Shipping to the United States - DDP & US Shipping: what the new postage covers — Prenoa Jewellery

Shipping to the United States — Duties included, no surprise fees

 

Intro

From our little workshop in Stamford to your home across the Atlantic: thank you. Recent changes to US customs mean small parcels may now attract import charges. To keep your experience simple and joyful, Prenoa is offering DDP (duties-paid) shipping options to the United States. Below is everything you — the buyer — need to know: what the postage price includes, why these charges exist, and the three tidy postage tiers we’re using so there are no surprises at delivery.

Why this change?

The US Government has altered the rules for low-value imports. That means parcels that used to pass through customs free of charge may now be assessed for duties and related levies. The change is intended to close smuggling and revenue loopholes, but it also affects small makers and shoppers. I care about making this fair and straightforward: where possible we will pay duties for you and show a single, up-front shipping price so your order arrives with no extra charges.

What your postage price now includes

When you choose to shop with us, the shipping charge covers these practical items:

  • Customs duty (tariff) — a percentage applied to the declared value of the goods when they enter the United States. Many of Prenoa’s base-metal finished pieces are likely to attract ~11%; pieces chiefly made of or clad with precious metal may attract a lower percentage (often around 5%). We classify each piece carefully and price accordingly.

  • UK → US levy (10%) — a Government/administrative levy applied on some consignments as part of the new import regime. We add this as an ad-valorem charge on the declared value (it is separate from the normal customs duty).

  • Royal Mail handling / clearance fee (£0.50) — this is the small per-parcel handling charge required for customs processing under the Royal Mail PDDP service currently. This handling charge may increase over time.

  • Postage & packaging — the postage cost we pay to send your parcel (for our standard small parcel service we use a simple flat postage band).

  • Platform & processing fees (grossed up) — because provider fees are charged on the order total, we gross the DDP portion up slightly so the shipping price actually covers the duties and handling and delivery is therefore fulfilled. This keeps the checkout final price honest and transparent.

In short: when you select DDP you pay one clear price at checkout and you should not be asked for further customs fees when the parcel is delivered.

How we calculate it (short)

  1. We take the declared item price (the price you pay for the piece).

  2. We apply the customs duty % relevant to the item (either the conservative 11% for many base-metal pieces, or the lower 5% for jewellery of / clad in precious metal where appropriate).

  3. We add the 10% UK→US levy and the £0.50 Royal Mail handling.

  4. We add the straightforward postage we pay to send the parcel.

  5. Because payment processors take a percentage of the overall order, we add the DDP portion so the shipping line covers the duties in full. 

Tiered postage — simple choices at checkout

We’ve created three DDP postage tiers so you don’t have to worry about exact weights — most Prenoa parcels are similar in weight within ten grammes, so the easiest way to keep checkout honest is to base postage on the value band of the item.

All figures below are illustrative and show two duty scenarios so you can see the difference:

  • Optimistic → when the item is classified in a precious-metal subheading (≈ 5% duty) for example, where a 9ct gold chain weighs more than the coin charm that hangs from it or where the coin itself is gold, sterling silver or contains another precious metal

  • Conservative → when the item is classified as base-metal / imitation jewellery (≈ 11% duty) for example, where there is no precious metal and the weight of pearls/beads are less than the overall metal content

Tier Typical item price (GBP) Shipping we charge (approx) — optimistic 5% Shipping we charge (approx) — conservative 11%
Low £35 — £50 £18.75 — £19.60 (example numbers used earlier) £28.80 (covers up to £50 at 11%)
Mid £70 — £120 £21.00 — £23.50 £45.65 (example: covers £120 at 11%)
High £150 — £220 £29.10 — £33.50 £69.65 (covers £220 at 11%)

 

* Numbers and prices quoted in GBP are examples only and may differ to the shipping price paid

How to read the table: if your chosen piece is in the Low tier we’ll use the Low postage profile at checkout. For items where we know they are precious-metal (and therefore likely to sit in the 5% band) we will apply the optimistic shipping; if classification is uncertain we will use the conservative amount and state this clearly on the listing. Over time we’ll refine which SKUs sit in which band as we gather binding classification and shipping data.

Worked example (one tidy calculation)

A £100 necklace priced and shipped under DDP:

  • Customs duty (11%): £11.00

  • UK→US levy (10%): £10.00

  • Royal Mail handling: £0.50

  • Postage we pay including office supplies and collections: £16.00

  • Platform & payment-fee gross-up (so the shipping line truly covers the duty): applied within the original shipping price

The shipping charge you see at checkout (DDP) is the single, inclusive number that covers the above so you should not be asked for extra payments on delivery.

FAQ (short & useful)

Q: What’s DDP?
A: DDP = Delivered Duty Paid. It means when you purchase and item, Prenoa pays the duties and handles customs clearance using the funds you have paid in your shipping; you pay a single shipping price at checkout and the parcel arrives with no surprise fees.

Q: Will all items have DDP shipping?
A: Where shown, yes. For very low-value items we may offer DDU (duties due on delivery) or set a minimum order value for DDP to avoid losing money to fixed clearance fees. Currently, there are no plans to do this. Check each listing — we mark DDP clearly.

Q: Why is there a 10% UK→US levy?
A: It’s part of the new import regime by the US government and is applied as an additional ad-valorem charge on declared value. We include it in the DDP sum so you don’t see it as a surprise later.

Q: What if my parcel is insured or heavier than usual?
A: Higher insurance or postage will change the shipping band. We’ll show the exact shipping price at checkout before you pay.

Q: Can I still choose to pay duties on delivery?
A: No. We strongly recommend DDP so there are no hold-ups or refused deliveries. The forecast for charges on delivery under the new system, appears to be far greater than our DDP pricing, so we feel our current path is the best. If an item is refused on delivery, and is sent back to us in the UK, we incur a charge for this and will subtract it from the item refund. 

A note on fairness and transparency

I love the idea that small, handmade things should be accessible to collectors worldwide. These new rules complicate that, but my goal is to be transparent and humane: you’ll always know the full cost before you click pay. If you’d like a bespoke quote for a special order (for example, multiple items to dilute fixed costs), please message me and I will calculate a DDP total personally. It is in the interests of both our buyers and us at Prenoa to get this right and together, we will.

Call to action

Questions? Please email prenoajewellery@gmail.com or use the chat button to reach out. If you are in the USA and would like advice on which pieces to choose to avoid higher levies, I can suggest bestsellers with the smoothest DDP prices.

Our US items will be sent with a tracked service, so please sign up for updates online and via your mobile phone to ensure you are available to receive your item. Prenoa accepts no responsibility for items that are not signed for, rejected or returned to us, if delivery is shown to have been attempted. It is the responsibility of the buyer to track and be available for item delivery. If your item is a gift, please let your recipient have the tracking details, so they can ensure it is delivered to them without delay. 

 

The prices in our shipping profiles may go up or down, depending on courier pricing fluctuations, increased international delivery levies, duties or taxes and our fees. Please be assured that if prices come down, due to revised policy or new DDP services, we will pass that saving on to our customers. 

 

Thank you for your continued support.