Shipping Information

Our Shipping Policies have changed:

When Will My Order Ship? When Will It Arrive?

Orders received by 4:00p.m. eastern are generally shipped within 48 hours, Monday through Friday. Shipping delivery times are measured in buisness days (click here for a summary of shipping options). All UPS orders come with an automated e-mail from UPS providing a tracking number when they are shipped. You can use this number to find an estimated delivery time, and see where your package is.

United States Postal Service

We now offer USPS shipping options on all orders. USPS can be significantly cheaper than UPS for small light orders, but does not offer the tracking options UPS does, nor are USPS shipments insured like UPS orders are. While, for these reasons, we still recommend you choose UPS for all orders, we understand that many would rather enjoy the significant savings provided by USPS on small orders.

International Orders:

International orders are shipped weekly rather than daily.

International shipping is now offered by Ma-tea.com. Some countries will require special processing if payment from them is not accepted by our credit card verification company. All of the country choices offered in the real-time shipping calculator will work automatically. If you can calculate shipping, we can accept your payment automatically. If you have difficulty processing your international order, please Contact Us.

Please choose USPS Airmail Parcel Post for fastest service. The customer is responsible for any customs fees that may be charged in their own country. Choosing another shipping option like USPS Economy Parcel Post will result in significant delays of up to six weeks and we do not recommed this option.

Any shipping restrictions?

1. PO BOX: UPS does not ship to a PO Box, please choose a USPS shipping option or provide a street address.

(Please Contact Us if you wish to place and APO/FPO order)

2. FPO: Military orders must be sent United States Postal Service. Unfortunately, our automated system has difficulty automatically determining FPO rates. However, in an effort to support those who are serving abroad we offer the following solution. First, check Oconus.com for any restrictions for your FPO/APO. Second, go to USPS.com and determine cost to ship what you estimate as the weight of your shipment. Finally, choose 'Canada' as your country on our system and and then choose the postage that is closest to what you determined. Any amount overpaid on postage by military or other FPO/APO addresses will be refunded after actual costs are determined. We are working to integrate FPO orders in the version 2 website so that real time shipping rates can be applied. and these measures can be avoided. Until that time, it will allow us to service those abroad without much hassle.

How is my shipping rate determined?

Ma-tea.com is directly linked to both the UPS and USPS online calculators. When you preview your shipping rates, the system automatically sends your zip code and the weight of your products to UPS and USPS to request actual shipping rates. That is all we charge you, Ma-tea.com does not increase the calculated shipping charge or add a handling fee. We encourage you to visit UPS.com or USPS.com to compare the rates you find on our site, and those of other stores, with the rates the shipping companies actually charge. Our warehouse is centerally located in the United States in Madison, Wisconsin; zip code: 53704. Please contact us if you have any questions about shipping rates.

How does one get the most for their money?

UPS does not dramatically increase their shipping rate based on weight. They base their rates in one pound increments, but the first pound is the most expensive. Therefore, adding more weight to the order is always to one's benefit. For example, for a 1 pound order UPS may charge someone $6.00 to ship, 2 pound order $7.00 to ship, 10 pound order to the same address they would charge $9.00, while for a 15 pound order only $11. Of course, rates will vary depending on one's location. USPS orders are generally cheaper for lighter orders, but become more expensive than UPS once the order is 4lbs or so in weight (about three bags of 1.1lbs tea).