Everything you need to know about managed shipping

*From 1st December 2025, Managed Shipping is implemented for all sellers on the platform unless they are part of a restricted country list which our shipping provider does not service.

You asked for it, and we heard you! Managed Shipping has been a long-term request from our sellers and has been on our list of necessary improvements for the platform since crowdfunding days. 

Who is our shipping partner?

We have partnered with Arta, a team of experts in everything arts and culture logistics in order to implement a new managed shipping service which will allow Artfinder to manage shipments on artists’ behalf, and artists to focus on what they do best: art!

Arta offers a range of services to their users, and they also cover a wide range of insurance needs for shipments.

Moving forward, all shipping documentation* will be managed by Artfinder and Arta, who will provide you with your shipping labels once you’ve received an order.

Which courier company will you use?

Arta currently works with DHL, Fedex and UPS. Based on demand, they may open services to other couriers, but these will be the three main ones at the time of launch.

How to apply for managed shipping?

Unless you are in a restricted country (please see below for more details), all artists in eligible countries will be automatically enrolled in Managed shipping.

How will I receive my shipping labels?

All shipping labels will be generated automatically when an order is placed.

If it's a domestic shipment, for eg. UK to UK or US to US etc, then labels will be automatically generated and sent to you via email.

If it's an international shipment, eg. US to Europe or UK to US etc, artists will receive an electronic customs declaration form via email, which will need to be completed (this includes just regular information about artwork title, medium, your address, phone number etc) as Arta will require this information in order to manage the shipment. After this has been received by Arta, they will then be able to send through the labels for your shipment.

Will I be responsible for packaging my artwork?

Customers will be responsible for paying the relevant delivery costs for their items, however for orders that qualify for the Self-Ship service, this will only cover courier and transportation fees. Any packaging costs will be the artist’s responsibility.

If your order qualifies for the Parcel or Premium service, then Arta will collect the item from you and package this securely for transport via parcel networks at their facilities before shipping. 

Will the courier come to collect the artwork from me?

This will be based on the shipping service that your order qualifies for.

Artists on self-ship will not have a collection service automatically booked by us, and will need to either drop their parcel off to a drop off point with UPS, Fedex or DHL depending on the courier selected, or book a separate collection with the courier directly. 

For shipments on Parcel or Premium, a collection will be organised by Arta at the artist’s location, and you will be given a timeframe for this as you would with any regular courier. 

Can I choose which shipping service to use?

Unfortunately not. The shipping service that will be used for your order will be determined based on the country of origin/destination, type of artwork, and order value.

Who will manage the shipments moving forward?

If you are on Managed Shipping, you will not need to liaise with the couriers yourself or worry about booking the shipments.

Artfinder and Arta will be providing you with your shipping labels, managing and monitoring all courier shipments, including courier communication and any required customs clearance. Customers will also receive frequent shipment notifications from us at every stage of delivery, be it issues with the delivery address, delays or pending customs charges. 

How will returns work?

All returns will still be managed by Artfinder, as usual. 

What about insurance and claims?

All shipments will be insured, and any compensation claims can be addressed to Artfinder or Arta directly. 

You will be required to keep accurate records of your orders and take photos of the artwork and packaging for insurance purposes. These might be required from you in the eventuality of a claim.

If you are unable to provide us with the photos required, then it is likely that the shipment will not be eligible for compensation.

Are there restricted countries for managing shipping?

It is important to note that Arta, unfortunately, cannot service all countries, and so we have a list of countries where sellers will not be able to use the service. As a result, whilst everyone else is on Managed Shipping, the sellers living in the below list of countries will continue to manage their own shipping:

For more information on managing shipping yourself, please check out our Knowledge Base here. 

Arta continues to open new services, so this list may change over time, but in terms of immediate delivery, the list remains valid for the months to come.

Is there an opt-out for Managed shipping?

Yes. Artists will be able to opt out if they do not wish to be enrolled in this when the service goes live on the 1st of December.

To do so, please email sellers@artfinder.com and we'll be happy to assist you with this.