International Shipping, Duties & Taxes
We ship worldwide — and we tell you about import charges before you order
Every In.hYpe order outside the US ships from our warehouse in Framingham, Massachusetts, with two delivery options: Economy (7–14 days, tracked) and DHL Express (1–3 business days). Both appear side by side at checkout once you enter your address.
The part most shops hide is import charges. We don't: if you are browsing from outside the US, a notice at the top of every product page explains the import duty and VAT / sales tax rates for your country, so you know the full cost before you order.
Our checkout charges you only for the goods and shipping. Duty and VAT are collected by the carrier (DHL or your postal service) when the parcel arrives, usually by a payment link sent before delivery. The product price is the same for everyone; what differs by country is the tax your own government charges on imports — the same VAT or sales tax you would pay buying a gel in a local shop.
Where to look on the website
Three places, in the order you meet them:
- Product page and cart — browsing from Canada, Europe, the UK, Norway or Saudi Arabia, you see a box at the top of the page: "Shipping to Canada? Prices don't include your country's import charges", followed by your sales tax rate, the import duty rate, the carrier's handling fee and a worked example. Visitors from other countries get a general version of the same notice.
- Checkout → Shipping method — enter your country and postal code and two options appear in your currency: Economy International (7–14 days, tracked) — import duties & taxes paid on delivery, and DHL Express Worldwide (1–3 business days). For example, Canada: Economy CAD 26.00 or DHL Express CAD 53.00; Spain: Economy €16.27 or DHL Express €46.61.
- Checkout → Order summary — the total you pay us is the goods plus shipping, nothing else. Duty, VAT and the handling fee are collected by the carrier on arrival; the table below tells you how much to expect.
Tip: taxes are calculated on goods plus shipping, so the Economy option is cheaper twice.
Rates at a glance
Shipping prices below are from real checkouts in November 2026 for a 10-jar builder gel order; DHL Express is weight-based, so larger orders cost more. Tax percentages are set by each country, not by us.
| Destination | Option | Shipping | Delivery | Import duty on nail gel | VAT / sales tax | Carrier handling fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Economy | CAD 26.00 | 7–14 days | 6.5% | 5% GST + province (0–10%); HST 13–15% in ON, NB, NS, NL, PEI | about CAD 10–20 |
| Canada | DHL Express | CAD 53.00 | 1–3 business days | 6.5% | same as above | about CAD 15–20 |
| Europe (EU) | Economy | €16.27 | 7–14 days | 0% | your country's VAT, 17–27% (Spain 21%, Germany 19%, France 20%, Italy 22%) | about €5–15 |
| Europe (EU) | DHL Express | €46.61 | 2–3 business days | 0% | same as above | about €12–15 |
| Saudi Arabia | Economy | SAR 69.00 | 7–14 days | 5% (waived under SAR 1,000) | 15% VAT | about SAR 50–100 |
| Saudi Arabia | DHL Express | shown at checkout | 2–4 business days | 5% (waived under SAR 1,000) | 15% VAT | about SAR 50–100 |
Duty, VAT and the handling fee are all paid to the carrier on arrival, in every country. Taxes are charged on goods + shipping, the standard customs rule everywhere; Canada's duty is applied to the goods value only.
Duties and taxes are two different things
Import duty is a customs tariff on bringing goods into a country. It depends on what the product is and where it was made. For nail gels and polishes it is tiny or zero: Canada charges 6.5%, the EU charges 0%, Saudi Arabia 5% (and waives it on small parcels). This is the only charge that is truly "extra" compared with buying locally — and in Europe there is none.
VAT / sales tax is the normal consumption tax of your country: 21% VAT in Spain, 19% in Germany, 5% GST in Alberta, 13% HST in Ontario, 15% VAT in Saudi Arabia. You pay it on every purchase inside your country, and the law says you pay it on imports too, so the carrier collects it for your government when the parcel arrives. It is not a penalty for buying abroad; a €60 gel bought in a Barcelona shop already has €10.41 of VAT inside its price.
So for a European customer the honest comparison is: our price + shipping + the same 21% VAT you would pay anywhere, and zero duty. For Canada add 6.5% duty on the goods.
One more line to know about: the carrier adds a small handling fee for collecting the taxes on your government's behalf — typically CAD 10–20, €5–15 or SAR 50–100 depending on the carrier. Economy parcels go through the postal service, whose fee is usually the lower end of that range.
Real examples — 10 jars of Hard Builder Gel, Cool Nude #6
The same order, three destinations, both shipping options. Shipping prices come from the live checkout; duties, taxes and handling fees are estimates of what the carrier collects on arrival, using the rates above.
| Canada (Calgary, AB) Economy | Canada (Calgary, AB) DHL Express | Spain (Barcelona) Economy | Spain (Barcelona) DHL Express | Saudi Arabia Economy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subtotal | CAD 330.00 | CAD 330.00 | €212.00 | €212.00 | SAR 900.00 |
| Shipping | CAD 26.00 | CAD 53.00 | €16.27 | €46.61 | SAR 69.00 |
| Paid to In.hYpe at checkout | CAD 356.00 | CAD 383.00 | €228.27 | €258.61 | SAR 969.00 |
| Duties (on arrival) | CAD 21.45 (6.5%) | CAD 21.45 (6.5%) | €0 (0%) | €0 (0%) | ≈ SAR 0 (under the 1,000 threshold) |
| Taxes (on arrival) | CAD 18.87 (5% GST) | CAD 20.22 (5% GST) | €47.94 (21% VAT) | €54.31 (21% VAT) | ≈ SAR 145 (15% VAT) |
| Carrier handling fee (on arrival) | ≈ CAD 10–20 | ≈ CAD 15–20 | ≈ €5–15 | ≈ €12–15 | ≈ SAR 50–100 |
| Total cost of the order | ≈ CAD 406–416 | ≈ CAD 440–445 | ≈ €281–291 | ≈ €325–328 | ≈ SAR 1,165–1,215 |
Reading the Canada column: Ontario would show 13% HST instead of 5% GST, so taxes would be about CAD 49 on the same order. Reading Spain: there is no duty at all on gel — the only charges on arrival are VAT and the carrier's fee.
Questions we get
Why aren't taxes already inside the product price? Because they differ by country — 5% in Alberta, 21% in Spain, 27% in Hungary. One price with every tax baked in would overcharge most customers. We show the rates on the product page instead, so you see exactly what goes to your government.
Why is Economy so much cheaper than DHL Express? Economy travels with a consolidator and your national postal service; DHL Express flies door-to-door with its own couriers. Both are tracked. Pick Express when you need the gel for a client this week.
How and when do I pay the duties and taxes? The carrier contacts you before delivery — DHL by text or email with a payment link, postal services by a notice or at the post office. Pay it and the parcel is released. If nobody contacts you, the parcel came through without charges.
I'm in Saudi Arabia or another country not listed — what will I pay on arrival? Your country's VAT (15% in Saudi Arabia) on the goods plus shipping, duty if your country applies one to cosmetics, and the carrier's handling fee. The carrier emails or texts a payment link before delivery.
Do you refund the duties and taxes if I return an order? They were paid to your customs authority through the carrier, not to us, so they are reclaimed from customs. We refund the goods and can provide the paperwork for the claim.
Can I avoid the charges by marking the parcel as a gift or a lower value? No. We declare the real invoice value on every parcel, as the law requires.