Shipping policy

Shipping Policy

Order Processing & Shipping Times

• Orders placed Monday through Thursday will typically ship the next business day.

• Orders placed Friday, Saturday, or Sunday will ship on the next business day (Monday).

  • Note: We process orders 7 days a week, but our carriers pick up packages Monday through Friday only.

Shipping Rates & Charges

Our shipping charges are weight-based. For heavier items such as salt, gravel, and sand, shipping charges may be higher.

*Free Shipping applies to dry goods only, excluding rural deliveries and special price items.
**Economy shipping available for frozen goods (2–3 days), minimum charge NZ$20.

***Rural fee of $4.99 is charged where the orders are over $69 (free shipping), these fees are additional charges applied by NZPost. To avoid these charges you can have your order shipped to a urban address. Order less than $69 are charged flat rate shipping rate and no additional rura fee is applied.

Free Shipping Conditions

• Dry Goods: All accessories (dry goods) over NZ$69 are eligible for free shipping. Rural deliveries do not qualify for free shipping.

  • Note: Special price items may not be eligible for free shipping.

  • Important: Dry goods cannot be combined with frozen goods to meet the free shipping threshold.

• Frozen Goods: All frozen goods are subject to flat rate shipping charges, with rates calculated at checkout. Frozen goods cannot be combined with dry goods or accessories to qualify for free shipping.

Rural Deliveries

• Rural deliveries are subject to a rural service fee, regardless of whether the order meets the free shipping threshold.

• To avoid delays, please ensure you select the correct delivery option.

  • Note: Some new subdivisions may still be classified as rural, based on distance from the closest courier depot.

How to Check if an Address is Rural:

Please check your rural status using our postcode checker here. Some new subdivisions may still be considered rural based on their distance to the nearest depot.

Live Fish Delivery

• North Island: NZ$20 (excluding rural deliveries).

• North Island Rural: NZ$25.

• South Island: Overnight courier services from NZ$35. Economy shipping is available (2–3 days), minimum charge is NZ$20.

• South Island Rural: We do not offer a Dead on Arrival (DOA) guarantee for live fish deliveries to South Island rural addresses.

DOA Guarantee

• North Island Urban: DOA guarantee applies to all live fish deliveries.

• Other Areas: We cannot offer a DOA guarantee on rural or economy service deliveries.

Shipping Partners

We partner with the following couriers:

• NZPost

• PBT

• Post Haste

• Courier Post and their local agents for most deliveries.

• Note: Once your items leave our premises, we have no control over the courier agents, drivers, or contractors handling your delivery.

Oversized or Bulk Items

• Oversized items (e.g., fish tanks, bird cages) that cannot be shipped through standard courier services will not qualify for free shipping unless otherwise specified.

• Shipping for oversized or bulk items will be arranged through PBT transport services, and rates will need to be confirmed.

Order Tracking & Support

Once your order has shipped, you will receive an email with tracking details. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact our customer support team at orders@petessentialswarehouse.co.nz or call +64-683-37546

We cannot offer dead on arrival (DOA) guarantee on rural or economy services deliveries. 

How to Track Your Order:

Tracking information is automatically sent to your email address provided, please check the spelling and ensure that the correct email address has been provided. You can also track your parcel by using the Tracking number and visiting the carrier website below.

To track your package please use our carrier websites:

PBT Couriers
https://www.pbt.com/

New Zealand Post
https://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/tracking

Post Haste:

https://www.posthaste.co.nz

Out of Stock Items.

Every effort is made to ensure that items on our website are in stock but if an item is out of stock we will let you know and discuss your options.

Some of our "unique" products are not our standard stocked lines, they are still available for purchase, but please allow up to 4 business days for dispatch. One of our team members will be in touch regarding your order.

International Orders.

We do not ship outside New Zealand. If you would like a shipment sent overseas please contact us to discuss shipping options.