Shipping Information

International IPA shipments: Please note there are various types of disruptions and delays across the world for International IPA via USPS ePacket service. Use the Asendia Service Updates page to see if your country is affected.

Same Day Shipping

  • Domestic shipping options received by 3:00 pm EST Monday-Friday ship that same day.
  • International shipping options via USPS, Fed Ex and UPS received by 3:00 pm EST Monday-Friday ship that same day.

  • Exceptions include:
  • Holidays which are listed at the bottom of this page.
  • If we need to contact you concerning your order/shipment before shipping and await a response.
  • Occasional extra high volume sale days and the annual Black Friday period.
  • If your product is flagged as a backorder in the shopping cart, checkout page and order confirmation email, we will stay in contact with you if unexpected delays occur. Or, if in the rare case our stock levels are inaccurate and we accidentally do not have your product to ship, it will become a backorder. We will notify you ASAP.
  • Feel free to contact us for time sensitive orders.

All Shipments

  • Shipping Insurance is included in ALL Strings By Mail shipments.
  • Occasionally UPS or FedEx may be used for larger, heavier orders.
  • UPS and FedEx cannot deliver to USPS P.O. Boxes.
  • High dollar value fine instruments are limited to fully insured FedEx services.
  • While Strings By Mail does not guarantee any delivery at a specific time, location, or date, we do offer UPS and FedEx options with guaranteed timelines. Additionally USPS is extremely reliable.
  • Strings By Mail quickly and efficiently makes sure each order is delivered to the chosen shipping agency. We are not able to control what happens to packages once they are in the shipping system, however we will always strive to be of assistance to the best of our ability.
  • Displayed shipping costs include complete postage, packaging and handling.

Domestic Shipping

  • As part of Strings By Mail's policy of offering value to it's customers, an "Flat Rate Any Size" option of just $4.44 is offered for domestic shipping for any size order. Additional prioritized, faster shipping options are offered during checkout.
  • Domestic orders shipped via the Flat Rate Any Size shipping option will be delivered via US Postal Service First Class, Priority and occasionally FedEx or UPS.
  • If your Flat Rate order only contains sheet music or media, it will be shipped Media Mail, which delivers in 4-7 days.
  • To provide you best service, SBM never ships via "slower" services like parcel post.
  • Delivery times for First Class mail is usually 1 to 5 business days for the continental USA and 1-3 days Priority Mail.
  • Tracking & Delivery Confirmation is used on all shipments.

International Shipping

  • Weight and destination determine International shipping prices. We proudly service over 230 countries, via International USPS ePacket (currently IPA), USPS Priority and Express as well as FedEx (including FICP) and UPS services. International IPA via USPS ePacket is handled as Priority Mail in the USA and handled as First Class Mail or Priority Mail based on the destination country.
  • Delivery times: International IPA via USPS ePacket averages 5 to 25 days but is not guaranteed. In some cases it can take as long as 60 days. Faster services are available during checkout in as little as 2-5 days delivery after clearing customs, namely FedEx FICP. Clearing customs is the #1 reason why a package may take longer than expected.
  • Tracking: International Connect Plus, Express and Priority do include tracking numbers for complete tracking information and provide quicker travel. If shipping International IPA via USPS ePacket (currently IPA), our least expensive and most cost effective international shipping method, the following countries will receive a Fully Tracked Service, door to door, included at no extra charge:
    Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Columbia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Viet Nam.
  • Customs Duties or other Taxes levied at the destination address are not included in the shipping charges and are the sole responsibility of the customer, with the exception of *Australia and **Norway. We cannot change the amount of invoices, send from an individual, or send as gifts or samples. Potential duties/fees are your responsibility, if your order value exceeds limits for shipments into your country.
    Different services like IPA, USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc have different rules regarding customs fees and duties. Please check these specifications before placing an order. In addition, services like FedEx FICP may have thresholds where customs begin to charge, which is generally around $200 USD, however countries like Canada could be as low as $50, and Brazil $0.

    *Australian customers will be charged 10% tax during checkout. Strings By Mail is registered through AUSid. Our ARN number is 3000 1388 7078.
    *Norway customers will be charged 25% tax during checkout. Strings By Mail is registered through Skatteetaten. Our VOEC number is 2042878.
  • You may have to pickup your package at your local post office or customs/duties office.
  • Packages shown to be refused by recipient or abandoned at customs or postal offices do not qualify for a refund unless returned.

Dates Shipping Services USPS/FedEx/UPS or SBM are Closed

Holiday Weekday Date Service Closed / SBM
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday January 15, 2024 USPS
Presidents’ Day Monday February 19, 2024 USPS
Memorial Day Monday May 27, 2024 All & SBM
Juneteenth Wednesday June 19, 2024 USPS
Independence Day Thursday July 4, 2024 All & SBM
Labor Day Monday September 2, 2024 All & SBM
Columbus Day Monday October 14, 2024 USPS
Veterans Day Monday November 11, 2024 USPS
Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 28, 2024 All & SBM
Christmas Day Wednesday December 25, 2024 All & SBM
New Year's Day Wednesday January 1, 2025 All & SBM