and their total price exceeds 1,000 AUD, they may be treated as a single parcel. This could subject them to separate customs procedures and additional taxes due to different customs regulations. We suggest spacing your shipments at least one week apart to prevent this issue.

• New Zealand 15% GST (Goods and Services Tax):

Pre-charged for all parcels
Both the cost of the goods and the international shipping fees are subject to tax.

• Malaysia 10% LVG (Low-value goods):

Pre-charged for items below or equal to 500 RM

• Kazakhstan 16% VAT (The value-added tax):

Pre-charged for parcels above 200 EUR (items + international shipping)
Both the cost of the goods and the international shipping fees are subject to tax.

• European Union (The value-added tax or VAT excluding UK&Norway):

Pre-charged for parcels below or equal to 150 EUR

• The United Kingdom 20% VAT (The value-added tax):

Pre-charged for parcels below or equal to 135 GBP
If the order is over 135 GBP, it will be charged at the importation of the goods by your local custom office. Both the cost of the goods and the international shipping fees are subject to tax.
For more information, please refer to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-and-overseas-goods-sold-directly-to-customers-in-the-uk#goods-that-are-outside-the-uk-at-the-point-of-sale

• Norway 25% VAT (The value-added tax under the VOEC scheme):

Pre-charged for parcels where each item is below 3,000 NOK

• Switzerland 8.1% VAT (The value-added tax or VAT):

Pre-charged for all parcels.
Both the cost of the goods and the international shipping fees are subject to tax.
DDP is pre-charged for all items that are shipped via Japan Post, FedEx and DHL. An additional invoice will be sent after order is placed. Parcels sent via UPS are not subject to pre-charges.

• Singapore 9% GST (Goods and Services Tax):

Pre-charged for items below or equal to 400 SGD
Both the cost of the goods and the international shipping fees are subject to tax.
In the case of a parcel containing both items above 400 SGD and below 400 SGD, the parcel may also be subject to taxes on imports after partial pre-payment.

• United States 15% DDP :

Pre-charged for all items that are shipped via ECMS Express and UPS.
For ECMS Express, a 500 JPY surcharge will be applied per shipments
For UPS, a surcharge of 5,000 JPY per shipment plus 400 JPY per item will be applied. Please contact us for DDP option.
 (ECMS Express is not available for Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Alaska)

For courier services such as DHL and FedEx, DDP is optional. Please contact us if you would like to prepay DDP before shipment. 

• Chile 19% VAT :

Pre-charged for all parcels that are shipped via all shipping method. All parcels which total amount of product value plus shipping fees is under USD 500 is applicable for VAT pre-charge. 

• France €2.00 tax per HS code item on non-EU, low-value parcels (under €150) :

Post-charged for all parcels that are shipped via all shipping method. An additional invoice will be sent to you after your order is confirmed. We highly suggest that you provide your IOSS number or EU VAT number (if applicable) as the Sender Reference Number to avoid potential clearance issues.

Starting March 1, 2026, France has introduced a €2.00 tax per HS code item on non-EU, low-value parcels (under €150). There are also discussions about a potential EU-wide small parcel tax in the future, and the amount of tax may change. 

What can you tell me about reciprocal tariffs for parcels bound for the USA?

Disclaimer: This is our interpretation of the information currently available in Japan. The actual application or interpretation may vary depending on how your local customs handles incoming parcels. We strongly recommend following up with your local customs office for case-specific clarification.

For parcels over USD 800:

As of August 12, 2025, parcels valued at over USD 800 and shipped to the U.S. are subject to an additional 15% reciprocal tariff.
This 15% is applied on top of the existing tariff for the respective item category — for example, textiles previously tariffed at 7.5% are now tariffed at 22.5% after the change.

For parcels within USD 800 (de minimis threshold):

Parcels valued at USD 800 or less remain duty-free under the U.S. de minimis rule as long as they clear U.S. customs by August 28, 2025. This exemption will be suspended in accordance with this executive order.
The new rules apply to parcels that enter U.S. customs clearance on or after August 29, 2025.

Due to the short notice of this change, it is difficult to predict the exact impact on individual shipments.
As of August 1, 2025, we expect the following changes to come into effect on August 29, but we strongly recommend following official updates and consulting your local authorities for the latest guidance.

Courier services (DHL, UPS, FedEx, ECMS):

These will be subject to reciprocal tariffs, in the same manner as parcels exceeding USD 800.

Postal shipments (EMS, Airmail, Surface):

These shipments may be treated in a similar manner; however, they are more likely to be processed under a temporary flat-rate system determined by the country of origin.
The flat rate begins at $80 per package, with the exact amount varying based on the country. Japan currently falls under the lowest tariff category.
This measure will remain in effect until February 28, 2026, and gives USPS time to prepare for full ad valorem customs clearance.

Is there a prepaid tax option for shipments to the United States?

Yes, as of August 2025, we offer a Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) option for parcels shipped to the United States via ECMS Express, DHL, UPS and FedEx. By choosing this option, you can prepay customs duties and related fees through ZenPop at the time of shipping, which helps simplify the delivery process and eliminates the need to pay anything upon receipt.

Important Notes:

• DDP is optional for DHL — you can choose not to use it when paying for international shipping. 
  • If you ship with ECMS, UPS and FedEx, DDP is mandatory.
  • If you ship with DHL without using DDP, please make sure to pay the taxes and duties in advance yourself.
• The prepaid amount is an estimate based on applicable duty rates and HS codes, but the final tax amount may vary depending on the judgment of the local customs authorities.
  • If the actual tax exceeds the prepaid amount, ZenPop will cover the difference. However, if the actual tax is lower than the prepaid amount, we are unable to refund the difference.
• Prepayment does not guarantee successful customs clearance. In case your parcel is returned due to customs issues, we will fully refund the prepaid duties.

Can I lower the declared value to fit under the de minimis limit?
Unfortunately, we are unable to lower declared values. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.