Ordering Online in NZ: Age Verification, Shipping and Delivery

Buying vaping products online in New Zealand works a little differently from other online shopping, because every product is age-restricted and regulated. This page explains what happens between checkout and delivery. It is current as at September 2026.

Age verification

Vaping products cannot be sold or delivered to anyone under 18. Under the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act a retailer cannot rely on a customer simply stating their age, so an identity check is required before an order is dispatched.

On a first order you will be asked to upload a photo of an evidence-of-age document — a New Zealand driver licence, a passport, or a Kiwi Access (18+) card. Once that has been checked the account is marked as verified and later orders on the same account are dispatched without a further check. Orders that have not been verified are held until they are, so having a document to hand at checkout avoids a delay.

Dispatch

Orders placed before 2:00pm on a business day are packed and handed to NZ Post the same day. Orders placed after 2:00pm, at a weekend or on a public holiday are dispatched the next business day. Every parcel is tracked and the tracking number is emailed to you.

Because stock is held at more than one location, an order containing several items is sometimes split into two parcels with separate tracking numbers. There is no additional charge when that happens.

Delivery times

• Non-rural New Zealand addresses: usually overnight.
• Rural addresses: two to three business days. The rural delivery option must be selected at checkout. NZ Post applies a rural surcharge, and a parcel sent as standard to a rural address is held until the surcharge is paid.
• Saturday delivery: available to non-rural addresses on orders placed before 2:00pm on Friday. Not available to rural addresses.

Courier delays occur around public holidays and in severe weather. Tracking shows where a parcel is.

Shipping charges

Shipping is charged by address type and delivery option. Current rates are set out on the Shipping Guide.

Orders from outside New Zealand

• Australia: Australia prohibits the personal importation of vaping products, so orders cannot be sent there.
• United States: following the removal of the de minimis duty exemption on 29 August 2025, all imports require duty payment and detailed customs data. Orders are not sent to the United States.
• Other countries: sent by NZ Post Economy, typically 7 to 14 business days. Import rules differ by country and a number of countries prohibit vaping products entirely. Check the destination's customs requirements first; parcels stopped at a border are not refundable.

Returns and faulty products

Unopened, unused products in resellable condition can be returned with proof of purchase within three months. Shipping on a change-of-mind return is at the buyer's cost; where the wrong item was sent, it is not.

If a device is faulty, contact us before returning it — some faults can be assessed from a photograph and others need the item back. Nothing in a store returns policy limits your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993. Your rights when a vape is faulty explains how the Act applies. Full policy details are on the Returns & Warranties page.

Before you order

• Have an evidence-of-age document ready if this is a first order.
• Order before 2:00pm on a business day for same-day dispatch.
• Select the rural option if the delivery address is rural.
• Use the same account each time, so the age verification carries over.

Contact

Email customerservice@vapourium.nz or call 03 974 8136, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. Stores are in Central Dunedin, South Dunedin and Timaru.

Sources: Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990, s 40; Ministry of Health, Sale of vaping and smoking products to minors.