Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Pay?

Our website provides an easy checkout system allowing you to pay by most major credit and debit cards 24hrs and day, 7 days a week. If you prefer not to create an account, you can checkout as a guest instead. During normal business hours, you can also pay by card over the phone. Simply call 0845 293 9356 and our friendly and helpful staff will process your order with your card details. We accept all major credit and debit cards except American Express. We also accept PayPal via our website.

For high value orders of equipment (and by agreement with us), we can accept payment by BACS (bank transfer). This allows large organisations to process their order without a payment card. Payments should be made to: Sort Code 40-18-51 Account 01373455 Account Name - A1 Coffee Ltd. International payments can be made to IBAN – GB10MIDL40185101373455 or SWIFT – MIDLGB22. Please only make payments after your order has been agreed with us. All international payments over £250 should be made by bank transfer unless by prior agreement.

We can offer instant 30-day credit accounts for most public sector organisations. We appreciate that, unlike traditional businesses, you may not have access to a company credit card to make your purchase. We therefore offer a free credit account that couldn't be simpler to use. The application is online and takes just a few minutes. We'll have you up and running within the hour, and you're then free to place orders for next day delivery! Credit limits are set by us at the time of application.

So if you are purchasing on behalf of a school, college, university, council, charity, NHS, church, etc, save yourself time and money by ordering with us! Our website is designed to accept purchase orders on your account 24 hours per day, meaning you can order when it suits you. Speak with an advisor today, or click on the application form on the right-hand side of this website.

Where Do You Deliver?

All of our deliveries are made by courier. The shopping cart on this website can process orders for delivery to the UK, the Republic of Ireland and all European countries and territories. The rates for these areas are calculated in the shopping cart. Please note that deliveries to France, The Netherlands and Spain can only be made to business addresses.

The rates for deliveries to Scotland are based on postcodes as we use a national courier for all deliveries (the map above is only approximate). You will be asked to confirm your postcode at the checkout. All Scottish postcodes are classed as lowlands by our couriers except the following: AB37-56, FK19-21, HS1-9, KA26-28, KW15-17, IV1-37, IV40-56, IV63, PA20-49, PA60-78, PH15-50, ZE1-3. These are charged at the 'Highlands & Islands' rate detailed below.

We also deliver to customers in the following countries and territories (please call or mail us for a delivery rate as it will be dependant on the weight of the order and the exact destination): Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Channel Islands (Herm, Sark and Alderney), Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Gibraltar, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal (except the Azores and Madeira), Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.

Please note that cleaning agents and milk products cannot be exported outside the UK. Coffee machines, water boilers and other electrical items cannot be exported outside of the UK, Irish Republic or Malta. Please see our store policies for further details regarding returns and exchanges

Please note that cleaning agents and milk products cannot be exported outside the UK. Coffee machines, water boilers and other electrical items cannot be exported outside of the UK, Irish Republic and Malta. Some Armed Forces bases in Germany running on UK specification electrical voltages can also order these items, please contact us first to discuss the suitability of the goods for your area. Please see our store policies for further details regarding returns and exchanges.

How Much Is Delivery?

With the exception of some small free delivery items, our delivery prices are flat rates and don’t increase with the weight of the order, making it cost-effective to ship large quantities of coffee, etc, without paying huge prices. Our pricing is as follows:

Orders up to £50

England, Wales, Scottish Lowlands – £6.99, Northern Ireland - £14.95, Scottish Highlands and Islands - £21.50, Channel Islands - £24.99, Isle of Man - £19.99, Republic of Ireland - £19.95, France - £21.50, Netherlands - £25.00, Spain (Mainland Only) - £32, Other Countries – Call for details.

Orders Over £50

England, Wales, Scottish Lowlands – Free, Northern Ireland - £8.95, Scottish Highlands and Islands - £15.95, Channel Islands - £22.50, Isle of Man - £19.99, Republic of Ireland - £13.95, France - £21.50, Netherlands - £25.00, Spain (Mainland Only) - £32, Other Countries – Call for details. Please note that deliveries to France, The Netherlands and Spain can only be made to business addresses.

What If I Want An Item That’s Out Of Stock?

We only show items on our website that are actually in our warehouse, and we aim to keep all products in stock wherever possible. However, if you require an item that shows out of stock, it’s probably because customers have purchased the remaining stock of that item outside of business hours. You can call or mail us with the product you require and we will be happy to give you the date the product will be available again. This is normally only a matter of a day or two.

Can You Send Me Coffee Samples?

Whilst we pride ourselves on customer service, this means we also provide the best possible prices to our customers. Therefore, we offer a filter coffee sample pack for sale at £3.49 including delivery, which is the cost price to us. This allows you to sample our filter coffees at minimal cost, and keeps our prices low. This is possible because filter coffee is sealed in individual portion packs.

We don’t provide samples of beans as the pack sizes are large. We therefore sell many of our coffees in individual 1kg bags, meaning our customers can try out a new coffee by adding it to their order for around £10. In our experience, companies who freely give away samples often have higher product prices as a result. We also try to stock household name brands where possible so that our customers are already familiar with most items before they purchase.

When Will I Get My Goods?

If an order is received before 1pm, it will usually be delivered the following business day by courier before 4pm where the delivery address is in England, Wales or the Scottish Lowlands. The only exceptions to this are some specialist coffee machines and large equipment orders that are subject to a longer lead time unless otherwise agreed, items which are not in stock, and deliveries to outlying and offshore regions.

For the Scottish Highlands & Islands, add two business days to the above, and for Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, add three business days. Deliveries to other countries are usually made in between two and five business days, depending on the exact destination.

Please also bear in mind that we are coffee distributors and not couriers. We pride ourselves on our service, and while that means that we despatch within 24 hours on a next business day service, the deliveries themselves are obviously outside of our control and are subject to variations in weather conditions, localised traffic issues or other factors that could disrupt the service they provide to you. We're therefore not responsible for any such delay or consequencial loss, but we will of course track your order and do everything in our power to both keep you informed and liaise with the courier to help get your consignment delivered on time.

We use a national courier service for our deliveries, and therefore deliveries are not made on Saturday or Sundays. All deliveries require a signature, so please ensure the delivery address is one where a delivery can be accepted. We are unable to leave goods outside unattended premises. If you have a query concerning your order, please do not hesitate to contact us. For further information, please refer to our delivery information page.