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.

Postal Service: EMS, AVIA, Surface

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

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

- ECMS Express is only available for Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Vietnam & the Philippines.

- The information is as of December 2022 and might be altered or revised.

Attention: Latest Shipping Updates

• Japan Post (EMS, AVIA, Surface)
• ECMS Express

Which shipping method is the cheapest?

It depends on your parcel size and weight. For small items, like CDs and magazines, AVIA Small is the cheapest option. For other parcels, please refer to our Shipping Calculator. For best results, please remember to input the estimated parcel dimensions.

Which shipping method is the fastest?

FedEx/UPS/EMS are among the fastest and Surface is the slowest.

Which shipping method should I choose?

For cheap and small items, we recommend using AVIA Small Packet for parcels weighing less than 2kg.

For other items, we recommend using EMS as it is the most reliable and most reasonable shipping method.

When should I use FedEx, UPS or DHL?

• When it is cheaper than EMS.
• When your parcel is too heavy or too long for EMS.
• When you want to send books, equipment, and other heavy stuff.

What are the shipping fees?

You can check the shipping fees with our Shipping Calculator.

Can international shipping be free?

No, international shipping cannot be free. Some items sold on Rakuten and Amazon come with free shipping within Japan. In these cases we do not charge clients for shipping within Japan, but international shipping is always subject to an additional charge.

What is "small packet"?

"Small packet" is a shipping option for small items. It is the cheapest shipping method available, but it has size and weight limitations. "Small packet" can be sent by Airmail.

The maximum weight is 2 kg.
Length(a) + height(b) + depth(c) <= 90 cm.

Can you ship big/heavy/long items?

Shipping limits depend on your country and the shipping method you choose. You can check size and weight limits for your country with our Shipping Calculator.

What is “packing strategy”?

Each shipping method comes with its limitations by parcel weight or size. Sometimes the shipping method you choose may not allow to ship all the chosen items in one parcel.
For such a case we provide 3 packing strategies for you to choose from when creating a parcel.

1) Leave some items at the warehouse
We will pack as many items as possible, and the remainder will be returned to the warehouse.
As principle, priority is given to items that have been at the warehouse the longest; however, it is not always applicable depending on the items’ size and dimensions.

2) Use the next cheapest shipping option
We change the shipping method to the next cheapest available one to send all the items together.
Please note that this may not be applicable if the chosen shipping method is already the last available one.

3) Split items in two or more parcels
Your items will be split into two or more parcels fitting the chosen shipping method.
This is often used for Small Packet (AVIA) or for items that cannot be packed together (like a fishing rod and a fishing reel). Each parcel will be treated as a separate one, i. e. will need to be paid for separately and have its own tracking number.

Example

Chosen shipping method: AVIA (Small Packet)

Limitations:
- Maximum weight = 2000 g (2 kg)
- Maximum length = 60 cm
- Height + Length + Depth: 90 cm or less

Contents: Three items (A, B, C). Weight of all 3 items packed together exceeds 2 kg. Item B is too long to be packed with the other items.

1) Leave some items at the warehouse
A and C are packed to be shipped via AVIA small packet and B is left at the warehouse.
*As principle, priority is given to items that have been at the warehouse the longest; however, it is not always applicable depending on the items’ size and dimensions.

2) Use the next cheapest shipping option
All 3 items are packed together; shipping method is changed to AVIA (standard).

3) Split items in two or more parcels Two parcels are created; A and C are placed into parcel #1 and B into parcel #2.
*Each parcel is treated as a separate one, i. e. needs to be paid for, reinforced separately if needed and is assigned a separate tracking number.

What items are prohibited for shipping?

There are various goods that are prohibited for export from Japan such as inflammable items, fauna and flora, items on the CITES list (more details here). Also, every country has their own list of prohibited items for import. Therefore, a certain item can be sent out of Japan and welcomed into a country, but the very same item might be rejected at the Customs of another country.
You can refer to the following Japan Post pages for more information.
Restricted items: English/Japanese (in more detail)
Information for countries (in Japanese)

There are other items not included in the above pages but are rejected for sending by Japan Post.

- Speakers (can be shipped by Courier)
- Mobile batteries, Smartphone batteries
- Electronic cigarettes (IQOS, etc)
- Items that may require provision of safety documents (sunscreen, liquid and cream deodorants, liquid foundation, detergents etc)

Also, there are certain items that are not available in certain shipping methods.

Postal Service
EMS: Accessories and valuable items such as rings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, etc. consisted of precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum etc.

Surface mail: Items including Lithium-ion batteries can only be shipped to a limited number of countries. Please check if your country is included in the “Surface mail” column on page 3 of the following list.

Courier
As international shipping by courier is generally more strict than postal services, certain items that can be shipped by postal services are not sent out by courier. Some of these restricted items are as follows;

• Food and beverages
• Sanitary goods and cosmetic items
• Alcohol drinks
• Any type of liquid

If a parcel that contains these kinds of items are shipped by a courier there is a high likelihood the parcel will be stopped and disposed of by custom enforcement agencies.

*Please note that for ECMS Express there are also additional forbidden items depending on the destination country. Malaysia (watch, helmet, CD, DVD, magazine etc...), Taiwan (health and beauty devices etc...). For more information please contact us.

*Please note that for Zen Express there are also additional forbidden items (including hair wigs, magnetized items, items resembling weapons, etc). For more information please contact us.

*We do not purchase items that depict children or individuals who may appear to be underage in the nude or provocative clothing, whether in photographs, videos, or AI-generated images. If such items are purchased, the items in question will be disposed of without compensation, and the client will be banned from using our services.

 

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 ZenMarket cannot provide estimates beforehand.

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

Are there any import-related fees that I have to pay before shipping?

ZenMarket offers pre-paid import tax for some countries as provided below. The tax applies to so-called “low-value parcels” or “low-value items” and is calculated as a percentage of the respective parcel/item’s cost.

For some countries the pre-charge is mandatory; for others, you can opt out to pay the taxes upon import. Please note that we cannot adjust tax percentages based on a category of goods; in case your goods have a different taxation rate, please opt-out and pay the fees upon arrival of your goods.

Which specific taxes can be pre-charged through ZenMarket?

Our system enables prepayment of import consumption tax, which goes by different names globally, such as Value-added tax (VAT), and Goods and Services Tax (GST). Please note that only import consumption tax can be prepaid; other taxes cannot. Due to this, duties may be imposed in your country. For additional information, kindly refer to the detailed content below.

Australia 10% GST (Goods and Services Tax):

• Parcels below or equal to 1,000 AUD: Mandatory Pre-Charge
• Parcels above 1,000 AUD: Unable to prepay. GST and customs duties are processed and charged by Australian customs.

Malaysia 10% LVG (Low-value goods):

• Items below or equal to 500 RM: Mandatory Pre-Charge
• Items above 500 RM: Unable to prepay. LVG and customs duties are processed and charged by Malaysian customs.

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

• Parcels below or equal to 150 EUR: Optional Pre-Charge
• Parcels above 150 EUR: Unable to prepay. VAT is processed and charged by local customs authorities.

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

• Parcels below or equal to 135 GBP: Optional Pre-Charge
• Parcels above 135 GBP: Unable to prepay. VAT is collected at the point of import.

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

• Each item is below 3,000 NOK: Optional Pre-Charge
• If an item in the parcel exceeds 3,000 NOK, we cannot pre-charge the tax. The total parcel value is irrelevant in this context.

Singapore 9% GST(Goods and Services Tax):

• Items below or equal to 400 SGD: Optional Pre-Charge
• Items above 400 SGD: Unable to prepay. GST and customs duties are processed and charged by Singapore customs.
• In the case of a parcel containing items above and under 400 SGD, the parcel may also be subject to taxes on import after partial pre-payment.

When will you ship my items?

After your items have arrived at our warehouse, you can decide when, where and how to ship them. To begin, go to the "Parcels" tab on your account. Once you specify your shipping details and pay for the international shipping, we will ship your parcel within 2-3 Working Days.

Do you provide a tracking number?

Yes, all parcels have tracking numbers. You will be able to track your parcel from your account once the parcel is shipped.

Do you offer parcel reinforcement services for fragile/expensive items?

Yes! By default, we consolidate your items and pack them securely based on the items fragility, size, etc. In most cases, our parcels are strong enough to endure most situations. However, if your parcel is especially fragile, heavy, big, and/or you are worried about your items' security, we recommend using our reinforcement service. For 1000JPY per box, your parcel will be strengthened using hard-pressed carton angles fixed with tape, and/or other extra packaging materials as we see fit.
You might be asked by our warehouse staff to use the reinforcement service for certain parcels if they deem it necessary

Items that we recommend using our reinforcement service for:

• used machinery that does not come with original packaging (e.g. amplifiers, speakers, sewing machines)
• pottery and other ceramic items
• parcels heavier than 10kg
• other fragile items

*For turntables, reinforcement is mandatory. Claims for damages will not be accepted for parcels without reinforcement containing fragile items (pottery, ceramics, glass etc.).

Items that do not typically require reinforcement:

• clothing items
• plush toys
• books
• fishing rods (as a rule, they are packed securely in strong cardboard tubes and cannot additionally be reinforced)

Please note that our warehouse staff cannot refund your reinforcement fee even if it is later found to be unnecessary.

Also please note that we do not open new/sealed items without your permission. If you want to protect the inside of the item box, please make a request in the parcel comment.

Can I ask you to mark my items as "gift"?

Unfortunately, we are not able to mark items as "gift" in the invoice. We have to mark all of our parcels as "merchandise." We thank you for your understanding.

I have created a parcel and received a quote, but I want to reorganize it. Is it possible?

If you want to change your shipping method, you can do it for free on the "Parcels" tab. If you created a parcel, but then change your mind and want to repack it, it will cost an additional fee.
The fee is charged per box and is based on weight.

Up to 4,999g - 1,000 JPY
5,000g to 14,999g - 2,000 JPY
15,000g to 29,999g - 3,000 JPY
30,000g and heavier - 4,000 JPY

E.g. if you cancel a parcel with 2 boxes 14kg each, you will need to pay 4,000 JPY as a cancellation fee.

Please note that you can change the shipping method without reorganizing the parcel at no cost to you, but it may take time to adjust this in our system.

Is my parcel insured during international shipping? How much is the insurance fee?

We will cover all insurance fees for most parcels. However, a special ZenMarket insurance fee may be applied to high-value parcels (with a total parcel cost of 500,000 to 5,000,000 yen). This fee is 1% of the item's value. We will contact you separately to arrange special insurance for parcels that exceed 5,000,000 yen.

I haven't received my parcel yet. What should I do?

All ZenMarket parcels have tracking numbers and you can check your parcel's tracking record from your account. If there is an unexpected delay in the delivery of your parcel, please contact us within the following timeframe so that we can start an investigation. You can contact us from this page. You can access it via "I have a problem" button in the "Messages" tab.

• FedEx, DHL, UPS, SF Express, ECMS: 7 days to 90 days after the shipping date
• EMS: 30 days to 180 days after shipping date
• Airmail, Airmail Small Package: 45 days to 180 days after shipping date
• Surface: 90 days to 270 days after shipping date
• ZenExpress: 30 days to 180 days after shipping date

Please kindly note investigations will require some time.

My parcel is damaged/missing an item. What should I do?

Please contact us directly within 14 days of receiving your parcel with the following photos via this page. You can access it via "I have a problem" button in the "Messages" tab.

Please describe the problem in detail and provide the following pictures.
1. Pictures of the parcel's packing materials (outer box and inner packing)
2. Pictures of any damage to your items.
3. Pictures showing our identification code on the outer box
4. Pictures of the invoice of the parcel

Important: If you discover any problem upon the parcel's arrival, please make sure to keep all packing materials for investigation by ZenMarket to ensure we have all information to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

Please kindly note that some cases might not be covered by the insurance, if it is not obvious the problem happened during transportation (for example, minor damage to items listed as 'junk', damage to an item's original outer packaging, or issues with the functionality of items without obvious external damage).

My parcel has been stopped at Customs. Is there anything that I can do? Where can I get an invoice for my parcel?

Suppose the parcel is at the destination’s customs office. In that case, firstly, we recommend contacting the local shipping company to inquire about the parcel and ask if it is necessary to take care of any formality or if it is required to submit your parcel invoice.

You can receive this invoice by asking our team via Messages tab.

Customs requires me to provide proof of the payment for the international shipping fee and the purchase price of the items in the parcel. How can I prove this information?

Since the payment method in ZenMarket is via deposit, we cannot provide an invoice for the shipping fee payment. You can search the payment for the shipping fee in your Payments tab and take a screenshot.

As for the purchase price of the items, you can also provide a screenshot or a link to the site where you bought the item. If the page is unavailable, please get in touch with our team.

I paid for my parcel’s VAT with ZenMarket; however, Customs is asking me to pay for VAT again. What should I do?

Firstly, contact us via Messages tab and inform us regarding this problem. We can provide you with an invoice for the VAT payment so that you can submit it to the Customs/shipping company.

If, after submitting the invoice, the shipping company does not acknowledge the VAT payment via the IOSS system, we strongly recommend you pay the VAT again to the local customs. Please make sure to receive a copy of the invoice to send us. Once we can check that the VAT for your parcel has been paid again to the local customs, we will be able to refund the payment made via ZenMarket.

I shipped my parcel with the postal service and it seems like it has not yet left Japan. Is there anything wrong?

Most probably, if the last update of the tracking information was “Dispatch from outward office of exchange,” your parcel is on its way to your destination.

In this blog, we explain how to read the tracking of Japan Post.

My parcel is being returned or I would like to return it to Japan. Is there any problem?

If you have been informed that your parcel is being returned to Japan, please inform us as soon as possible.

Depending on the shipping method, the return fee can be more expensive than the original shipping fee and must be covered by the client, so we recommend you proceed with the import of the parcel if possible.

If you wish to object to the reason for the return, please do so within 14 days of the parcel's final delivery to our warehouse via this page. You can access it via the "I have a problem" button in the Messages tab.

Can you receive my returned parcel in your warehouse and send it back to me? Are there any additional charges?

Yes, we can receive your parcel and we will notify you when it arrives at the warehouse.

After repacking the parcel, we can ship it again; however you will need to pay the international shipping fee once more.

If you decide to repack your parcel as it is, the repacking fee will be 1,000 JPY. If you prefer to rearrange the contents, we will charge a cancellation/repackaging fee based on the weight of the returned parcel.

Good practices

• Buy from one Japanese shop to reduce shipping fees within Japan.
• Use your home address and not an office address for shipping.
• Check your country's customs duties and postal method's size/weight restrictions in advance.

Still haven't found the answer?

Feel free to contact us. We will gladly answer your questions.