Shipping information

Please be aware that the following delivery times are included as guidelines and actual delivery will depend on stock availability.

Please ensure that your shipping address details are correct, as they are copied directly from the information you give us when submitting your order. We are not responsible for orders with incorrect or missing information should they not reach you.

Due to size/weight restrictions we may upgrade orders placed using the first class, second class and overseas surface mail options to courier delivery. This is at no extra charge.

*eReader and eReader bundles

Please note: All eReader Models (including any bundles) are only available for purchase by UK and Ireland customers and can only be sent to your credit card billing address via Courier delivery. This is to ensure that your order is fully trackable and to help us prevent fraud. Please note that the 'COURIER' shipping option will be applied when ordering any Sony Reader model or bundle.

All order placed on Waterstones.com are sent in one consignment. If there are items in your order that are not in stock in our warehouse, this may delay shipment of your order.

If, after 7 days there are items still outstanding, we will despatch those that are available.

Free UK delivery:

Orders placed using the Free UK delivery will be sent by second class post and will be delivered in one consignment.

For more information please see our Free UK delivery page.

Delivery Costs:

UK Courier

This method is fully secure and we can track and trace the order for you. Orders placed by this method should be delivered the following working day, though there may be delays. We will do our best to ensure that goods leave our fulfilment centre on the day the order is received, providing the item is in stock or on the same day the goods reach us from our suppliers. However, goods despatched after 3pm may not be collected from our fulfilment centre until the following day. Please note that goods despatched on a Friday will normally be delivered the following Monday. Goods despatched on Saturday or Sunday will normally be delivered the following Tuesday. Orders sent via this method will require a signature upon receipt.

Delivery to shops

We also offer free shipping on orders delivered to UK high street and campus branches of Waterstones*. As with standard delivery, items delivered via this method are usually received in shops within two to five working days from despatch and will then be held at the shop for 90 days for you to pick up at your convenience. *Please see note above regarding eReaders and eReader 'bundles', where UK courier is the only shipping option.

Please remember to take your despatch note or order number and a form of ID with you when you go to collect your goods - we require these as a proof of purchase, and without it we cannot release your goods.

Standard Overseas Surface Mail

You will be charged a shipping cost for each item placed on your order. Upon entering the shipping country, deliveries will enter the postal system of the country concerned. It is our experience that goods delivered using this method arrive within seven to 14 days of despatch for European destinations, and within 12 to 24 days of despatch for the rest of the world.

Overseas Courier Delivery

You will be charged a shipping cost for each item placed on your order. Orders will be despatched using our courier company. This method is fully secure, and we can track and trace the shipment for you. Orders placed by this method should usually reach you within four to five days of despatch for European destinations, and within seven to ten days of despatch for the rest of the world. Orders sent via this method will require a signature upon receipt.

Overseas deliveries

Owing to the many different combinations of items that may form an order, it is difficult to offer a universal shipping cost.

If you wish to find out the delivery costs for a specific order, you may wish to place all the required items into your Shopping basket and proceed to the Checkout page.

There is no obligation to buy at this point, but you can glance at the shipping costs by the various shipping methods. If you wish to go ahead with the purchase, you may then submit your order.