FAQ

Use the search bar at the top of any page — it corrects common misspellings and understands brand names, so “inisfree” still finds Innisfree. You can also browse by category from the main menu (Beauty, K-POP, Fashion, Life Products) or by label from Shop by Brand. On category pages, use the FILTER panel to narrow by price, brand, or concern.

Yes. Select the heart icon on any product to add it to My Lists. Your saved items stay in your account, so you can sign in from another device and pick up where you left off. Saving an item does not reserve stock or hold its price.

Stock is shown on each product page. In-stock items show an Add to Cart button; sold-out items are marked and cannot be added. Because we restock frequently from Seoul, an item that is unavailable today may return — the product page is always the most reliable source.

Yes — you can check out without signing in first, and you never create a password. Once your payment goes through we set up your account automatically using your order email, so your order history, saved addresses, My Lists and return requests are all there next time. You sign in with a one-time code sent to that email, or with Face ID / fingerprint if your device offers it.

Yes. We source in South Korea and ship directly from Seoul. We do not sell replicas, testers, or grey-market repackaged goods.

Often, but we cannot guarantee it or give a firm date — availability depends on the Korean supplier and the season. Contact us with the product name and we will tell you what we know.

Credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay, Diners Club), plus Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Cash App Pay, Link, and Klarna (buy now, pay later). Every method is processed through Stripe. Available options vary by country and device — checkout shows what applies to your order.

Yes. Payments are processed by Stripe, a PCI DSS Level 1 certified provider, over TLS/SSL encryption, with 3D Secure authentication where your bank requires it. Your full card number never touches our servers.

Prices display in the currency you select in the header or footer switcher, and your card is charged the amount shown at checkout. Your bank may add its own foreign-transaction fee or conversion rate, which is outside our control.

Yes. Enter the code in the coupon field at checkout and apply it before paying — discounts cannot be added retroactively once an order is placed. One code applies per order unless a promotion states otherwise.

You will see a message at checkout and can retry or choose another method. Most failures come from an incorrect card detail, an expired card, insufficient funds, or a bank declining an international transaction — calling your bank to authorize it usually resolves the last one. A pending amount on a failed order is an authorization hold, not a charge, and your bank releases it.

At the time you place the order. If an item turns out to be unavailable afterwards, we contact you and refund that portion to your original payment method.

Every order ships from South Korea. After processing, transit is typically about 5–10 business days by FedEx Express and 10–20 business days by Korea Post (K-Packet / EMS). Customs review, remote-area delivery, public holidays, or incomplete recipient details can extend these estimates.

It depends on the destination, carrier, and order. If checkout shows an import duty, tax, IOSS, or other prepaid import line, that amount is collected before shipment. A selected FedEx rate may instead include duties in shipping; checkout will not add the same charge twice. Only an explicit import charges not included or DDU/DAP notice means the carrier or customs authority may collect charges before delivery. All US orders are DDP, and FedEx orders to Mexico and Brazil use DDP at every order value. Korea Post shipments outside the US are DDU. Country-by-country detail is on our Shipping policy page.

Do not pay it yet. Contact us with your order number and a photo or copy of the carrier notice, and we will review whether it is a duplicate assessment before you are charged twice.

No. We declare the actual transaction value and an accurate product description on every shipment, as customs law requires. We cannot under-declare or mark commercial orders as gifts.

Use Track your order, or open the order from your account. You also receive a tracking number by email once the parcel is handed to the carrier. Tracking can take a day or two to show its first scan.

Check with neighbours and your building’s mail room first — carriers sometimes scan early or leave parcels in a safe place. If it still does not appear, contact us with your order number so we can open a carrier trace.

No. Check out as a guest and we take it from there — when your payment is confirmed we create your account automatically from your order email. There is no sign-up form and no password to choose.

We do not use passwords at all. Go to My Account, enter your email, and we send a one-time code that signs you in. If your phone or laptop supports it, you can also sign in with Face ID, Touch ID or your fingerprint — after your first code-based sign-in, your device offers it automatically in the email field.

On the order confirmation page we sign you into the account we just created, so your details are saved for next time. This only works from your own confirmation link, only within an hour of ordering, and never for staff accounts. If you would rather not be signed in, just use the log-out link in My Account.

A passkey lets you sign in with the same Face ID, Touch ID or fingerprint you already use to unlock your device. The biometric data never leaves your device and we never receive it — your device simply confirms to us that it is you. You can keep using email codes instead if you prefer.

If an account is created but never used for an order, we remove it after 60 days so we are not holding personal details we have no reason to keep. Any account with an order — including cancelled or failed orders — is kept, so your purchase history and return eligibility are never affected. If your account is removed and you order again later, a new one is created automatically.

Yes. Email support@empresskorea.com from your account address and we will erase your account and personal data. We may need to keep order and payment records where tax or accounting law requires it.

You can request a return within 7 days of delivery. Items must be unused, unwashed, and returned with original tags and packaging. All returns must be approved in advance through our Return Center — parcels sent back without approval, and COD returns, cannot be accepted. Full terms are on the Return & refund policy page.

Sign in and open the Return Center, then submit your order number, the reason, and clear photos — the form uploads photos directly, so no email is needed. We reply within 1–2 business days. Once approved, ship the item back in its original condition within 7 days using the instructions we send.

Return shipping is the customer’s responsibility, unless the approved resolution states otherwise — for example when an item arrives damaged, defective, or is not what you ordered. In those cases submit photos through the Return Center within 7 days and we cover it.

Change of mind, ordering the wrong size, colour, or variant, or finding a lower price elsewhere. Also food, baby, health, and personal-care items — including cosmetics — once opened or with a broken safety seal, and items that are used, washed, customer-damaged, incomplete, or marked non-returnable. Statutory rights still apply where the law provides them.

We do not process direct exchanges. Return the original item through the Return Center, then place a new order for the size, colour, or product you want — this is faster than holding your return while stock changes.

After we receive and inspect the item, approved refunds go to your original payment method within 10 business days; your bank may take additional time to post it. Actual outbound and return shipping may be deducted where permitted. Any prepaid DDP duty or tax collected by EmpressKorea is refunded proportionally with the refunded item. Duty or clearance charges paid directly by the recipient to customs or a carrier on a DDU/DAP shipment were not collected by us and may need to be recovered from that authority or carrier.

Yes. Orders delivered to an EU country may carry a 14-day cooling-off right under applicable law. Items must be unused with tags and original packaging, and proof of purchase is required. Hygiene and other legal exceptions still apply.

Submit a Return Center request within 7 days with clear photos of the item and its packaging. We review the evidence and provide the eligible resolution — replacement, refund, or return instructions — and we cover return shipping in these cases.