Shipping policy
🧾 Duties and Taxes (Import Fees)
Important: You are responsible for any import taxes, VAT, duties, or customs fees charged by your country. These are not included in your checkout total.
Ship-from: All orders are dispatched from Japan or Hong Kong by Rare Cards Japan.
What you pay at checkout: Product price + shipping fee only.
What you pay at delivery: Import taxes (VAT/GST/Duties) collected by the courier (FedEx, DHL, UPS) before delivery.
If charges are refused: If you decline to pay import fees and the parcel is returned or destroyed, we cannot issue a refund. By ordering, you agree to pay applicable import fees.
Declared value: We declare the full purchase price on customs forms. We cannot mark items as "gifts" or under-declare value, in compliance with international export regulations.
🌍 Country-Specific Guidance
Since we do not collect taxes at checkout, here is what you should expect to pay upon delivery:
🇺🇸 United States
Expect a ~15% tariff on trading card imports from Japan/HK. This will be billed by the courier (FedEx/DHL) before delivery. The $800 de minimis exemption no longer applies as of Aug 2025.
🇪🇺 European Union
Expect to pay VAT (typically 19-25%) + processing fees to the courier before delivery. Rates vary by country.
🇨🇦 Canada
Expect to pay GST/HST/PST + carrier processing fees upon delivery.
🇦🇺 Australia
Orders ≤ AUD 1,000: GST may be collected by carrier at delivery.
Orders > AUD 1,000: GST + ~5% duty + processing fees collected at delivery.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Expect to pay Import VAT (~20%) + handling fees to the courier (Royal Mail/ParcelForce/DHL) before delivery.
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Orders over NZD 1,000 generally incur GST + duties collected at the border.
🌐 Other Destinations
Check your local customs website. Almost all international shipments are subject to local import taxes collected by the carrier.
🚚 Shipping Information
Carriers: We use Express International Shipping (FedEx, DHL, SF Express, UPS). All parcels include full tracking and insurance.
🕒 Handling Time:
- In-stock: Ships within 1–2 business days.
- Pre-orders: Ships on/after the official release date.
- Peak Seasons: Major set releases may add 1-2 days processing time.
📦 Estimated Transit Times
- North America: 2–4 business days
- Europe: 2–5 business days
- Asia: 2–4 business days
- Oceania: 3–6 business days
- South America: 4–8 business days
Note: Customs inspections may delay delivery beyond these estimates.
💡 Important Tips
- Provide your full legal name to avoid customs delays.
- Include a working phone number so the courier can contact you for tax payment.
- Watch your email/SMS for payment links from DHL/FedEx to release your package.