1. Our quickly will my order ship?
During peak holiday season, your order typically ships within 1-4 business days from our warehouse in Alabama.
2. How quickly will order arrive?
The typical shipping delivery time is 5-7 business days across the continental U.S. Carriers are busy this during peak season and we have no control over the shipping carriers once the order has left our warehouse. If you have questions about your specific order, please contact support@kolkatachai.co
3. Do you offer expedited shipping?
UPS 2-Day Guaranteed shipping will be available starting December 3rd, 2025. Please select it as an option at checking.
4. What is your refund or exchange policy for holiday purchases?
Returns are not possible on open food products for regulatory reasons, so refunds are handled on an individual basis. Please contact support@kolkatachai.co with questions.
5. Can I attach a gift message?
Yes! You will see a "Add Gift Message" on the same page as the product you're looking at. Add it there and we'll deliver it electronically to the lucky recipient.
6. I have a question that is not answered here
Contact us at support@kolkatachai.co and we'll take care of you!
Masala chai is a staple drink across the South Asian subcontinent. It's a sweet, spicy concoction which contains black tea, cardamom, black pepper and other spices mixed with milk and sugar.
Our tea is currently sourced from the Bhubrighat Estate, in Assam, India. This estate is certified bio-organic, Fair Trade and UTZ certified. As of 11/23, we have switched our black tea to a Decaf Assam CTC Tea to better replicate the flavor of our Signature Masala Mix. It is still decaffeinated via the CO2 method and is pressure cooked with carbon dioxide to allow the caffeine molecules to be extracted, while the flavor remains intact.
Yes! We offer free shipping on orders $50+ to the continental US. Please note, your order total has to be above $50 after any applied discounts. Orders to Alaska and Hawaii are a flat rate of $13.99.
Orders are shipped from our warehouse in Alabama within 1-2 business days of them being placed and are sent via DHL or USPS. Delivery times vary based on carrier, location and seasonality, but expect your order within 4-8 days of it being shipped.
Upon leaving our warehouse, you will receive an email with a tracking number for your order. We are unable to provide any additional information once the package is handed to the carrier.
*Please note* Shipping delays may occur during high traffic times and holidays.
We know how annoying delays can be especially when you want your chai. Here are the steps you can take if haven't received an email with tracking info after 5+ days of placing your order:
+ Check your Spam folder to see if the tracking email ended up there
+ Contact our amazing support team at support@kolkatachai.co
+ Do not post negative comments on social media(!)
If you've received a tracking email but your order never reached you, here's what you can do:
+ If your order was marked as delivered but you can't find it, first verify the shipping address on your order. If the shipping address is correct, check all other locations around your home, apartment, or office and see if someone else accepted the delivery. Most of "lost" packages are found this way!
+ Sometimes, shipping carriers can lose packages in transit. In these cases, we'll replace and reship your order at no cost. Contact us at support@kolkatachai.co if you think your package might be lost.
+ If you enabled "Navidium Shipping Protection" for your order, we will process it via our priority queue. Please make a note of this when reaching to us.
Because of the significant increase in online shopping this year and the current holiday season, carriers are handling more packages than ever. Unfortunately, this has resulted in delays in packages being scanned into their system. While this typically results in a delay of 3-4 days, we've also seen it take up to 10 days to see any movement. We know the delays can be frustrating, but rest assured that your package has been shipped and is at one of their facilities, and they will process and deliver it as soon as they can.
We are not able to speed up this process or provide material updates until after this time period has passed.
Please keep this in mind before contacting our Customer Service. For orders that have not scanned after 5 days of receiving a tracking number, please reach out to support@kolkatachai.co. We thank you for your continued patience!
Yes, please email us at support@kolkatachai.co within 1 hour of placing the order. We are unable to make changes after this time period.
To purchase a gift card, click here and choose an "amount" to add to the gift card. This gift card only applies to website purchases and is not eligible for cafe purchases. After placing the order, you will receive an email with additional instructions.
Your Chai Mix never spoils and stays fresh in its package for up to 8-12 months. You can place it in your cupboard just as you would your coffee beans.
You can store chai (after it's made) in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave or stovetop before serving or pour cold chai over ice.
Our cafe hours change depending on the season. We recommend checking Google Maps for the most updated hours.
Our Nolita and East Village locations offer limited indoor seating. Outdoor seating is available during all seasons.
We were born in the U.S. but have spent months in Kolkata at a time due to both of our parents being from the city. We know South Calcutta as well as we know New York City, from our favorite sweet shop (Mithun Joy) to the best bhel puri (Vivekananda Park) to playing cricket in our local para (Maddox Square Park). We speak fluent Bangla so feel free to introduce yourself the next time you stop by the cafe!
