FAQ

General Service Questions


Payments


Customs & Sales Tax


Insurance & Claims


Restricted/Prohibited Items


Packages & Tracking
Security & Data Protection

General Service Questions

How does the package forwarding work?

Package forwarding can be explained in 3 simple steps:

1. You sign up with us and get the US address.
2. You can use this address for shopping online. Once we receive your order, you will get a notification email from us.
3. You complete the customs declaration and select the delivery method for your country. We will take care of the rest.

When do I get my Planet Express package forwarding address?

Upon signing up with Planet Express, you will receive our warehouse address and unique suite ID (also called box number/account number). You can use this address as the delivery address when shopping online.

Where do I find my new address?

Please login to your client account and you will see your address on your dashboard. It will have street address and mailbox number. Please make sure that you use your mailbox number when ordering packages. That way there will be no delay in identifying your package and entering it in your account. 

Is your address a PO Box address?

Our address is not a PO Box address. This means that you can shop even from the online stores that don’t provide shipping to PO Box addresses. We are regular business location which accepts packages during business hours. 

Can you ship to APO, FPO, and DPO addreses?

Yes, we can ship to APO, FPO, and DPO addresses from our California and Oregon locations. Shipping to APO, FPO, and DPO is prohibited from our Florida location. We have a fully dedicated guide for that. Read more about shipping to the military base and diplomatic addresses on our website.

Can I receive also packages from foreign countries or just from the US?

Your Planet Express address can be used for all packages, even if they are delivered from China or anywhere else.

Can I receive letters and mail too?

Yes, we can receive letters and your mail, but we need notarized USPS 1583 form in order to receive letters for you.

Are there any restricted countries for your service?

We service all countries in the world except for embargoed countries. Please see the list of countries that we can’t service at the moment.

  • Crimea
  • Cuba
  • Iran
  • Kosovo
  • Myanmar
  • North Korea
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Russia
  • Belarus

Please visit the OFAC Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control for more information and a list of countries that are embargoed by OFAC.

How much does it cost and how long does it take to deliver the package to my country?

Feel free to estimate the shipping costs and delivery times with our postage calculator.

How can you offer such low rates?

The principle of the package forwarding is simple. We gather a large number of packages in one place. It is much cheaper for shipping companies  to pick them up at our warehouse. Thanks to that we can negotiate lower prices and we pass the savings on to you. Read our case study for more info.

Can I use Planet Express’s phone number for my online orders?

We strongly suggest to provide the store with your number. If your phone number is an international phone number, please create a google number or Skype and provide it to the store. They’ll contact you in case they need to update you about your order or any changes. 

Can I return a package?

Yes, packages can be returned as long as they have not yet been shipped from our warehouse. Please follow these instructions on how to request a return.

Payments

What payment methods do you accept?
payment method credit card
You can pay with your credit card…
payment method paypal
PayPal
payment method wire transfer
wire transfer
payment method amazon pay
Amazon Pay
bitcoin 1
Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Etherum, Dogecoin, XRP, and USD Tokens

Do you accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies?

Yes, we accept most of the popular cryptocurrencies including – Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Etherum, Dogecoin, XRP, and USD Tokens. We also support a wide selection of crypto wallets: BitPay, Coinbase, Blockchain Wallet, Electrum Wallet, Copay, and many others. See all the Crypto Wallets we accept.

What is the minimum deposit?

The minimum payment is $5 for most of our payment methods. The minimum for wire transfer is $50.

What should I do when I want to refund my deposit?

Please follow these instructions to request a refund via PayPal. Refunds through BitPay/Crypto currency are not possible, this can only be used to add funds.

What if the US online store doesn’t accept my credit/debit card?

It is possible that the store blocks payments made with foreign credit cards. Feel free to read more about the solution on our international payments page.

Customs & Sales Tax

Who fills the customs declaration?

You fill the customs declaration by yourself on each package or you can open a special request to have our team to fill out the customs declaration for you. See our guide on how to fill out the customs declaration. It is the clients responsibility to properly fill out and declare all items in the customs declaration as well as know what can and cannot be imported into their country. If filled incorrectly and customs requests an amended declaration there will be a $15 fee to submit the updated customs declaration.

Due to heightened security concerns surrounding Li-ion batteries, we encourage you to declare your items properly with as much detail as possible,  if the item is new, we highly recommend preceding the item description with “NEW”

  •  i.e. NEW Samsung Galaxy S10. 
  • New Xbox One controller

If the electronic item that contains a lithium battery is used and not a repair, it should state that in the item description i.e.  

  • USED/NEW CONDITION – Apple iPod Classic 5th Gen 30GB
  • USED/NEW CONDITION- Sony Play Station Controller

This will help your package clear customs faster, and avoid any returns back to us.

Do I have to complete the customs declaration for all packages?

Customs declaration is required for all packages prior to shipping. The customs declaration must be filled out correctly with the purchase price and quantity exactly like how items are bought from a retail store. All carriers will use this info as a commercial invoice for shipped packages.

When do I need to pay for customs?

Once the package sent by us reaches to your country and will be checked by your local customs, they (or the carrier) will get in touch with you with further instructions about the payment.

The recipient is responsible for clearing packages through customs and taking care of all Duties and Taxes that may apply.

Do I have to pay for the US sales tax?

Sales tax is a tax that is collected by the seller for the sales of goods and services. The catch is that every US state has a different sales tax rate. We offer addresses in California, Oregon, and Florida. The California’s sales tax is approx. 9.5%. However, our Oregon and Florida addresses don’t have sales tax.

Insurance & Claims

Do I have to pay for the insurance?

We strongly recommend that you always select insurance on your packages. When you pay for the insurance that costs a few dollars, you will get a refund if your package is damaged or even lost.

The delivery methods by DHL and FedEx have insurance included in the shipping price.

What if my package gets damaged or lost?

You did pay for the insurance:

Open a claim (read the instructions here) and give us some time to process it:

Lost package – The refund includes the price of the shipping, the value of the package stated in the customs declaration, and costs of additional services (the cost of additional services only applies to packages misplaced in our warehouse, not to packages lost during transportation).

Damaged package – You will get a full refund for the price of the item damaged based on the value declared in the customs declaration.

You did not pay for the insurance:

If insurance is not purchased, A claim cannot be opened, and no compensation of the (shipping and or declared value) would not be provided in case of lost or damaged packages.

The delivery methods by DHL and FedEx have insurance included in the shipping price.

Restricted & Prohibited Items

What are the restricted & prohibited items from international shipping?

Like all of the carriers, we can not ship any of these items:

  • Combustible, flammable items (gasoline, paints, oil, etc.)
  • Pressurized cans, aerosol can products (hairspray, paint spray can etc.)
  • Hazardous materials and corrosive material (chemical, industrial chemical etc.)
  • Agriculture and produces (live or dead plants, seeds, animals, fur, fruits etc.)
  • Monetary items (coins, precious stones, cash, precious metal etc.)
  • Drugs (prescription drugs, illegal drugs of any form, THC, CBD etc.)
  • Adult toys cannot ship to certain countries. If any issues arise with Customs or package is return, Planet Express will not be held Liable.
  • Pornography (DVD, magazines, photos ect.)
  • Stand-alone Lithium-ion battery (PI965) and battery packs are prohibited to be shipped by Planet Express. We can only ship items that contain Lithium-Ion Battery (PI967) and items that packed with Lithium-Ion Battery (PI966). All batteries need to be declared including but not limited to: items containing Lithium-ion batteries, coin batteries such as lithium metal button batteries which are present in most electronic devices like desktop computers, routers, stand alone motherboards, ect.
  • Any electronic device containing batteries that is Repaired, Damaged, or For Parts condition CANNOT be shipped using any USPS shipping method. All electronics contained batteries must be in NEW or USED and in working condition.
  • DHL does not accept two different battery declarations in the same shipment. PI967 (Lithium Ion/Metal Batteries contained in equipment)  and PI966 (Lithium-ion batteries packed with equipment) cannot be combined in one package when being shipped out by DHL.
  • Corrosive, Explosive, Flammable, Compressed/Pressurized items, a Chemical solution of any form, Hazardous Materials
  • Tobacco/Nicotine products are a restricted product and can’t be sent. (Cigars, Cigarettes, Vapes, E-cigs, Vape Juice ect)
  • Perishable items
  • Human or animal remains, live or dead animals or plants
  • Identification
  • Electronic equipment or equipment requires ECCN (Export Control Classification Number).
  • Firearms or firearms parts, rifle scope, red dot sight, ammo, parts, accessories and any items under the restriction of ITAR, Department of Commerce, US Customs Border Protection, or US Department of Treasury.
  • Knives, Blades, Sword ect cannot ship via DHL, Planet Mail, Aramex, Yamato, and USPS anywhere in the world.
  • Knives, Blades, Sword ect cannot be shipped to Australia, or the UK with any of the shipping methods available.
  • Letter mail including address verification codes from any retailer(Amazon, eBay, Shopify, ect..)
  • Essential oils cannot be ship via any USPS shipping method anywhere in the world.
  • Electronics containing batteries in Refurbished, for parts, or for repair need to be shipped via FedEx or DHL shipping methods. Using USPS shipping methods will cause delays and returned packages.
  • For more information on restrictions to Saudi Arabia, please click HERE.

These items are restricted and prohibited by our carrier and the US government, some items are legal to ship according to US regulations and our carrier, however, it is best to check with your local customs office for the legality of importing your items.

Are there some limits on how many batteries can be inside of the package?

Yes, there are some limitations. We cannot send standalone batteries (PI965) at all. We can ship PI966 and PI967. Every delivery method has different limitations. You can find them here.

Can you ship e-liquids and accessories?

Unfortunately, as for right now we cannot ship out e-liquids due to recent regulation in the US.

Can you ship alcohol?

Yes, we can ship alcohol via DHL from our California and Oregon warehouses Read this article for more details.
For an Alternative option available to Japan Only, please click here.

Can you ship credit cards?

Yes, we can ship credit cards, however, you have to notarize yourself via NotaryLive. Please, visit our USPS 1583 page for further info on how to notarize your address.

Can you ship perfume and nail polish?

We can ship perfume and nail polish with Fedex Only. The limit is each bottle has to be 30ml /1fl oz and under, and no more than 15 bottles in one package, nail polish and perfume cannot be mixed within the same package. 

With Aramex Economy, A combined volume of up to 500ml can be shipped from our California and Oregon locations Only for the following countries: UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, UK, Mauritius, Kuwait, Libya, and Singapore. $15 Dangerous Goods Processing fee will apply.

Packages & Tracking

What is the USPS 1583 form?

The U.S. Postal Service Form 1583 (USPS 1583 form) is required from USPS from all customers. It simply allows us to receive your mail and packages. You have to accept this form in order to use our services. Read more details about the form here.

What if the package is delivered to your warehouse but does not show up in my account?

There is probably a missing suite ID on the package. This means we don’t know to which account are we suppose to link the package. Please, send us the tracking number of the package and proof (invoice, the screen of the order…) that the package belongs to you to our email [email protected].

Can I pick up my package?

Local pick up are possible from our California and Tualatin warehouses only. In person pick ups are $12 per package, $10 for the pick up request and $2 for the processing. Auction items must be shipped, in person pick ups are not allowed.

How can I track my package(s)?

Read our fully dedicated guide on how to track packages.

I see the tracking number starts with ‘PLANET’. Is that correct?

Yes, it’s correct. Once our partner and USPS sorting center process your package you will see USPS tracking number but can track your package still using by the PLANET tracking number. You can find more information here.

How many days of free storage do I get?

We offer 10 days for free for our Free Mail Box users and 45 days for free to our Premium Mail Box users from the date the package arrives. Consolidated packages have 7 days of free storage. Then we charge storage fees based on our pricing.

What carrier is used for Planet Mail and USPS once the package reaches the destination country?

Planet Mail and USPS are delivered by a local postal service in the destination country. For example, if the package is sent to Germany, it will be delivered by German Post across Germany.

Security and Data Protection

My account is suspended for security review, what should I do?

If your account is suspended due to payment issues or any other reason, contact our support at [email protected] so we can help you resolve the problem.

How does Planet Express store my password?

Secure storing your passwords is one of our priorities. Because of that, we use the bcrypt module to securely store your passwords. Your passwords are secure because of 2^10 (ie, 1024) hashing.

You can read more info about Security and Data Protection on our Privacy Policy page.