FAQs and announcements /Online Shop
Ordering & payment
Tom - Lonely Planet Shop September 08, 2010
How do I place an online order?
Payment types we accept
Is it safe to use my credit card online?
International transaction charges
Sales taxes and duties
What is a CVC code and how do I find it?
How do I place an online order?
We’ve made our online shop simple to use, but here’s a quick step by step guide to get you started.
- Go to the Shop homepage
- Select the country you are in (or the one you want any purchases delivered to) from the dropdown menu on the righthand side of the top purple banner.
- Browse the site and select the products you want to view by clicking on the product image.
- You’ll be taken to the info page of that product. To add a product to your cart, click the orange ‘Add to cart’ arrow and a mini-cart will appear on the top right of the page.
- Continue shopping by using the top navigation bar, or the search box in the right hand corner.
- Finished shopping? Just click the purple ‘Checkout’ button on your mini-cart.
To checkout
- Review your selections, then check your country of delivery and enter your zip/post code. Click update
- Select a postage option (there may only be one)
- Click the purple button that says ‘Shipping & billing address’
- Enter your shipping details. These are the details that you want your package sent to. Our system accepts English language addresses only, and does not accept accents (eg. á, Ü, Ó etc)
- Select your payment method. If you select PayPal, you will need to agree to the terms and conditions, and then click Make secure payment now to be taken to a secure Paypal page. If you select a credit card, refer to point 6 below.
- If your shipping address differs from the one your credit card is matched to, you will need to enter your billing address too. (Don’t worry – we will always ship to the shipping address you provide. The billing address is needed to confirm you are the card holder.)
- If you agree to our Privacy & Security policies by ticking the box, click on ‘Make secure payment now’ to be taken to a secure payment page.
- Enter your card details to and click ‘Make payment.’
- If your payment has been successful, you will then see an order confirmation page that includes your order number and details of your purchase. It will also include a download link for any digital PDF chapter purchases you have made. You will also receive an email immediately confirming these same details. Can't find it? Make sure you check your spam/junk folder as the security settings on your computer may have sent it there.
Your order is now safely in our hands. Book orders will be followed up by a dispatch email, confirming that your order has left our warehouse, along with information about expected delivery times.
Concerns or queries? Contact us.
Payment types we accept
We accept payment via Paypal and by the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Visa Debit. We do not accept cheques, money orders or direct deposits.
Is it safe to use my credit card online?
When you complete a purchase using your credit card in the Lonely Planet Online Shop your transaction will be processed by RBS WorldPay, a secure and safe system that protects your credit card details. They are a UK company and a major global leader in payment processing who has helped pioneer online payment processing for businesses. RBS has been tested as one of the first full internet banking systems and as Europe’s largest payment service providers. To learn more about them head to RBSWorldPay.com.
International transaction charges
All Lonely Planet online shop credit card transactions are processed centrally through RBS Worldpay, located in Scotland. VISA and MasterCard purchases sometimes carry an International Service Charge for cross border transactions (i.e. where the retailer and shopper are in different countries). Not all cards transactions carry this charge (it depends on your credit card issuer) and the amount is subjective (between 1-3% of the purchase total). Lonely Planet does not take receipt of these fees is unable to refund them, and any queries regarding these fees should be taken up with your card issuer.
Sales taxes and duties
Some countries include sales taxes in the total cost of your purchase so you will have paid for them up front. However, delivery to some regions may incur a customs/sales tax that is payable on delivery of the goods.Parts of Central & South America, the Caribbean, The Philippines, Indonesia, Canada and Mexico may all charge additional taxes for the delivery of your package. If you're located in these areas, check out the local tax laws before placing your order.
If you aren't sure, contact us and we'll do our best to help you. Being aware of your local sales tax legislation is the responsibility of the consumer and we are unable to refund any amount charged at the point of delivery.
Please be aware that Lonely Planet does not receive any amount of these additional taxes.
What's a CVC code & how do I find it?
The Card Verification Code (also known as CVC or CVV) is a number that appears on your credit card that lets us verify that the person placing the order has direct access to the credit card being used.
On Visa & Mastercard: The last three numbers as they appear on the signature panel on the back of the card.
On American Express: The four digit number that appears in the top right corner on the front of the card.