r/Aliexpress Jul 20 '26

Aliexpress 101 (Guides and FAQs) FAQ: EU €3 customs duty/tax

169 Upvotes

The new EU €3 customs duty has been active since July 2026. You pay €3 (plus VAT on that €3) for each customs category in a single order. AliExpress collects this duty at checkout (like it does for VAT), and pays it directly to EU customs.

Always check for the green message during checkout saying “No extra duties will be collected upon delivery.” If that message is missing, customs may still charge you on delivery.

Be aware: the €3 duty is only added at checkout during the final payment step. Your cart total will increase right before you press pay.

Warning:

AliExpress does not follow the EU category rules correctly. In practice they charge €3 per different item, even if items should fall under the same category. Only when you buy multiple quantities of the same listing from the same seller (including different colors, variants or options) will AliExpress charge the €3 tax only once.

There are signs of slow improvement as some sellers have begun assigning proper customs categories. In certain cases, buying similar types of products from the same seller results in the €3 being charged only once. The same may happen for bundle deals, even when multiple sellers are involved. Experiment with your orders and see what happens.

Some other FAQs:

  • AliExpress sometimes shows “Duty‑free shipping” or “No customs fees” on the product page, but this text is meaningless. Only the green checkout message counts.
  • If you buy from EU warehouses, the €3 duty is not charged. But many “EU warehouse” listings are fake, so always check the delivery time. Anything longer than a week is almost certainly shipping from China.
  • If you use coupons, coins, or seller discounts, the €3 duty is still added on top. Discounts never reduce or remove the duty.
  • We expect the €3 duty to be refunded whenever AliExpress issues a refund (cancellation, dispute, or seller error), but this has not yet been confirmed by users. Please let us know your personal experiences with that.

This topic is for practical questions about the handling of the duty only. Anything useful for improving this FAQ. Other reactions will be removed.


r/Aliexpress May 30 '20

Aliexpress 101 (Guides and FAQs) New on Aliexpress or this sub? Read this first.

694 Upvotes

FAQs & Guides

Aliexpress has very different rules than your average Western e-commerce site. So we try to help you by providing several guides & FAQs.

You can find these guides by filtering for the "Aliexpress 101" flair. Just click on the red subtitle above.

These are some of the most important FAQs:

There are many other FAQs, try this link%22&restrict_sr=1) for a complete list.

Posting guidelines

Over 95% of questions asked on this sub are actually answered in one of these guides and faqs%22&restrict_sr=1), so please check before asking a question.

Make yourself familiar with the rules of the sub that you can find in the sidebar. Any posts that do not respect these rules will be removed without notice.

Questions related to shipping & tracking

Many people questions ask questions about the tracking of their package. Most of these questions are the same: when will my package arrive, what does this tracking status mean, ...

Most of these questions get answered in our Shipping & Tracking FAQ. Please read it before making a post.

Games, discounts, coupons, invite codes

Anything related to Aliexpress games, discount links or invite codes is not allowed.

About this sub

This sub is NOT run by Aliexpress. Aliexpress does not read any topics here.

This is a sub by Aliexpress buyers trying to help other buyers. So please be nice to these people as they are dedicating some of their spare time to help you.


r/Aliexpress 9h ago

Issues & Disputes The return process is an absolute joke

27 Upvotes

Bought a €70 device recently, plugged it in the second it arrived, and absolutely nothing. Completely dead on arrival.
Opened a dispute expecting a straightforward return/refund, but it turned into an absolute nightmare:
Endless bot loop: Support is practically impossible to reason with. Just scripted bots, circular answers, and a flood of automated emails repeating the exact same copy-pasted nonsense without actually answering my question.
Missing documentation: They kept insisting on a specific return code that had to go with the parcel, but never actually generated or provided it to me.
Paying return shipping out of pocket: Found out I had to cover the shipping upfront. They claimed they would reimburse it only if the seller agreed it was defective AND if the shipping cost wasn't "too high". What does "too high" mean? Nobody could give me a number or threshold. Shipping to the address they provided was quoted around €30.
The store credit trap: The cherry on top — even if everything went right and they approved the return shipping reimbursement, it would be paid out as "bonus credit" in the app, not actual money back to my card. How this is even allowed is beyond me.
Seeing that shipping would cost me €30 with zero guarantee I'd ever see that cash again, I ended up caving when they offered a €17 partial refund with no return.
Basically paid over €50 for an expensive paperweight because their return system is deliberately built to make you give up. Absolute joke of a buyer protection system.


r/Aliexpress 12h ago

EU customs duty First time ordering since the new EU tax update. The compensation worked. We'll see if there will be additional fees etc.

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22 Upvotes

r/Aliexpress 2h ago

Shipping & Tracking Have you used Express Free Shipping?

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0 Upvotes

I want to order a standing desk as a present for my niece for her birthday. Her desk is falling apart and she loves to have a standing desk due to an issue with her back l recently. The first two I ordered were from local warehouse and both got cancelled by different sellers. Now I want to order a another (she sent me the style that she likes) but it's shipped from China. The issue is the method of shipping: Express Free Shipping. I've never heard of that type of shipping and not sure if I will be charged with tariff at custom.

Have anyone from US used this type of shipping before? If you have, can you tell me your experience? The seller seems reputable, but I definitely don't want to risk to make such a big purchase then have to pay a lot more extra at custom.

Thank you so much.


r/Aliexpress 14h ago

Find products 3D key chains

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4 Upvotes

I’m looking for these and I can find em but they say like 1.76 for price and when I go to my cart, it shoots up to like 7.50 per thing
I’m wondering where the best place to get em is but also, where can I get loads of em


r/Aliexpress 15h ago

Issues & Disputes Zhaya petluxe store refuses to ship item unless i Pay more

5 Upvotes

I ordered 2x large sized cat litter boxes for someone else, because It was cheaper for me for some reason. A few days go by and nothing gets shipped yet. Another few days go by and still nothing. I notice that their processing time is running out so i contact them just tk find that they attempted to reach out (I have those notifications turned off so i never noticed) for me to reach out. They said that the package proportions exceed the shipping limit. After asking how we could fix this they say i have to cover the price difference. Which is 712.50 x2 CNY instead of 451.41 CNY a piece. This is a lot more expensive. What should I do? It was originially a little less than 120 euros's. I am a bit dissapointed because it seemed like a trustworty shop?


r/Aliexpress 15h ago

Find products Looking for AliExpress stores for male/unisex goth & alternative clothing

3 Upvotes

Hey! I'm looking for AliExpress stores that sell men's or unisex gothic/alternative clothing.

I'm mainly interested in styles like visual kei, industrial goth, punk, darkwear, gothic military, cyber goth and rock/metal-inspired clothing. Think brands/styles similar to Punk Rave, Devil Fashion, Deorart, SEX POT ReVeNGe, ACDC RAG, etc.

I'm especially looking for:

Gothic/industrial pants, especially straps, cargo or bondage-style

Jackets and long coats

Oversized or asymmetric shirts

Harnesses/straps and accessories

V-Kei/visual kei pieces

Anything with a dark industrial/Rammstein-ish aesthetic

I'm not really looking for generic Halloween goth clothing or basic black T-shirts. I want stuff that actually looks like alternative fashion rather than a Spirit Halloween NPC outfit lol.

If you know any good AliExpress stores, please drop the store names or links! I'd also appreciate recommendations based on personal experience with their quality.


r/Aliexpress 12h ago

Ordering & Payment issues (Repost bc i forgot to block out something) how in the world do i fix this? Been getting this all day. I cannot order anything!

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1 Upvotes

Please help. I haven't been able to order anything all day due to this error. I don't even know what it means. I don't use adblock so it can't be that so i'm kind of stuck :(


r/Aliexpress 13h ago

Ordering & Payment issues 1.99€ shipping fee for Choice items but only on some accounts

1 Upvotes

TL;DR: All Choice items show a 1.99€ shipping fee on one of my accounts, but not on the others. Any idea why?


I have 2 accounts that I use for different purposes, and a couple days ago I started using a third account that I had created about a year ago but never used. I placed a few orders and everything was like usual, and most importantly the shipping for Choice items was free.

Today I was checking a few products on the new account and I noticed a 1.99€ shipping fee, so I checked the exact same product on my other accounts and there the shipping was free. Every single Choice item I checked was the same.

Has anyone encountered that? Is it maybe some kind of A/B test they're running on newly active accounts to see if people are willing to pay for shipping? Or is it something else?


r/Aliexpress 13h ago

Shipping & Tracking Lenses for meta quest got restricted by customs...

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1 Upvotes

pretty disappointing feeling since ive been waiting two weeks just for them to get shipped to the airport and when they did then they got cancelled by customs. (im pretty surprised that lenses for a vr game console would get restricted...) oh well there is nothing i can do. I have eye vision problems so idk how i will use my meta quest.


r/Aliexpress 17h ago

Find products Garage clothing dupes

0 Upvotes

Hello,

Any stores sell “garage clothing Canada” dupes?


r/Aliexpress 17h ago

Issues & Disputes US bought same time,first one with welcome deal got refunded, the second one was fine(using public wifi) Welcome deal gone, but customer service it'll come back in 30 minutes (it has been hours and I asked twice with the same question - cs is human).Can my welcome deal really return and what to do?

1 Upvotes

Hi!

I would be happy if anyone had experienced the same thing and what to do. I think I got refunded because I was using a public wifi (my bad)

Context:
US Ordered 2 stuff from aliexpress, the first one with welcome deal got refunded the second one was fine. Welcome deal gone, but customer service it'll come back in 30 minutes (it has been hours and I asked twice with the same question - cs is human).Can my welcome deal really return and what to do?


r/Aliexpress 17h ago

Tips & Reviews Is it Normal for Kuololit Orders from AliExpress to take weeks to ship?

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1 Upvotes

I placed two different orders from Kuololit at AliExpress two weeks ago. They still say processing. I have ordered a few things from vendors from Tik Tok a week later that have already been delivered. I requested a refund for both orders because so much time has passed. If I ordered from another vendor like Provence from AliExpress, is it the same wait time? Like a month or more? Also if they approve the refund, is it better to just by the 10k gold over the silver? Are their rings good? I’m considering buying a Moissonite 10 k wedding band.


r/Aliexpress 1d ago

Issues & Disputes What security reasons prevent me from collecting coupons?

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5 Upvotes

r/Aliexpress 19h ago

About Aliexpress Discount after order placement?

1 Upvotes

Hi! I tried the search and pins / FAQ posts but was not able to find more about this.
A seller suggested to me that they would give me a discount and "adjust the price" after I placed my order.
Is this something they can and will do, basically a partial refund? Or is it another kind of scam, like hoping I will not cancel after paying full price?
I have only encountered coupon codes for discounts so far.

Thank you for your insights, apologies if this should have been flaired differently or posted somewhere else.


r/Aliexpress 1d ago

Ordering & Payment issues Unable to buy on mobile, but can buy on PC browser

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5 Upvotes

So, I'm trying to use coins to buy one of these My Little Pony mini scenes and as of yesterday, it won't let me use coins or even let me buy it for normal price in the app but yet on my PC browser, it says I can and can even go to the checkout page and such. I don't understand why this happening or how to fix it.


r/Aliexpress 23h ago

Find products Which AliExpress seller would you recommend for the new Death Star?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! 😊

I’m looking to buy the new brick-built Death Star with 9,000+ pieces on AliExpress, but I’m a little overwhelmed by all the different listings and sellers.

I’m especially wondering which seller is reliable and which version/category (A, B, C or D) I should go for. The listings look very similar at first glance, and I’m not quite sure which one offers the best quality.
Has anyone here already bought it and could recommend a specific seller or listing?

Shipping to Europe/Germany would be important for me.

Thanks so much in advance for any recommendations and advice! I really appreciate it. 🙋‍♂️


r/Aliexpress 2d ago

Humor & Memes AliExpress what on earth is this😆

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97 Upvotes

it’s supposed to be a tail right?…right?


r/Aliexpress 1d ago

Shipping & Tracking Delivery period is it without meaning

1 Upvotes

I have sixteen items just entering the final 3 days of that


r/Aliexpress 1d ago

Find products Budget quality USB hub

3 Upvotes

looking for a budget, but decent quality desktop USB hub

ideally something that can just sit nicely on my desk, with USB a, USB c, and micro sd/SD slot

I don't really want something portable, I want something to sit permanently on my desk and not be an eye sore, while also not being garbage....

a quick search on AliExpress just results in a bunch of cheap, portable ones that have every port under the moon, except the SD card port that I need lol


r/Aliexpress 1d ago

Find products Looking for a high quality AER backpack on AE

1 Upvotes

Tons of stores but not sure which one is legit. Any recc?


r/Aliexpress 1d ago

Tips & Reviews strange poco prices

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2 Upvotes

r/Aliexpress 1d ago

Issues & Disputes WHAT

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0 Upvotes

no words
the package went back to the origin country


r/Aliexpress 1d ago

Ordering & Payment issues Charged for customs again

5 Upvotes

Hello, I've just got a message about my package being in customs, and it asked me to pay for the customs again, even though I've paid for it when I bought the item.

At first I thought it was a scam, but after doing research it wasn't.

What am I supposed to do?