MyTeaPal Club — Shipping Policy
Last updated: August 20, 2026
Shipping is included in the price of all MyTeaPal Club plans.
Our warehouse is in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Parcels are transported to Shenzhen before flying internationally. We currently ship to 60+ countries worldwide.
Before we ship, please make sure your shipping address is correct in your account. If your country requires a phone number for international delivery, add it there as well — we only share it with the shipping carrier.
Subscription plans and shipment frequency
Every plan follows the same four-season cycle. You are billed upfront for the quarters covered by your plan; each quarter, we ship one box.
| Plan | Billing frequency | Boxes per billing period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | Once per year | 4 quarterly boxes |
| 6-Month | Every 6 months | 2 quarterly boxes |
| Quarterly | Every 3 months | 1 quarterly box |
Fulfillment and timing
MyTeaPal Club operates on a quarterly cycle with four shipments per year. Each quarter has a registration window — sign up before the window closes and your box ships that quarter.
| Shipment | Registration window |
|---|---|
| Q1 (Winter) | November 16 – February 15 |
| Q2 (Spring) | February 16 – May 15 |
| Q3 (Summer) | May 16 – August 15 |
| Q4 (Autumn) | August 16 – November 15 |
Each quarter ships in up to three batches, so prepaid members receive their box early in the quarter rather than waiting until the end of the window:
- Batch 1 — the 16th of the first quarter month: members who are already fully paid, including most annual and 6-month subscribers. For Q3, this is July 16.
- Batch 2 — the 1st of the second quarter month: members who renewed or joined after the first batch. For Q3, this is August 1.
- Batch 3 — the 16th of the second quarter month: final batch for late renewals and last-minute sign-ups, after the registration window closes. For Q3, this is August 16.
If you joined after the registration window closes, your box ships with the following quarter's first batch.
New members also receive a welcome kit with their first box (contents vary by plan).
If you would like to bundle multiple shipments into one parcel, contact us in advance.
Shipping methods and transit times
Transit times below exclude domestic transit within China (2–3 days) and are estimates only.
United States (continental)
We use a dedicated US Special Line carrier — not standard China Post. It's faster and more reliable for US deliveries. Typical transit: 1–3 weeks.
This carrier cannot deliver to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or Northern Mariana Islands, and does not accept PO boxes. If your address falls into one of these categories, contact us so we can arrange an alternative.
European Union
We ship all EU countries via PostNL routed through the Netherlands. Because the parcel enters the EU via a Dutch hub, it typically bypasses the VAT and customs fees that direct-from-China shipments often incur — though this is not guaranteed. Typical transit: 2–4 weeks.
EU countries covered: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
Ireland and Poland: although EU members, these two countries are shipped via China Post (EUB) rather than PostNL.
Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Vietnam
These regions are served by dedicated special carrier lines with direct regional routing, shipped separately from the main batch.
| Destination | Typical transit |
|---|---|
| Mainland China | 1–3 days |
| Hong Kong | 2–4 days |
| Macau | 2–4 days |
| Taiwan | 4–6 days |
| Vietnam | 5–7 days |
All other countries
All remaining destinations use China Post (EUB). Typical transit: 2–4 weeks (occasionally longer — China Post does not guarantee delivery times).
Countries include: Australia, Brazil*, Canada, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and many others.
Brazil*: tea imports from China face a high customs rejection rate in Brazil. We can ship, but returned packages cannot be refunded. Contact us before subscribing so we can advise.
Not currently served
We do not ship to Russia, Belarus, or Venezuela.
Don't see your country? Contact us before subscribing and we'll find a solution.
Customs
Please provide all information required for customs in your country when you set up your shipping address.
Some countries require export paperwork for tea shipments. If you need a commercial invoice, contact us before your box ships.
MyTeaPal LLC does not collect or remit VAT, duties, or import fees — these are the buyer's responsibility. If you have a VAT or EORI number, let us know and we'll include it on your parcel and invoice to help your customs agency process the shipment.
Your shipment could be stopped or returned by customs. We are not responsible for taxes, delays, or destruction imposed by the destination country.
Tracking
We send your tracking number by email as soon as it's available. Once you receive it, the package has left our Chinese transit hub — allow a day or two before the tracking link goes live.
We recommend 17track.net for tracking. Some updates appear only in the Chinese-language section of the tracking page, which you can translate with Google Translate.
For special-line shipments (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Vietnam), tracking is available on request — email us if you'd like yours.
Returns and refunds
We do not offer refunds once a package has shipped.
If you cancel before shipping, a 5% cancellation fee applies to cover payment processing costs.
We are not responsible for:
- Packages stolen or lost after a confirmed delivery
- Packages returned as undeliverable due to an incorrect or incomplete address
- Packages denied or destroyed by customs
If a package is returned to us as undeliverable, we can re-ship it — but you will be charged the postage for the second attempt.
Allergen notice
Our teas are packed in a warehouse dedicated exclusively to tea. Most MyTeaPal Club selections contain only tea leaves (Camellia sinensis), and any additional ingredients will be disclosed on the product packaging or accompanying materials.
We do not intentionally handle major food allergens at our packing location. However, because our teas are sourced from multiple independent producers, we cannot guarantee that every product has been produced in a completely allergen-free environment. Unless specifically stated, our teas are not tested or certified as allergen-free or gluten-free.
If you have a severe food allergy, celiac disease, or another serious sensitivity, contact us before subscribing so we can provide the information available for upcoming selections.
Tea is an agricultural product and is inspected during packing. If you discover any unexpected material or have a concern about a product, stop using it and contact us with photographs and the product or shipment details so that we can investigate and provide an appropriate resolution. Nothing in this policy limits any consumer rights that cannot legally be excluded.
Common questions
Which countries do you ship to?
We ship to 60+ countries worldwide from our warehouse in Chengdu, China. A few we can't currently serve — Russia, Belarus, and Venezuela — and a handful have special handling (for example Brazil, where tea imports are often held at customs).
If you don't see your country or aren't sure, contact us before subscribing and we'll find a solution. Please make sure your shipping address — and a phone number, if your country requires one for delivery — is correct in your account before we ship.
Is shipping really free?
Yes. Free worldwide shipping is included in every plan, no matter where you are — there are no shipping add-ons at checkout.
Will I have to pay customs or tariffs? (US members)
As of August 2025, the US ended the low-value (de minimis) exemption that used to let parcels under $800 clear customs duty-free — so unlike before, US-bound orders can now be subject to import duties or tariffs.
Any duty or tariff owed would be the recipient's responsibility. We can't predict the exact amount, since it depends on your state and the carrier's process — we ship on a dedicated US line and keep documentation accurate to avoid unnecessary delays, and we're watching the rules closely as they continue to evolve.
Will I have to pay customs or VAT? (EU members)
EU boxes route through the Netherlands via PostNL rather than shipping directly from China, which usually avoids the ad hoc customs and VAT charges that direct-from-China parcels often trigger.
Depending on your country and the parcel's declared value, a small VAT or customs fee can still apply on delivery. This is uncommon on a box this size, and it would be the recipient's responsibility if charged.
For destinations outside the US and EU, local import rules vary; any duties are the recipient's responsibility, though they're uncommon on a parcel this size, and we include standard commercial documentation (and add your VAT/EORI number on request) to help customs move smoothly.
When will my box ship?
MyTeaPal Club runs on a quarterly cycle — four boxes a year, one per season. Each quarter has a registration window; join before it closes and your box ships that quarter.
To get boxes out as early in the quarter as possible, each quarter ships in up to three batches, with fully-paid annual and 6-month members in the first batch. Once you're a member, your account shows your next shipment window.
If you join after a window closes, your first box ships with the following quarter's first batch.
How long does delivery take?
Transit times after dispatch are estimates and vary by destination: the United States is 1–3 weeks on a dedicated US line; the European Union is 2–4 weeks via PostNL; Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Vietnam arrive within a few days on dedicated regional lines; and most other countries are 2–4 weeks via China Post.
Customs can occasionally add time.
How do I track my box?
We email your tracking number as soon as it's available — once you have it, the parcel has left our China hub, so allow a day or two for the link to go live.
We recommend tracking at 17track.net; a few carriers show updates only in their Chinese-language view, which translates easily.
How much tea is in each box?
Each quarterly box includes 12 teas across three themed mini-sets of four, roughly 160–200g total — enough for weeks of steeping.
Can I skip a box?
Skipping isn't available on the 3- or 6-month plans. Annual members can skip one of their four quarterly boxes per year.
What's your return and refund policy?
Because each box is freshly assembled and shipped internationally, we don't offer refunds once a box has shipped. If you cancel before your box ships, a small (5%) processing fee applies.
We can't cover packages lost or stolen after a confirmed delivery, returned because of an incorrect address, or held by customs — so please keep your address up to date.
If a parcel comes back to us as undeliverable, we're happy to re-ship it for the cost of postage.
I have a food allergy — should I be aware of anything?
Our teas are packed in a warehouse dedicated exclusively to tea. Most MyTeaPal Club selections contain only tea leaves (Camellia sinensis), and any selection containing an additional ingredient will be clearly identified.
We do not intentionally handle peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, or other major food allergens at our packing location. However, our teas are sourced from multiple producers and, unless specifically stated, are not tested or certified as allergen-free or gluten-free. If you have a severe food allergy, celiac disease, or another serious sensitivity, please contact us before joining so we can share the available ingredient and sourcing information for upcoming selections.
Questions about a destination or shipment? Email hello@myteapal.com before subscribing.