Japanese Pokémon cards in NZ: buying from Japan, shipping and GST
To get Japanese Pokémon cards in New Zealand at Japanese prices, buy from a seller in Japan that ships to NZ by courier. Tracked delivery takes days rather than weeks, and parcels worth up to NZ$1,000 are generally cleared without GST or duty being collected at the border.
New Zealand shops are quicker to reach, but their prices include their own import costs and margin. Below: your options, what shipping costs, how GST works, and what to check before you buy.
Japanese Pokémon cards in NZ: your options
| Route | Price level | Delivery to NZ | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan-based store shipping to NZ | Close to Japanese prices, plus shipping | Courier from Japan, tracked | GST and fees on parcels over NZ$1,000 |
| New Zealand import shops | Japanese price plus import costs and margin | Local delivery, fast | Where sealed boxes were sourced |
| Trade Me and marketplace sellers | Varies by seller | Local or from overseas | Seller history, photos of the shrink |
| Proxy or forwarding service | Japanese shop prices plus service fees | Slower: two steps before it ships | Fees on every order and parcel |
Shipping Japanese cards to New Zealand
We ship from Japan to New Zealand by DHL or FedEx, whichever is cheaper for your parcel, with tracking from dispatch. These are the current numbers:
| Carrier | DHL or FedEx, whichever is cheaper for your parcel |
| Shipping from | ¥5,700 for the smallest parcel; the exact cost is calculated at checkout by weight |
| Delivery | Tracked courier from Japan |
| Import tax | Up to NZ$1,000 of goods is generally cleared without GST at the border. Above that, 15% GST plus any duty and Customs fees, collected before delivery. |
Several boxes and slabs ship together in one parcel, so the shipping cost per item falls as the order grows. The exact cost for your order is shown at checkout before you pay.
GST on Japanese cards imported to New Zealand
- Up to NZ$1,000: parcels are generally cleared without GST or duty being collected at the border.
- Over NZ$1,000: New Zealand Customs charges GST (15%), any duty and import fees, usually collected by the courier before delivery.
- Declared value: we declare the full value you paid on every shipment and never under-value. Check New Zealand Customs guidance before a large order.
Japanese booster boxes in New Zealand
Japanese booster boxes sell at Japanese retail prices and hold fewer packs than English boxes, so compare the price per pack: see how many packs are in a Japanese booster box. Ours come from Japanese distributors in factory shrink. Browse Japanese Pokémon booster boxes or the booster box price tracker.
Paying in New Zealand dollars
Prices are set in yen. You pay the yen total through Wise in NZD, by bank transfer, or by card through Stripe (a small processing fee applies). We receive yen, so there is no second currency conversion on our side.
Buying Japanese Pokémon cards in NZ: 3 steps
- Check the Japanese price on our market page or booster box tracker, and compare it with the NZ price for the same item.
- Add shipping to New Zealand, and GST if the parcel is over NZ$1,000, before you compare.
- For sealed boxes, buy only where the source is clear, and check the factory shrink when the parcel arrives.