Why you need to specifically address gift cards, receipts, and promotional materials before outbound shipping
After placing an order on Taobao, JD.com, Pinduoduo, or 1688, the package first arrives at the China warehouse. Many sellers stuff shopping receipts, gift cards, cashback-for-review cards, brand brochures, samples, stickers, and even free gifts into the box. For overseas buyers, some of these items must be kept, some are best thrown away, and some will cause trouble if discarded. If you don't make things clear before international dispatch, the warehouse will handle it as-is by default, and the result may be: the proof of purchase you wanted gets thrown away, or a pile of useless promotional paper flies across half the globe with your package, taking up volume and increasingcustoms clearancethe explanation cost at the time.
This article addresses only one issue: before a package leaves the China warehouse and international shipping is arranged, how to use a clear set of instructions to specify what happens to gift cards, receipts, and promotional materials, while preserving the purchase or product documentation you may actually need. The keyword gift note invoice and promotional insert removal before China forwarding refers to exactly this action.
First distinguish the four types of materials, then decide what to keep and what to remove
Don't just say vaguely "throw away everything useless." The warehouse can't judge what's useless to you. It's recommended to give instructions separately for the four categories below.
| Category | Common Forms | Recommended action | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase and Product Documentation | Order receipts, packing slips, product specification pages, warranty cards, serial number stickers | Keep, include in the box or photograph for records | May be used for item verification, after-sales, warranty, or resale documentation |
| Gifts and Messages | Gift cards, handwritten greeting cards, message cards | Decide based on whether the recipient is the person themselves | If it is a gift for someone, remove the price information but keep the blessing content |
| Promotional and marketing materials | Review cashback cards, QR code group-join cards, brand brochures, coupons | Generally recommended to remove | No use case for overseas recipients, and adds volume and paper |
| Free gifts and trial samples | Samples, free gift accessories, not-for-sale items | Confirm item by item; do not keep by default | May involve liquids, powders, or ingredient restrictions, affecting international shipping |
This table is a starting point for judgment, not the standard answer. What really needs to go into the instructions is your explicit choice for each category.
Purchase and product documents that need to be kept—how to keep them so they don't get lost
Many people worry that once the receipt is thrown away, they won't be able to check the items. The solution isn't to "keep everything," but to handle the documents and the physical items separately.
- Request that the warehouse photograph the order receipt, packing slip, and warranty card, and send the photos to you for your records; you decide whether the paper documents go in the box.
- If the product itself has a serial number or specification label, remind the warehouse not to tear off labels on the product—only handle loose papers inside the box.
- If multiple orders in the same batch are consolidated, request separate photos by order to avoid multiple documents getting mixed together and becoming impossible to match up.
- If the receipt shows a price and you plan to send the package as a gift, you can request that price-bearing paper documents be removed while keeping the product specification page.
Note: what the warehouse can do is basic quality checks and photos—not verify the authenticity of documents for you, nor judge whether a piece of paper has legal validity. For needs involving warranty, returns/exchanges, or tax documents, please refer to the brand's or the destination country's official requirements.
Gift cards and message cards: first clarify who the recipient is
How gift cards and message cards are handled depends on who the package ultimately goes to.
- Sending it to yourself: the gift card can be kept, but it's advisable to confirm whether it has been loaded and whether it needs activation—these steps usually have to be done on the seller's side, and the warehouse can't do them for you.
- Sending it to someone as a gift: you can request that price-bearing documents be removed and the greeting card kept; if the gift card itself is part of the gift, clearly write "keep the gift card, remove the price documents."
- Unsure whether it's a gift: the safest approach is to have the warehouse take photos first, then decide once you see the actual item, so you avoid being unable to make changes after it ships out.
If the gift card is the type that needs to be scratched off or activated before use, please confirm with the seller when placing the order—don't expect the warehouse to handle it on your behalf.
Promotional materials and free gifts: removal instructions must specify exact names
Wording like "remove all promotional materials" is too vague. It's better to write an actionable checklist, for example:
- Remove review cashback cards, scan-to-add-WeChat cards, and store coupons.
- Remove brand brochures and product catalogs.
- Please photograph free gift samples separately, and confirm their ingredients and form before deciding whether to include them in the box.
- If the free gift is a liquid, powder, battery, or magnetic item, do not put it into the international package yet—wait until the shipping requirements are confirmed before handling it.
Free gifts are often the most easily overlooked part. Some gifts appear to be free, but may belong to restrictedAir FreightRestricted item categories. Whether an item can be shipped is subject to the carrier's and destination country's official requirements—do not make assumptions on your own.
A ready-to-copy dispatch instruction template
Replace the following with your actual situation and send it to the warehouse:
- Order number / Member ID: ____
- Number of packages in this batch: ____
- Purchase documents: Please take photos of order receipts and shipping invoices for records; paper copies (Keep / Remove).
- Product labels: Do not tear off labels on the product itself.
- Gift cards: Keep / Remove; Message cards: Keep / Remove.
- Promotional materials: Remove review cashback cards, coupons, and brochures.
- Free gifts: Take photos for confirmation first; do not place them into the international package before confirmation.
- Consolidation requirements: Take photos of each order separately before consolidating.
- Exception contact: If you find anything inconsistent with the instructions, please take photos first and pause the shipment.
The value of this template lies in turning "keep or discard" into checkable actions. The warehouse executes item by item, and you can also spot discrepancies before shipping out.
Pre-dispatch review steps
- Confirm that all packages have arrived at the warehouse to avoid shipping out while some packages are still unprocessed.
- Check the photos: whether the purchase documents, free gifts, and gift cards match the instructions.
- Confirm that the removed items have been removed and the retained items are still in the box.
- Confirm that the consolidated package doesn't have excessive empty space due to removed materials, and request repackaging if necessary.
- Before confirming international shipping arrangements, all questions have been resolved.
If you haven't decided on a consolidation method yet, you can first learn about Consolidation Shipping the basic process; fees and shipping options are subject to Real-time quote shall prevail. For first-time use, you can first After registering Get the warehouse receiving information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ask the warehouse to open the product packaging and inspect it for me?
Basic quality inspection and photos can cover the outer box and visible parts. Whether to open the product's inner packaging depends on the product type and your instructions. For products involving sealing, anti-counterfeiting, or hygiene requirements, opening the packaging may affect resale, so please give instructions with caution.
Can receipts be recovered after they've been removed?
Whether an invoice can be reissued depends on the seller. It's recommended to have the warehouse take photos for your own records before removal.
What problems can arise from keeping promotional materials?
It mainly comes down to volume, weight and the explanation cost during customs clearance. Whether it affects customs clearance is subject to the customs requirements of the destination country.
Clarifying once and for all what to do with gift cards, receipts and promotional materials can reduce rework after outbound shipment and make the international shipping process smoother. If you need to further confirm operational details, you can contact us via Contact Us communication.
