International shipping

Customs forms and what to declare

Any envelope crossing a border needs a customs declaration (a CN22 for lower-value items, a CN23 for higher-value ones), listing contents, quantity and value. Declare stickers plainly as 'paper stickers' or 'decorative paper goods' with an honest value — under-declaring to dodge duty is a common shortcut that risks the parcel being held or destroyed at customs, which costs you a replacement and the member a month's wait.

Most subscription platforms and shipping tools now auto-generate the correct customs form from your product listing, so set this up once at the SKU level rather than filling one in by hand per international envelope. Get it right for one order and it's right for every order after.

Duty thresholds by region

Duty-free thresholds vary widely and change occasionally, so check current figures before pricing, but as a rough guide: the EU has no duty-free threshold at all for goods (VAT applies from $0, though under about $150 it's often collected at checkout rather than on delivery), the UK's threshold sits around $170, Australia's around $1,000, and Canada's around $20 for postal imports from most countries. A $25 sticker box sits comfortably under most thresholds except the EU's, where VAT collection at checkout avoids a surprise bill at the door.

If a member is charged an unexpected customs fee on delivery, it damages trust in your club even though it isn't technically your fault. Where your platform supports it, enrol in VAT-at-checkout schemes for EU and UK members so the total price they pay is the total price, full stop.

• EU: VAT from $0, ideally collected at checkout via IOSS registration
• UK: roughly $170 duty-free threshold for most goods
• Australia: roughly $1,000 duty-free threshold
• Canada: roughly $20 for postal imports, lower than most assume

Pricing overseas members fairly

International postage typically runs $4 to $9 more per envelope than domestic, depending on weight and destination, so either build a flat international shipping surcharge into checkout or absorb a portion of it and be transparent about which. Members tolerate a clearly stated surcharge far better than a price that looks identical at checkout but arrives with a customs bill later — one feels expected, the other feels like a bait and switch.