* All communication with ZenPop will come from an @zenpop.jp email address.
Hi there, welcome to our FAQ section. We’ve done our best to compile most of the questions that we receive on a
regular basis, and give you as detailed of an answer as possible. Please click on your desired section below to
access the information you’re looking for.
At this time, we are able to continue shipping to certain countries via ZenExpress, Japan Posts Airmail, ECMS and express couriers like FedEx, DHL or UPS. Some shipping options are free, but depending where you live, you may be required to pay additional shipping fees.Please refer to this blog post for our latest shipping update.
Yes! If you reside in one of the countries we're currently shipping to, you can order a ZenPop Pack and it will be shipped soon. If you do not reside in one of these countries, your order will still be placed, but the shipment will be put on hold until we are able to resume shipping to your country. Please note that during this time, some orders will be charged various shipping fees.
The World Health Organization states: “In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets. Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods and there have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods.”
The WHO states: “Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread from person-to-person through respiratory
droplets. Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food.”
The most effective and simple precaution you can take before preparing or eating food is to wash your hands with
soap and water for at least 20 seconds. We encourage you to follow the WHO’s protection measures to reduce
your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19.
There may be some delays due to the increase of deliveries worldwide at this time. We kindly ask for your patience and understanding. Please check with your local postal service for any country specific updates.
ZenPop curates unique subscription boxes of must-try Japanese snacks, candy, ramen, anime goods and stationery and delivers them worldwide! Our subscription boxes: :
Each pack has a new theme every month, so you can experience the best that Japan has to offer!
ZenPop is the subscription box service of ZenMarket, an shopping proxy service that helps you buy from thousands of Japanese online marketplaces and auctions. Previous ZenPop Packs can be purchased at a discounted price on ZenMarket.
Based in Osaka, our small and multicultural team (Japanese, French, Singaporian, Ecuadorian, Hong Kong, Finnish, Russian and Ukrainian) is always here to help. We’re all Japan-lovers and have over 100 years of combined local knowledge.
We pride ourselves on our customer service and guarantee you’ll always get a fast and personalized response from us, whether it be via email, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and even TikTok!
Here are 4 more reasons to choose ZenPop Japan:
Yes! Every pack includes a handy information sheet with a link to product descriptions, translated allergen information, as well as interesting facts about Japanese life and culture.
Yes, we include translated allergen information (English, French, Spanish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Russian) of all food products on the website linked to from the information sheet. In Japan, the following ingredients are identified as allergens.
Please note that if you have serious allergies, we recommend that you do not eat the items due to potential contamination. We can not be held liable for any injuries caused by adverse reactions to any of the items included in our pack. Please consume at your own risk.
We don't provide translated ingredient lists or nutrition information. Most Japanese packaged food has nutrition information printed on it. The below guide may help you if you are interested:
Most Japanese food products are not vegetarian or vegan-friendly. Most of the instant noodles in our Ramen Pack contain meat or fish products. Occasionally, some of the snacks in our Ramen + Sweets Mix or Sweets Packs may contain animal products. You may wish to email us to request the main allergens in each product, which we list on our information sheets.
You are not able to customize the contents of your ZenPop Pack at this time. If you have any dietary restrictions or concerns about any products, please contact us. before you order.
At ZenPop, our number one priority is to deliver you a wonderful experience from Japan each month through our boxes
It's important to us that everyone has an unforgettable experience with their Japanese snack, ramen, stationery or anime box.
If you have an issue with your order, your box is damaged or lost in the mail, please contact our support team via your User Account or our Contact Form, so we can replace your goods!
Our support team will do our best to respond reply to your inquiry within 24-72 hours (or faster!)
Don’t worry! We will find a solution, we always do. Please send photos of the box and the damaged snack to our support team.
Please note: Minor damage such as scratches on the box, broken chips, melted snacks, or small bumps on ramen boxes may not qualify for compensation.
We have back up plan for you! We will replace your box if you have not received it after 45 days* since it was shipped and the tracking status is not delivered.**
*You can contact us sooner if you’ve chosen an express courier like FedEx or DHL.
**It may take longer during holiday season. Please allow more time during the holiday season.
In your user account, you can find information about your subscriptions, address, payment status and automatic renewal. You can also modify your personal account information, check billing, subscription plan, and shipping information, and more from your user account portal.
You can access the Customer portal on this link:
In order to cancel your subscription, please follow the steps below:
Reactivating your canceled subscription is easy! However, please note that you will be charged immediately upon reactivation if you have the monthly plan.
The user account can only be accessed after your registered email address is verified.
To resend your verification email, you can follow the steps below:
You can simply change your address through your User Account by following the steps below:
We accept Visa, MasterCard, JCB, and AmEx credit cards. You can also pay with PayPal, AliPay, UnionPay, Cryptocurrency and WeChatPay. We do not accept cash or cheque.
All orders are secure. We use industry standard SSL encryption when sending data to our PCI compliant payment processor Stripe. We never receive or store on our servers any of your sensitive financial data.
Please note that charges will be processed in Japanese Yen (JPY) for all payments. The rates in other currencies displayed on this site are for your convenience only, and the final charge may vary depending on the exchange rate and/or foreign currency fees your bank uses on the day of the payment.
Yes, you are required to create a free ZenPop customer account before you subscribe. Through your customer dashboard you can manage your subscription(s), view your shipment details and update your address.
No, unfortunately, the gift option is currently unavailable. We are working on bringing it back with new and exciting features!
In March 2020, we launched our Limited Edition Pack series - exciting one-off boxes of unique and must-have products from Japan, as requested by our fans!
Limited Edition Packs offer product combinations or themes that we can not currently offer through our four monthly subscription boxes. Previous Limited Edition Packs include packs of Sakura-themed Stationery, Washi Tapes & Stickers and Vegetarian Snacks.
Limited Edition Packs are a one-time purchase and no monthly subscription is required. You are still able to use your first-time purchaser coupon when you order or choose the Give as Gift option.
As the contents of each Limited Edition Pack will vary from pack to pack, the pack price and re-shipping fee (calculated by pack value and weight) will also vary.
Find out more about our Limited Edition Pack series on our blog.
Yes, we do! We’re always here to help and are happy to support bulk orders! For information about placing a large order, please fill up our form here or email us at [email protected]
When you subscribe to ZenPop, we will start preparing your first pack, and it should ship within one week. Occasionally, there may be delays in shipments due to National Holidays, for example. As long as your subscription is active, we will send you a new pack at the beginning of each following month.
Subscription plans are automatically renewing. You will be charged at the beginning of each term (i.e. every 1, 3, 6 and 12 months) until you turn off automatic renewal. You can turn off the automatic renewal option from your user account in a couple of clicks!
You can subscribe and prepay for 3, 6 or 12 months (the longer the plan, the more you’ll save!) Or subscribe to the 1 month plan and you’ll be charged monthly.
Yes, all plans are automatically renewing at the end of their terms.
If you have a month by month subscription plan, from your second month forward, you will be automatically billed on the 2nd of the month, from 00:00 on Japan Standard Time.
3, 6 and 12 month subscription plans will automatically renew on the 2nd (00:00 JST) of the month following the receipt of your last pack.
For example, if you order the 3-month Ramen Plan in January, your packs will be shipped to you in January, February and March. Therefore, you will be billed on 2nd of April for the renewal.
You can log into your customer account anytime to turn off automatic renewal.
Please note: If you subscribe to a 1 month subscription plan late in the month, you will still be automatically charged on the 2nd of the next month for your second pack.
After you subscribe, we will prepare your pack and it will be shipped out likely within a week.
If you are on a month-to-month plan, you will be rebilled on the 2nd of each month (00:00 JST) and your next packs will ship shortly after that.
If you are on a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription plan, your packs will be prepared to ship out before the 15th of each month. If it is a month where your plan will renew, you will be billed on the 2nd, and your pack will be shipped once payment is confirmed.
Please note: If you order late in the month you will be shipped your first two packs within close succession of each other.
Log into your ZenPop account at any time to turn off automatic renewal for your subscription plan. Once you log in, simply click the link to turn off automatic renewal within your Subscriptions tab.
Once you turn off automatic renewal (for 1, 3, 6 or 12 month plans), you will be sent all remaining packs in your term. As all packs will be sent to you, no refunds will be given for the packs remaining on your term. At the end of your term, you will not be billed again, and your subscription will not renew.
Please note: You must turn off automatic renewal for your subscription at least 3 days before your next rebill date, otherwise you may get charged again and your subscription will renew. You can check your next rebill date from your account.
Yes! While we only offer subscription plans, if you’d like to order just one pack, choose the 1 month subscription plan and turn off automatic renewal.
While we do our best to avoid this, if a pack theme is particularly popular, we may sell out of a pack on occasion. If you subscribe after the current pack becomes unavailable, you’ll be sent the following month’s pack first and your rebill date will be offset by 1 month.
Your subscription doesn’t automatically expire once you’ve received all the allocated boxes you ordered. This is important to note, as ZenPop won’t send you a reminder to cancel. Your subscription will automatically renew for the same period after you receive your final box. For example, you’ll be charged for another 3 month subscription if you initially subscribed for 3 months. If you need to postpone or cancel your subscription altogether, be sure to make a note to yourself and do so within your account settings to avoid extra charges and boxes.
Shipping costs vary between region and pack type. Some shipping methods are free, but fees can be as much as $20 per pack. Not all shipping methods are available for every pack type / every country. You can see the cost of shipping fees upon checkout. Prices subject to change. Not all shipping methods are available for every country.
Our new system in place since June 2022 calculates all shipping costs automatically on a daily basis based on currently available rates from shipping companies. You are free to choose the most convenient shipping method.
When a multiple month subscription order is placed, the shipping fees for all packs in the plan will be charged together with the subscription.
The declared value of each pack is at most 2000 yen, which is within the duty free allowance of most countries. Please check your country’s import regulations as per our terms of service, we are not responsible for any customs fees you may incur.
Currently, we are shipping to 67 countries via ZenExpress, Japan Post Airmail, ECMS and private couriers like FedEx, DHL or UPS. There will be different shipping fees, depending on the box ordered and the shipping destination. Please check this blog post for our last shipping updates.
In order to provide the most reliable service, some regions are required to add tracking and insurance.
For more information or questions, please email us: contact [at] zenpop.jp
Currently, we are shipping via ZenExpress, Japan Post Airmail, ECMS and FedEx, DHL and UPS. Please check this blog post for our last shipping updates.
In general, once the ZenPop Pack arrives in the destination country, the local Post Office will complete the delivery. Different countries have different rules regarding delivery requirements and package retention so please make sure you are able to receive mail safely at the shipping address you provide.
Yes. Some shipping methods include tracking and / or insurance. In some cases, tracking may be unavailable to your area. Conversely, it may be the case that the only shipping method available to your country includes tracking. Shipping options will be presented to you before payment during the checkout process.
Your package will be shipped within 10 days from our Osaka warehouse. You will receive an email notification when we receive your order and start preparing your pack, and then again when your pack ships.
Please note that due to the global pandemic, shipping delays are to be expected. Estimated delivery times for our current shipping methods are:
If you think that your pack is late or missing, please check your shipment notification email and the tracking link therein. You can find the latest tracking information there. If the tracking information has not been updated in more than 2 weeks, please contact us by email: [email protected]
International shipping from Japan can be affected by weather conditions, national holidays (such as Christmas and New Years) and other factors and therefore the shipping times may vary. We kindly ask for your patience and understanding during these times.
If your package is taking longer than the estimated delivery times (see ‘What is the estimated delivery time?’), please contact us.
Please note that we can only file a claim for orders that added tracking and insurance. Once we file a claim, we have to wait for the result of the inquiry before we can send a replacement or give a refund, which may take a couple weeks.
Our warehouse staff are skilled at packing in a way to protect all items, but of course breakages can happen. We’re very sorry if that happens to you!
It also may happen that the package gets damaged in transit.
Please send us an email with a photo of the broken or damaged item. Unfortunately, we will not be able to replace any items that were damaged during transit, such as broken or melted snacks or candy.
Please refer to our estimated shipping times, specific to your pack type and destination country. If your pack hasn’t arrived by then, please contact us, and we will help you.
Returns
All sales are final and items can't be returned once they have been shipped.
Replacements
For orders that include tracking, we can send a replacement for undelivered packages.
For severely damaged goods, or missing items, please send us items. In most cases, we are able to replace the item(s).
For orders that do not include tracking: If we can determine that the original package will not be delivered, or if tracking is not available for your country but your pack hasn’t arrived after the estimated delivery time, a replacement may be provided at our discretion.
Refunds
Refunds are only available for packages with tracking that have gone missing or are otherwise undeliverable. Please contact us and we will file a claim on your behalf to Japan Post. Once filed, we can process a refund or replacement.
Orders without tracking are non-refundable, as we are unable to confirm the delivery status.
As per our terms of use all subscription plans and gift subscriptions are non-refundable. All packs will be sent to you according to your plan schedule. Automatic recurring payments are non-refundable. Automatic payments can be canceled at anytime before the scheduled payment date. You can check your ZenPop User Account or email receipt to confirm the date of any scheduled payments.
From time to time, packages are returned to our warehouse for one of the following reasons:
ZenPop does not take responsibility for returned packages, including packs where no explicit reasons are stated.
Once the pack is shipped to the address provided by the customer, the responsibility of the delivery lies in the hands of the shipping company, and the responsibility for the reception is that of the customer.
If you wish, we are able to reship the returned package, but we require the customer to pay the re-shipping fee for this second shipment. This applies to packages with or without tracking and insurance.
Re-shipping fees vary from pack to pack and on the shipping company. The reshipment fees will equal the total shipping fee billed by the shipping company.
Refunds are available minus the cost of shipping in the case a package is returned to us.
As we ship all of our packages from Japan, they are subject to customs inspection when they arrive in your country.
We declare our packages' value in a way that should avoid import taxes for most countries. We also include a description of the content of the pack, and any further documentation required for import into some specific regions, but there may be instances where a custom, duty, or import tax is charged.
Regarding the changes of imports to the EU and additional VAT charges, ZenPop registered with the IOSS in September 2021. All VAT charges are now included in the shipping cost.
As per the terms of use of our service, You will be fully responsible for any fees, taxes, or other losses that may arise from importing goods into your country.
Our food packs, in particular our Ramen Pack, may contain meat products. Please check your local regulations, as we are not responsible for any losses that may occur with importing food items.
Yes, we do! To review a ZenPop pack on your blog, YouTube or social media channel, please fill out our online partnership form.
Unfortunately we can’t give packs to everyone, but if your content is related to Japan or our ZenPop Packs (ramen, snacks, sweets and stationery), we’d love to hear from you.
We often host giveaways, so make sure you’re a registered ZenPop user or following us on social media for your chance to win.
Once you register for your free ZenPop account you’ll automatically be added to our email list and you’ll be the first to know about any upcoming giveaways or promotions!
You can also follow us on social media to make sure you don’t miss out on the chance to win a free ZenPop pack!
Firstly, congratulations! To redeem your pack, please follow the instructions as specified in the giveaway post in providing us with your correct shipping address.
Unless stipulated in the giveaway terms and conditions, ZenPop will cover the shipping fees of your free pack, but we are not responsible for any import fees or customs charges that may be incurred.
If your package is taking longer than the estimated delivery times (see ‘What is the estimated delivery time?’), please contact us.
If your pack has gone missing or is undeliverable due to the giveaway winner providing an incorrect address, we can re-ship your pack (once it is returned to our warehouse) at the giveaway winner’s cost.
If the pack is undeliverable due to a mistake by us, we will re-ship your pack at no cost to the giveaway winner.