AliExpress: delivery, discount codes and returns. The complete shopping guide

AliExpress: delivery, discount codes and returns. The complete shopping guide

With AliExpress most standard questions have a different answer than at an ordinary shop, because it is a marketplace where each seller sets its own shipping terms. There are rules that always apply, though, and one change from July 2026 that reset the whole calculation.

• There is no single free shipping threshold, since the seller sets the cost per country and method

• On many listings the shipping cost is built into the product price

• A local warehouse means delivery in 1 to 3 working days and no new customs charge on small parcels

• Parcels from China average 3 to 4 weeks, while Choice listings usually take 5 to 10 days

• Lockers and collection points work on most Choice and standard shipments

• Returns: 90 days from purchase or 15 days from receipt, the first one free

Delivery and shipping

One thing organises everything else. AliExpress is not a shop but a platform hosting thousands of sellers, so cost and timing depend on who you buy from and where it ships from. The key skill is therefore not knowing thresholds but using filters.

What is the free shipping threshold at AliExpress?

There is no single threshold. Whether shipping is free is decided by the seller, who sets the delivery cost to zero for a given country and method.

It is worth understanding what "free shipping" means here. Usually there is no separate shipping charge, but the cost is simply built into the product price. That is not an accusation, just a mechanism worth knowing when comparing listings.

Three mechanisms genuinely remove the charge:

The free shipping filter in search results, which immediately shows only those listings.

Bundle discounts, meaning the multi-item offer: buy at least three qualifying products in one order and you get an automatic discount plus free shipping, with no code. One such offer per day, and all three products have to go into the same order.

Combined shipping, which above a basket of roughly five dollars covers selected products carrying the fifteen-day delivery label.

How much does shipping cost at AliExpress?

On standard shipping the cost usually sits in the low single digits, depending on the transport option chosen.

The spread between methods is wide, though, from a couple of pounds to several dozen if you pick an express carrier.

A practical note that is easy to forget: switching from the standard method with free shipping to a premium courier automatically generates a higher cost. A "free shipping" listing applies to a specific method, not to the whole order.

How long does delivery take at AliExpress?

The differences here are enormous and depend mainly on the dispatch location.

A local warehouse: 1 to 3 working days. The fastest option, usually with locker delivery.

Choice listings: usually 5 to 10 days.

Standard shipping from China: 3 to 4 weeks on average, and up to 60 days at the extreme.

Unregistered shipments, the cheapest available, often take several weeks and offer no full tracking.

The practical conclusion is simple: set the filter for 3 to 7 day delivery or for local dispatch, and the long wait problem disappears.

Which courier does AliExpress use?

There is no single carrier; it depends on the method and the seller.

You will commonly see local parcel networks and locker services on Choice and standard shipments, national postal services on parcels from China, and DHL, EMS and TNT on express deliveries, which are the fastest and the dearest.

The carrier is shown when you choose the delivery method, before you place the order.

Does AliExpress offer express delivery?

Yes, through carriers such as EMS, DHL and TNT, but it is the dearest option and rarely worth it on cheap products.

In practice the better route is choosing a listing from a local warehouse, with delivery in 1 to 3 working days at low cost. Faster than express from China, and cheaper.

Can I have my order delivered to a locker?

Yes. Most shipments, particularly Choice and standard, can be sent directly to a locker or collection point.

Note though that this option depends on the seller and is not available on every listing. You can check it when choosing the delivery method.

A locker is particularly useful here, because delivery timing on international parcels is hard to predict and the parcel will wait several days.

Can I collect my order in store?

No. AliExpress operates online only and has no physical shops, so in-person collection is not possible.

The closest equivalent is a locker or collection point, where you decide when to pick the parcel up.

Is there a free shipping code for AliExpress?

Codes covering shipping alone are rare, because the platform handles this differently.

Two mechanisms work better and need no code: the bundle discounts mentioned above, and the free shipping filter.

AliExpress does issue coupons and discount codes that work globally, independent of the seller, most plentifully during major sales campaigns. Some unlock only once an order value is exceeded, which encourages consolidating purchases into one larger order.

We collect current offers in our promotions section.

Can I track my parcel?

Yes, on most methods. The tracking number and status sit under "My orders".

The exception is unregistered shipments, the cheapest available, where tracking is patchy or stops once the parcel leaves China. That is one of the prices paid for the lowest shipping cost.

Choice listings carry guaranteed tracking, which is one argument for choosing them.

What happens if I am not at home when delivery arrives?

It depends on the carrier, though with a locker the problem disappears, since the parcel waits several days at any hour.

With a courier the carrier's own rules apply: a further delivery attempt or the parcel left at a collection point.

There is one quirk specific to international parcels. Some operators add charges in non-standard situations, such as an address change, redelivery or storage. On orders from China, choosing a locker from the outset is therefore sensible.

Why was I charged for shipping when I chose the free option?

Four causes explain nearly every case.

The delivery method was changed. Free shipping applies to a specific method, and switching to a premium courier cancels it.

The free shipping applied to a different product in the basket. Each seller sets its own terms, so on an order from several sellers the charges are calculated independently.

A customs handling fee was added. Some operators charge one where taxes or duties were not settled in advance.

The seller changed the terms. Shipping cost is a seller-side setting and can change between one visit and the next.

Taxes and duty: what changed in 2026

The most important change of recent months, and it affects the final price directly.

VAT is included in the price shown, under the IOSS scheme, so you will not pay it again on collection.

Duty is usually charged on orders above €150.

A new factor has been added, though: since 1 July 2026 an EU customs charge applies to small parcels. And here lies the real advantage of buying from a local warehouse, because the goods are already in Europe, so that charge does not apply to them.

That shifts the calculation. Previously choosing a local warehouse mainly meant faster delivery; today it also means a lower final cost.

Discount codes and promotions

AliExpress runs promotions on several levels at once, which can be confusing but opens up plenty of options.

Is there a discount code for new customers at AliExpress?

Yes. New users can expect welcome coupons, reducing the first or first few purchases after registering.

Use them deliberately rather than on the first trinket. Since some promotions unlock only once an order value is exceeded, it pays to bundle several planned purchases into one larger order.

On clothing or consumer electronics that makes a real difference compared with buying item by item days apart.

Will I get a discount for signing up to the newsletter?

The newsletter and app notifications are the main channels through which AliExpress announces campaigns, and those appear cyclically and are often very short.

Worth knowing that the biggest reductions cluster around major sales events, such as 11.11 or the platform's anniversary. That is when global coupons are most numerous and largest.

Does AliExpress offer a birthday discount?

The platform does not run a conventional loyalty scheme with a birthday discount in the high-street sense.

Instead there are recurring promotions, two of which are worth knowing: discount campaigns tied to specific payment methods, where the reduction comes purely from choosing that method at checkout with no code, and major seasonal campaigns, where global coupons and seller discounts overlap.

How to stack the savings

On a single order you can collect up to four layers of discount:

• A seller discount shown on the listing

• A global AliExpress coupon from the current campaign

• Bundle discounts on three products, with free shipping

• Cashback through Soleback

Returns

One of the platform's stronger points, though the terms differ depending on where the item shipped from.

Are returns free at AliExpress?

On millions of products, yes. Listings marked "Free Return" allow you to send the item back at no cost, with the direction of the return being the key factor.

Products from a local warehouse go back to a local address rather than to China, so the free return genuinely is free and quick.

The first return within an order is entirely free, and this can be used up to five times a month.

An honest caveat: on goods shipped from China, sending something back can be expensive if the listing carries no free return marking. Free shipping one way does not mean free return the other.

How long do I have to return something?

90 days from placing the order or 15 days from receiving it, whichever is more favourable and depending on where the goods shipped from.

The process:

1. Sign in and go to "My orders".

2. Select the product and click "Return item".

3. Complete the form and attach photographs if required.

4. Send the parcel back following the instructions you receive.

As a consumer you also hold rights under national and, where applicable, European law, independent of the platform's own terms.

What if the parcel never arrives?

Here a mechanism applies that ordinary shops do not have.

Open a Dispute in the order details. If the stated delivery deadline has passed, AliExpress usually refunds the full amount within a few days.

That is meaningful protection on purchases from China, where the risk of a lost parcel is higher than in domestic retail.

Can I return an online order in store?

No, because AliExpress has no physical shops. Returns run solely through the platform, usually via a locker or courier.

Cashback and how to activate it

On top of every route above comes one more, independent of the platform itself.

Cashback does not clash with coupons or seller promotions, since the rebate is calculated on the amount actually paid.

How to activate it:

1. Sign in to Soleback or create a free account.

2. Check the current rate on the shop page.

3. Click the link through to AliExpress. That click has to be the last one before the platform.

4. Shop as normal, using the coupons and filters described above.

5. Wait for the returns window to close, after which the amount is confirmed.

One quirk applies at AliExpress: the returns window here runs to 90 days, so confirmation takes longer than at domestic retailers.

To make sure it tracks, turn off your ad blocker while shopping, accept cookies, and do not open other tabs with discount codes along the way.

In summary

With AliExpress it is not about knowing thresholds, because there simply are none. It is about using the filters well.

The most important one is dispatch location. A local warehouse means delivery in 1 to 3 working days, an easy return to a local address, and since July 2026 no new EU charge on small parcels. That is now a question of final price, not just convenience.

Second come the bundle discounts, since buying three products gets you a discount and free shipping without entering any code at all.

And if a parcel from China never arrives, the Dispute mechanism usually ends with a full refund within a few days.