Prohibited and restricted items

Prohibited items can't be shipped through Tiptrans under any circumstances, so don't have them delivered to a Tiptrans address. Restricted items can usually be shipped, but only with some carriers and sometimes for a surcharge. What applies depends on the warehouse, the carrier, the destination country and the item itself. The current list is on our Prohibited and Restricted Items page. Check it before you buy.

Prohibited and restricted: the difference

• Prohibited: we don't accept the item for transport. If a package with a prohibited item reaches a warehouse, we may refuse or destroy it without notice, report it to the authorities and close your account. Our staff and the authorities may inspect packages to check this.
• Restricted: carriers sometimes refuse the item, so your preferred carrier may not be available. In most cases we can still ship it, but a surcharge may be added to the shipping cost.

It is your responsibility to make sure your packages contain no prohibited items. If you're not sure, ask us before the item is sent to us.

Prohibited at all warehouses

• Weapons: guns and other weapons, including replicas and decorative swords; gun parts, scopes and sights; ammunition; explosives; knives.
• Flammable and dangerous goods: aerosols, anything that contains petrol, flammable liquids including high-percentage alcohol, lighters and matches, fire extinguishers, airbags, ice and dry ice, corrosive materials, and other dangerous or hazardous goods, such as refrigerant gas.
• Perfume and nail polish: perfumes, other fragrances and aftershaves sent by air, aromatherapy oils, nail polish, varnish and gel. The Czech, German and UK warehouses can ship perfumes, fragrances and aftershaves by ground.
• Powders and crystals, and magnets.
• Food, plants and animals: meat, all perishable goods, any food sent to the USA, plants (dry or fresh), animals (alive or dead), ivory, biological samples, infectious substances, human remains.
• Tobacco and tobacco products, including heated tobacco sticks such as HEETS.
• ID documents and money: passports, driver's licenses and other ID cards, counterfeit currency.
• Other: pornography and goods from Ethiopia.

Extra rules at each warehouse

These apply in addition to the list above.

China (Shenzhen)

Prohibited:

• Apple and Samsung phones
• Drones, drone parts and drone accessories. Never send them to the Shenzhen warehouse.
• Food products and tea

Restricted: we can usually ship these, but standard rates don't apply and fewer carriers are available.

• Famous brands and brand copies, for example Nike or Apple
• Cultural items: books, audio and video, art
• Liquids, creams and cosmetics
• Medicine
• Medical items such as masks and respirators. They ship only with the right paperwork and cost much more, often 50% more, so ask us for a quote.

Bank cards can't be shipped from the China warehouse.

Hong Kong

• Not accepted: e-cigarettes and vaping devices, because they are illegal in Hong Kong.
• Restricted: medicine, and SIM cards sent to mainland China with SF Express.
• Tea: only retail-packed tea is accepted, not loose-leaf tea.

Czech Republic and Germany

• Prohibited: food sent to the UK, including retail-packed food.
• Restricted: spirits can be shipped only within the EU, with DPD. Beer and wine can go worldwide, within the limits of the destination country.

United Kingdom

Prohibited:

• Money: cash, cheques, lottery tickets and other tickets
• Food: meat, fresh food, pet food, slush syrup, baby formula (milk powder)
• Oil, paint and ink: oils, paint, printer toner and ink cartridges
• Medical: medicines, including prescription drugs, and medical equipment
• Electronics: hoverboards and Segways
• Vehicle parts: engines, gearboxes, seatbelt tensioners, steering wheels, bonnets, bumpers, windscreens
• Bulky items: chainsaws, kayaks, sofas and settees, sinks and basins, toilets
• Other: Christmas crackers, Geochron clocks

Restricted: these ship mainly with UPS or FedEx, and some other carriers don't take them.

• Phones, laptops, tablets and computers: UPS or FedEx. For the battery rules, see Can I ship batteries or devices with batteries?
• Alcohol, including spirits: UPS or FedEx, not Evri or Royal Mail. Customs in the destination country may have its own rules.
• Liquids, creams and cosmetics: UPS or FedEx, not Evri.
• Packaged food: for example chocolate, biscuits, tea, sauces, protein bars, vitamins and supplements, and spices. Mainly UPS or FedEx.
• Jewelry, precious metals, coins and stamps: mainly UPS or FedEx. Other carriers may check them more strictly. Precious metals ship without insurance.

Bank, credit and debit cards can be shipped with most carriers, for example Evri or Royal Mail.

Laptops can be shipped from every warehouse, including the UK, with UPS or FedEx.

Batteries and devices with batteries have their own rules at every warehouse. See Can I ship batteries or devices with batteries? For countries we don't ship to, such as Russia, see Suspended and limited shipping routes.

Common items and checking before you buy

For perfume, food, tea, liquids, cards, medicine, jewelry and branded goods, and for how to check an item before you buy, see Can I ship perfume, food, liquids, cards or branded goods?

Rules of the destination country

• Every country has its own import rules. Check that your country allows the item before you buy. You are responsible for any import permits and licenses, and for duties and taxes.
• Customs decides independently of Tiptrans. Even when we and the carrier accept a package, customs can hold, reject, return or destroy it, and we can't guarantee clearance.
• Goods that need an export or import license or other approval: tell us before you send them to a warehouse. Don't send controlled goods without the authorization.
• China: Chinese customs is more likely to stop large quantities or high-value shipments. A shipment of 100 phones, for example, would very likely be held. Sending goods in smaller batches lowers the risk.

When a package contains restricted items

• When a package arrives, staff note items that affect the shipping price, such as liquids, batteries, branded goods, food, medicine or protective equipment. The Shipping method tab then shows an Important box that lists them, together with the shipping options that can take them. These are often more expensive.
• To ship the rest at standard rates, move the restricted items into a package of their own with a Split package request ($5 Standard, $3 Premium, $0 Business Premium). See Can I split a package into several shipments?
• For some items, we ask you to confirm a different price or choose another carrier before shipping.
• Declare every item correctly. If a carrier refuses a shipment because of contents it doesn't accept, the package usually comes back to the warehouse, and the shipping cost and fees are not refunded.