UPDATED: Ship Masks Back Home to Your Friends and Loved Ones for Less Than RMB 300

Beijing seems to have leaped the hump of the epidemic and is facing a downhill battle as long as it can, fingers crossed, prevent imported cases from causing a resurgence of the coronavirus in the capital. Unfortunately, it is very much an uphill battle for some other countries at the moment and several places in the world are facing mask shortages, forcing some to start sewing masks themselves for their communities.

For those in Beijing who would like to help out loved ones back home, an international shipping company is providing a solution. DHL is now offering set-price shipping of masks to six countries. That means if you want to ship a box of masks to Japan, Australia, the US, Canada, the UK, or Germany, you can now do so for less than RMB 300.

Payment can be made through WeChat or Alipay. You can ship two boxes at a time, each box including up to two kilograms of masks (including the weight of the box) to these countries in a 32.2 x 33.7 x 10 centimeter box or soft bag as provided by the DHL service point. Note that black masks may not be shipped.

To ship your masks: 

1. Book an appointment through the DHL WeChat mini-app by searching official accounts for “DHL快递.” On the account page, select “我要发件,” (wǒ yào fā jiàn, I want to send) and then select “爱心防疫包" (àixīn fángyì bāo, anti-epidemic package) 

2. The app will then ask you to log in or, if you do not already have an account, register an account using your phone number and email address. 

3. Once logged in, select 自送发件预约 (zì sòng fā jiàn yùyuē, self-delivery appointment) to fill out when you would like to ship your masks and at which service point (view a map of service points in Beijing here), then press 提交 tíjiāo, submit.

4. Return to the previous page and select 发件信息采集 fā jiàn xìnxī cǎijí to fill out the shipping information, including your address, ID, and phone number, the recipient's full address (in English) and phone number, how many masks you will send and their worth in USD (up to a maximum of USD 140 per box). Then select 提交. Please note: As of Apr 10 at the Ritan Park DHL depot, these details were not saved and customers were required to re-enter all details again on the day of the appointment. Be sure to have all details handy.

5. You can also speed up the process at this point by returning to the anti-epidemic menu item then 寄送指引 (jì sòng zhǐyǐn, shipping guidelines). At point #3 click on the 'eship.cndhl.com' link for instructions on how to print out your order barcode. This will allow you to be processed a bit faster on the day of your appointment but is not required.

6. On the day of your appointment, take the masks, along with your order details, and passport to the service point at the appointed time (and be sure to wear your own mask as you do so). DHL also recommends you bring your own ballpoint pen to fill out necessary documents and provide your signature on the security seal. Payment is available via either Alipay or WeChat.

READ: Navigate Growing Scrutiny as a Foreigner With These COVID-19 Phrases

Image: Business Insider