Shipping Info & Policies

(last updated 12/4/2025)

HERE’S A QUICK GUIDE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND OUR SHIPPING PRACTICES AND POLICIES.

NOTE: Some info in this video is now out of date (i.e., things have improved), but it still gives you the gist of what it's like to receive cacao from us!

GENERAL SHIPPING INFO

(Last updated March 22, 2026)

We are thrilled to offer you more options for faster shipping than ever before! All online orders are currently shipping from northeastern Pennsylvania (except for in Mexico – see below).

On weekdays (Monday-Friday), shipping happens around 10am Eastern time/7am Pacific for any orders that were placed before 5am Eastern/2am Pacific time on that same date.

That means that if a change or cancellation is needed, the customer is responsible for completing it before 5am Eastern time. (Read how here)

CHOOSING A SHIPPING OPTION

On the checkout page you will be shown shipping options based on what you're ordering, how much (size/weight), and also your destination.

U.S. orders of $125 or more automatically get free USPS Ground Advantage shipping! 

For a "Small package" paid upgrade, it will most likely come in a cardboard box, but could come in a paperboard envelope (think: cereal box thickness) or plastic padded envelope.

If you want to ensure that your order arrives faster, then choose and pay for one of our expedited options.

NOTE: All shipping ranges count Mondays to Saturdays, but not Sundays when most delivery services don't operate. And the range of how long it takes includes the day of shipment, but not the day the order was placed.

For example, an order placed on a Thursday that chooses UPS 3-day Select will ship on a Friday and arrive on Monday.

U.S. DOMESTIC SHIPPING OPTIONS

• USPS Ground Advantage (formerly called "First Class") - Includes tracking, but doesn't have a guaranteed delivery date. It can take 2-6 days after shipment (sometimes a little longer) depending on how far you are from PA. All orders of $125 or more are offered this type of shipping for free!
• USPS Priority Mail - This option takes 1-3 days after shipping, depending on your zone (shown on the map below). Note: This is not a guaranteed service within 3 days.
• UPS Ground - This takes 2-6 business days after shipping and can offer extra security, especially if you live in an apartment building (where USPS more frequently loses packages).
• UPS 3-Day Select - This is guaranteed delivery within 3 days of shipping, along with the potential added security offered by other UPS methods.
• UPS 2nd Day Air - The fastest domestic shipping option we offer, arriving within 2 days (guaranteed) of the shipment going out.

This map shows how many days it takes a USPS Priority Mail package to get to different places after the order is shipped from northeastern PA.

MEXICO DOMESTIC SHIPPING

As of March 2026 we are now stocking some of our products in Mexico and making them available for domestic shipping within Mexico.

If you view our website from within Mexico, you will only be shown the products that are stocked there. We hope to add the rest of our products to the Mexico inventory soon.

Once you get to checkout and enter a Mexican address, you will see both standard and expedited flat-rate shipping options:

• Standard: 4-6 days
• Expedited: 2-3 days

Those are the times from shipping to arrival, and in general your order will ship one weekday after you order (i.e., one business day processing time).

Mexico domestic shipments might be sent by Estafeta, DHL, FedEx, or another reputable service, depending on which shipping tier you choose. But we are unable to accommodate requests to use a specific service. 

You can read more about our Mexico domestic shipping on our blog.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING OPTIONS

Shipping internationally (outside of the U.S. and Mexico) is automated in our online shop. You just enter your destination country at checkout.

We are excited to now be offering "delivery duties prepaid" (DDP) shipping for our international customers. Our website will automatically calculate any necessary duties based on your destination country, order value, and the customs codes of the items you purchase. And you will see "duties" as a line item at checkout. 

International shipments might be sent by DHL, UPS, FedEx, or another reputable service. But we are unable to accommodate requests to use a specific service. 

Other international shipping notes:

• There may be delays to due global events beyond our control.
• In general, international shipments will not be sent by USPS mail. But if it is, please note that international “tracking numbers” provided by USPS do not always give progress updates, other than to say if it has shipped and arrived.

FREE LOCAL PICKUP

Due to the closing of our cacao studio in Portland, Oregon, we are no longer able to offer local pickup of online orders.

We are attempting to find a local retail partner that can keep our products stocked for you to buy in person!

SHIPPING ERRORS, DAMAGES, AND MELTING

All domestic packages are fully insured for the order value case of loss or damage (e.g. a torn bag) during shipping, so you can purchase with confidence. We include instructions for what to do about damages on the packing slip. Basically, send us photos by email and hold onto everything until we provide further instructions.

If a month passes and you have not received your package, Contact Us and we can submit a claim for loss. Note that we can only file a claim for a lost package if 2 weeks have passed from the shipping date.

PLEASE NOTE:

• We are not responsible for mistakes in the shipping address submitted with orders. And we're not able to update the delivery address of a USPS package after we send it out. If a package gets returned to us, we can refund the order minus the original shipping cost. Then you’ll have the option to order again to a new address. 
• Melting due to high heat doesn't count as damage or qualify for insurance reimbursement. Check upcoming weather in both Portland, Oregon (where we are), and your location before ordering. If either one is over 90 degrees F, then there's a chance that some melting might occur. We do what we can to insulate your product using wrapping paper or shredded paper. We also put a sticker on packages asking postal workers to keep the package out of high heat and direct sunlight.. but there's no way for us to guarantee they'll honor the request. Melting doesn't actually harm the cacao. Just put it in a cool, dark place until it re-solidifies. Then you can chop and use it like normal. If you're concerned about melting, we recommend buying blocks of cacao (which don't melt as easily) or a single serving of drinking chocolate (which can easily be broken up to make a drink) – not larger bags of ground cacao or drinking chocolate.

IF YOU STILL HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE READ OUR FAQ PAGE AND THEN CONTACT US IF NECESSARY!