Paying import tax up front or on delivery

Who collects what, where

For EMS parcels, from each company's published rules. Hong Kong is left out because it charges no import tax on general goods.

ZenMarket collects at checkout for 5 of the 8 countries here; FROM JAPAN collects at checkout for 2 of the 8 countries here; Neokyo collects at checkout for 1 of the 8 countries here. Buyee says it collects the tax at checkout for 2 of them but does not publish the rate, so its totals on this site assume you pay on arrival. Doorzo does not collect it up front for any of them on EMS.

Same tax, different timing

On a ¥10,000, 1 kg Mercari order, here is what you pay at checkout and on arrival through each service:

Compare the totals rather than the checkout figure. A service that collects the tax looks dearer at checkout by exactly the amount of the tax, which you would otherwise pay at the door.

The value limits

Up-front collection usually only covers low-value parcels. Above the limit, the parcel goes through customs as a formal import and you pay at the border after all, with customs duty possibly on top:

• FROM JAPAN to Australia: AUD 1,000, about ¥109,806
• FROM JAPAN to Singapore: SGD 400, about ¥49,375
• ZenMarket to Australia: AUD 1,000, about ¥109,806
• ZenMarket to United Kingdom: GBP 135, about ¥28,225
• ZenMarket to Singapore: SGD 400, about ¥49,375
• ZenMarket to Germany: EUR 150, about ¥26,774
• ZenMarket to France: EUR 150, about ¥26,774
• Neokyo to Australia: AUD 1,000, about ¥109,806

Yen figures use exchange rates from 2026-10-01 and are approximate.

Above the limit, in practice

To Australia, here is the same 1 kg Mercari order at ¥50,000 and at ¥150,000. At the lower price FROM JAPAN, ZenMarket and Neokyo collect the tax at checkout. At the higher price FROM JAPAN, ZenMarket and Neokyo no longer do, and the parcel is taxed at the border instead.

The handling fee

When the courier pays your tax at the border, it charges you for doing so. None of the five services publishes that fee because it is the courier's, not theirs, and it varies by carrier and country, so it is not in any total on this site. It is the practical reason to prefer up-front collection where you have the choice.