How To Provide Discreet Shipping: Carriers + Best Practices

Product packaging is a key component of ecommerce order fulfillment. While branded boxes and creative unboxing experiences can strengthen customer loyalty, not every order benefits from bold packaging. In some cases, customers value privacy and security over presentation.

Discreet shipping provides that protection. Whether you’re shipping high-value items prone to theft, sensitive products, or even gifts, a discreet shipping process helps safeguard deliveries and maintain customer privacy. This guide covers what discreet shipping is, when to use it, which major carriers provide it, and how to implement it to improve your customer experience.

What is discreet shipping?

Discreet shipping involves shipping items without giving away important information about the package contents or the seller. The goal is to keep outside packaging plain and unremarkable so that no one—whether a delivery person, roommate, neighbor, or potential thief—can tell what’s inside.

Merchants can ship items discreetly using two types of discreet packaging: nondescript packaging and generic packaging. 

• Nondescript packaging uses plain packaging materials like unmarked boxes and envelopes. 

• Generic packaging uses generic labels and shipping company names (like the US Postal Service or Amazon Shipping branding).

Here are some examples of discreet packaging materials you can consider purchasing from packaging suppliers, online marketplaces, and shipping carriers:

• Plain boxes. Use a plain brown box to ship items of different sizes without revealing what’s inside.

• Minimal labeling. Shipping labels should include only essential details—if you need to add a return address, keep it generic—you can add a street name, but don’t mention the name of your company or other sender information. Information like “Fragile” is fine, but avoid elements that hint at the box’s contents.

• Limited or no brand packaging. Avoid using brand packaging with a company logo, name, slogan, or other branded visual elements.

• Unmarked mailers and envelopes. Plain mailers and envelopes are cost-effective and discreet options for smaller, non-fragile items.

When to use discreet shipping

• Shipping sensitive products
• Offering theft protection
• Selling gifts
• Saving money

Here are a few common reasons merchants use discreet shipping with their product packaging.

Shipping sensitive products

Merchants shipping sensitive items to customers can use discreet shipping strategies to protect their customers’ privacy. This can apply to a wide range of product categories, including adult products, intimate health or beauty products, and medical supplies like pharmaceuticals or medical devices. Using discreet shipping avoids embarrassing customers or revealing sensitive information to anyone who sees the package. Of course, no carrier permits using discreet shipping for illegal or prohibited items, and merchants are always responsible for complying with all carrier policies and shipping laws, such as those around age-gated products (alcohol, prescription medications, etc.), hazardous materials, customs declarations, and others. Stay current on shipping regulations and carrier policies so you’re always in compliance.

Offering theft protection

Security.org reports that $12 billion in packages were stolen in 2024. If you’re shipping luxury goods and high-value products like jewelry, designer apparel, or expensive electronics, opting for discreet shipping can reduce the risk of package theft. Consider using unmarked packaging and minimal labeling to avoid signaling to potential thieves the value of the contents.

Selling gifts

Sometimes customers want their order shipped discreetly because it’s a gift for someone. For example, a customer purchasing a sweater from an apparel brand for their spouse’s birthday could request discreet shipping to avoid giving away the surprise. If you sell items that are commonly gifted, offering discreet shipping can enhance the customer experience (especially around peak gifting seasons, like certain holidays).

Saving money

Merchants may elect to use generic packaging materials over branded packaging to save costs. While branded packaging can offer customization, fuel marketing efforts, and enhance the customer’s experience, it can also require significant funds and time to design and produce. Benefits of using an off-the-shelf solution might include lower costs, faster turnaround times (since the packaging is always readily available), and consistency (especially if you’re using a third-party shipping fulfillment service). Generic packaging may also require less space prior to its use since it’s often designed for efficiency.

Which major carriers offer discreet shipping?

The following major carriers and courier companies offer discreet shipping:

• USPS. The US Postal Service offers unbranded, generic packaging that conceals a package’s contents. Delivery to PO Boxes adds extra security and is available through services like Priority Mail Express, Retail Ground, and First-Class Mail.

• UPS and FedEx. Although the United Parcel Service and FedEx don’t offer specific discreet shipping programs, they ship in unmarked and unbranded boxes with minimal labeling, meaning merchants can use this service for discreet shipping.

• DHL. For international orders, which can be more difficult to keep discreet due to paperwork requirements, DHL provides specialized options. Its Neutral Delivery Service (NDS) conceals a shipment’s value to the recipient, while its Named Person Only service ensures packages arrive in the hands of the intended recipients.

• Amazon Logistics. When shopping on Amazon.com, users have the option of selecting “Ship in Amazon packaging” at checkout, although it’s already standard for most Amazon orders to arrive in Amazon-branded boxes or envelopes that don’t give away their contents.

How to provide discreet shipping

• Require signatures
• Manage customer expectations
• Elevate the interior unboxing experience

Here are a few tips for effectively providing discreet shipping to your customers.

Require signatures

When using discreet shipping for your orders, consider implementing proof of delivery in the form of a signature from the intended recipient. For high-value or sensitive items, customers will likely prefer to receive those items directly. Offer signature confirmation as an option at checkout and clearly note any added shipping costs with carriers (for example, signature confirmation starts around $6 per shipment with FedEx). 

Manage customer expectations

Communicate your discreet shipping policy clearly upfront to customers. Share relevant information about your discreet shipping practices to customers before they complete checkout on your website—including what discreet shipping options you offer and whether they cost more. After purchase, confirm key details (like how tracking will work and where to find the tracking number) with a post-purchase email.

Elevate the interior unboxing experience

Although discreet shipping changes the appearance of the outside of your shipments, you can still create a memorable unboxing experience for your customers with the inside of your packaging. For example, you could include packaging inserts like thank-you cards, QR codes, stickers, guides, or product samples.