Cold Weather Shipping Guide

In many parts of the country, the temps begin to drop once October hits. This greatly impacts the shipping of delicate living items like plants, reptiles, and other critters. The show must go on and business doesn’t stop just because of these challenges, which is why we made this list of cold weather shipping tips! Use this guide to package your Palmstreet items this winter season:

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1. Shipping Upgrades

Shipping upgrades are your best friend when it comes to shipping plants in the winter months. There are three main types of upgrades we recommend utilizing when shipping in cold temps: heat packs, insulation, and 2-day shipping. You can make it easy for your customers and offer all 3 as a winter bundle for one discounted price.

We’re going to outline three methods of using upgrades with the pros and cons of each:

1) You include the upgrades at no cost but you build the extra expense into your prices.

• Pros - Your items are protected, your customers are happy, and you have accounted for the extra expense in your item prices.
• Cons - Customers may notice the increase in your prices, but you can explain it’s a seasonal charge for cold weather.

2) Customers are responsible for purchasing upgrades at their own discretion.

• Pros - There’s no extra cost to you.
• Cons - Relying on the customer to purchase upgrades doesn’t guarantee the item will reach it’s destination safely. No matter if you clearly state this in your policies, disputes and refunds are a likely outcome. The money you save up front may end up going to refunds.

3) You include the upgrades when you think its necessary and eat the cost.

• Pros - You can help guarantee the item reaches its destination in good shape, which equals happy customers and good reviews.
• Cons - You must allocate funds to pay for the shipping upgrades.

We highly recommend choosing the first option! It’s one of the best ways to ensure your packages arrive safely and undamaged. You’ll avoid disputes, disappointed customers, and unnecessary refunds. Customers may notice the increase in prices, but most of them will understand.

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2. Heat Packs

Heat packs are essential for shipping plants and critters in cold weather. These convenient packs are designed to activate and release steady heat to create a temperate environment during the shipping process. Heat packs are available for durations of 40, 72, or 96 hours. 72-hour heat packs are one of the most commonly used types because they work well with 2-day and 3-day shipping.

Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions when using heat packs, but here are some common best practices:

• Open the heat pack prior to use to confirm it’s activating properly. Activation time can vary but may take up to 2 hours depending on the manufacturer.
• Heat packs should not touch plants/animals directly and should also never touch the container housing your reptiles or critters. To prevent contact, wrap the heat pack in a sheet of newspaper, a paper towel, or brown paper. Create a void space between the taped heat pack and the items by using a loose packing material like crumpled newspaper.
• Tape the paper-covered heat pack securely to the top of the shipping box (underside). Make sure the activation stripe is facing the inside of the box and is not covered by tape. Never place the heat pack under reptiles and critters.
• Do not overuse heat packs! Generally, you should only use 1 heat pack per box unless it’s a very large box.
• Do not use a hand-warmer in place of a heat pack. They are not designed to provide the right heat level during shipping.
• Use the right sized box. Do not include a heat pack in a box that’s too small or there will be too much heat generated. Check the manufacturer’s requirements for box size. You may need to size up a box in order to comply.

When deciding whether to include a heat pack, look at origin, transit, and destination temperatures to be sure the shipment wont encounter temps below 50°F at any time during shipment. If you still aren’t sure if a heat pack is needed, use this as a guide:

• Above 50°F: Usually no heat pack needed.
• 40–50°F: Recommended for tropical items and reptiles.
• 32–40°F: Essential to use a 40–72 hr heat pack with insulation.
• Below 32°F: Strongly recommended to hold shipment until safer temps, even with a heat pack.

Factor in Transit Time

• 1-day or Overnight Shipping: Heat pack may not be necessary unless it’s extremely cold.
• 2–3 day Shipping: Safer to include one, especially if daytime temps fluctuate.
• Weekend or Holiday Risk: Always add insulation + heat pack if a package might sit in a cold facility.

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3. Insulation

Insulation keeps the interior of a package more stable against extreme cold. Using a heat pack without insulation will result in the warmth escaping too quickly, or the cold will penetrate too fast. For live plants and reptiles, insulation can mean the difference between safe delivery and loss.

Choose the Right Materials

• Foam liners or panels: Line the inside of the shipping box with ½”–1” Styrofoam or similar foam board.
• Thermal/reflective liners: Mylar or insulated bubble wrap reflect heat and help trap warmth.
• Paper cushioning: Layered kraft paper or shredded paper provides additional padding and reduces air pockets.

Fill the Empty Space

• Air pockets = cold spots.
• Use paper, shredded cardboard, or biodegradable peanuts to fill gaps.
• This keeps items from shifting and improves thermal stability.

Seal the Box Properly

• Use strong tape to seal all seams and prevent cold drafts.
• Consider double-boxing (a smaller insulated box inside a sturdy outer box) for extreme cold.

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4. Seasonal Delays and Holidays

The winter season brings extra challenges for shipping carriers. Storms and extreme weather have the potential to cause delays, in addition the increase in volume from holiday shipping in November and December. You can get ahead of the challenges by following a few best practices:

• Be vocal about delays! Warn customers before and after they make a purchase that delays are possible due to weather or volume.
• Build in a buffer. Avoid shipping delicate items just before weekends or holidays when they might sit in a warehouse.
• Clearly mark packages with “Live Plants” or “Live Animals” where appropriate.
• Let your customers know holiday cutoff dates so they can place orders in time.
• Consider pausing or limiting live shipments the week of major holidays when carriers may be overwhelmed.

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5. Weather Forecast

Always check the weather before shipping. If the customer’s location is experiencing a cold snap, snowstorm, or freezing temperatures, consider postponing the shipment. Communicate with customers using our Palmstreet direct messages if you decide to delay for safety reasons.

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6. Holding Orders

When in doubt, you can always hold the order. If temps are below freezing during any part of the shipping journey, it’s safer to hold the order than send it on its way. If this is the case, we recommend reaching out to the buyer as soon as possible to inform them of the delay. Here is a message example you can use to communicate with buyers in this scenario:

"Thanks so much for placing an order with us! Due to extreme weather, we are holding order [insert order number here] until it’s safe to ship. We value your business, and we want your item to be healthy when it arrives. If you have any questions, please let us know. We’ll keep you posted on a new shipping date for your order. "

**Many sellers choose to charge a fee when putting items on hold. An easy way to accomplish this is to create a listing for holds.

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7. Policies and Filing Claims

Even with careful preparation, it’s still likely you will encounter customer disputes related to winter shipping. Unhappy customers are an inevitable issue in any business, but it’s how you react that determines the outcome. Keep in mind that an unsatisfied customer can be turned into a loyal customer when you maintain a helpful attitude.

While we encourage sellers to create and uphold their own refund policies, Palmstreet reserves the right to override seller policies that are deemed unreasonable or unfair to buyers. Policies cannot completely exclude refunds for items that have:

• Unreasonably delayed shipments (excluding weather-related delays or buyer requested holds)
• Damage/injury beyond reasonable transit wear
• Significantly misrepresented in listings
• Dead on arrival (for live animals)  ‌‍

Stay up to date on our refund policies here:
https://palmstreet.app/blog/palmstreet-refund-policy

Buyer can also take advantage of our late delivery protection:
https://palmstreet.app/blog/palmstreet-package-protection-policies

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Need a quick recap? Save or share this Cold Weather Shipping Guide for easy reference this season:

Download the Cold Weather Shipping Guide inforgraphic