Shipping and Customs: What to Expect When Ordering
Cross-border shipping has three separate stages, and confusion usually comes from treating them as one: the seller's processing time, the transit time, and customs clearance. They behave differently and fail for different reasons.
The three stages
Processing (1–5 days). Picking, packing, and handing to the carrier. Slow here usually means the item is being sourced.
Transit (7–20 days typical). Depends entirely on the route and the service level chosen. Economy lines are cheap and slow; express lines are faster and cost more.
Customs clearance (0–14 days). The least predictable stage. Most parcels clear in hours. A minority get held, and the reason is almost always documentation or a value threshold.
The threshold question
Every destination has a de minimis value — below it, no duty is charged.
| Region | Typical de minimis | |---|---| | United States | USD 800 | | European Union | EUR 150 (VAT applies from EUR 0) | | United Kingdom | GBP 135 | | Canada | CAD 150 | | Australia | AUD 1,000 |
Two things trip people up here:
- VAT and duty are different. In the EU, VAT applies from the first euro; the EUR 150 threshold is for duty, not VAT. Many buyers assume "under 150 means nothing to pay" and are surprised by a VAT invoice.
- Thresholds change. These figures are current as of 2026 but they are policy, not physics. Check before ordering if the amount matters to you.
The four common causes of delay
Incomplete address. Missing apartment number, wrong postcode, or a name that does not match the recipient. This is the single most common cause.
Restricted items. Batteries, liquids, magnets, branded goods in some jurisdictions. If a parcel is stopped for this, it usually goes back rather than forward.
Under-declared value. Declaring far below the actual value can trigger inspection, and the outcome is worse than paying the duty.
Peak season. Late November through December, and around major sales events, transit times extend by roughly 30–50%. Nothing is wrong; the network is simply full.
What to do when a parcel is held
You will usually get a notice asking for one of three things:
- Payment of duty/VAT — pay it, keep the receipt.
- Proof of value — an invoice or payment screenshot.
- Recipient confirmation — ID or a signed form.
Respond quickly. Held parcels often have a storage window (commonly 5–14 days) after which they are returned.
Packaging expectations
A well-packed parcel has:
- The item in a dust bag or protective sleeve.
- Void fill so the item cannot move — listen for rattling when you pick it up.
- Sealed outer box with no external branding.
- Documentation inside, not taped to the outside.
If a box arrives with crushed corners and the item is fine, that is normal. If you can hear the item moving, photograph it before opening — that is your evidence if there is damage.
Practical timeline planning
If you need something by a specific date:
| Occasion | Order by | |---|---| | Standard delivery | 3 weeks before | | Holiday season (Nov–Dec) | 5–6 weeks before | | Event with fixed date | 6 weeks before, express line |
Add a week if your address is rural or if the destination country has a reputation for slow clearance.
The honest summary
Most orders arrive without incident. The ones that go wrong go wrong for boring reasons: a missing apartment number, a value threshold nobody checked, or a hold notice that sat unread for a week.
Track the parcel, read the notices, and keep the paperwork. That covers the overwhelming majority of what can go wrong between checkout and your door.