Frequently Asked Questions – Ordering from Bento

You can order really easily online. Add the items you need to the online shopping cart and then click “Purchase now” on the checkout page. You’ll receive confirmation of your order straight away.

If you have a special request, add a note at the checkout or contact us at [email protected].

We accept payment by credit card, bank transfer or Paypal. Institutions can pay by purchase order. We are not able to accept cheques.

We have made it super easy to get an automatic quote from our website. It means you can get a quote instantly, we can receive all the correct delivery information and we can accurately quote you the shipping costs.

Follow these simple steps: Add the items you want quoted to the online shopping cart and then click “Request Quote” on the checkout page. https://bento.bio/shop/.

Yes, we ship worldwide! Our products are used in over 70 countries, and we offer worldwide shipping directly from the UK. You can request a quote at checkout to see shipping options and estimated costs for your country. Our equipment Bento Lab includes a universal power supply.

Please note:

• For deliveries outside the UK, local taxes or customs duties may apply.
• If you’re unsure what to expect, we’re happy to advise based on your location and order.

If you’d prefer to work with a local distributor or partner — for example, to handle local paperwork, payment, or import processes — just contact us, and we’ll be glad to help or introduce you to someone in your region.

You can find the expected lead times for shipping in the order confirmation email, so you can check when to expect your order there.

It depends on the shipping method you choose, and where you are based. Once your order is collected from us by the courier, it usually takes 1-3 days to reach you.

Institutions can request credit terms by sending a purchase order to [email protected].

Please request a quote from the website before sending your purchase order.

Our standard credit terms are 30 days net. Before we can accept the purchase order, we will need the purchase order to include a contact for accounts payable with an email address.

You can find our company details on our contact page. Please email us at [email protected] if you need additional information, and we will be happy to help.

For USA customers, we can provide a W-8BEN-E form. You can find a copy of our W-8BEN-E here.

Yes, we can ship to residential addresses.

We ship from the UK.

Ordering within the UK

If you order from the UK, you will be charged VAT at checkout.

Ordering from outside the UK?

• Local taxes (e.g. VAT, sales tax) and import duties may apply.
• These are usually charged by the courier (e.g. DHL) before delivery.
• Many of our products are duty-free, but local sales tax may still be charged.

Prepaying taxes

• If you’d like to avoid surprise fees, we can provide a Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) shipping quote. This includes estimated tax and duty, so everything is covered upfront.
• For US customers using Royal Mail, we will contact you after your order to prepay tariff charges in advance.

Need advice?
If you’re unsure what applies in your country, get in touch — we’re happy to advise.

VAT applies to all of our products for UK customers.

If you are eligible for VAT exemption, please email us a copy of your VAT exemption certificate before placing your order. Once we have your certificate, we can apply the exemption to your purchase.

You can view the customs codes for all our products here: Bento Lab Customs Information

We want to get your order to you as soon as possible, so we aim to process orders very quickly. That means we are usually unable to make changes after the order has been processed. We will always do our best to accommodate you, so please contact us at [email protected] with your order details.

We list expected lead times in the order confirmation email, so you can check when to expect your order there. If you would like to get an update on the status of your order, please contact us at [email protected] with your order number.

Of course. You get an automatic email with a receipt once the order has been processed. We recommend checking spam if you cannot find the email. If you need a copy, you can request one by contacting us directly at [email protected].

We understand sometimes you might need to cancel your order and we are happy to help. If the order has not shipped, we can cancel it. Please email us at [email protected] with your order details and reasons for the cancellation.

We will do our best to accommodate return requests. Please contact us directly at [email protected] with your order details and the reason for the return. Some reagents are non-refundable.

We want to help you resolve any issues as quickly as possible! If you have any issues with your order, please contact us directly at [email protected] with:

• Your order number
• Detail of the issue – as much detail as possible helps!
• Any photos to show the issue