How to buy at Christie's | Payment and shipping

Paying for your item

Your invoice

After the auction, you’ll receive an email from your Post-Sale Lead with your invoice and shipping options. The invoice will set out the hammer price plus other applicable charges, such as buyer’s premium and taxes. In certain locations, Christie’s is also required to collect a resale royalty (‘droit de suite’).

You can also view your invoice in your account within 48 hours of the auction closing. Sign in to your account, select ‘Buying’, then ‘Ready for checkout’.

Online checkout

Go to ‘Ready for checkout’ in your account to pay for orders up to US$300,000 (US auctions) / US$100,000 (Dubai auctions) / £100,000 / €100,000 / HK$1,000,000 / CHF 100,000. We accept all major credit and debit cards, as well as PayPal and pay by bank. For New York auctions, there is a 2.5% administration fee for credit card transactions. For lots over this amount or other payment options, including bank transfer, check the back of your invoice.

For live auctions, payment is due within seven days of the auction. For online auctions, payment is due immediately.

Christie’s does not accept third-party payments from an individual or organisation that is not the winning bidder, so make sure you are paying from a bank account registered to the same name as your account.

Shipping options

You can ship your item through Christie’s approved shippers or your own carrier. In some cases, a shipping quote will automatically be available to view during online checkout. However, the sheer variety in size, shape and material of the items we sell means that often a bespoke shipping quote is needed. If so, your Post-Sale Lead can provide this.

If you proceed with the shipping quote available at online checkout, items are usually delivered within 7–14 business days of payment clearance.

Collection

If you’d prefer to collect your purchase in person or authorise a third-party shipper or agent to collect it on your behalf, contact your Post-Sale Lead at least 48 hours in advance and they will help to organise the release.

Specified lots marked with a filled square (■) in the catalogue are transferred from our salerooms to an offsite storage facility. In London and Hong Kong, these lots are usually available for collection from 12pm on the second business day following the auction. In New York, lots are usually available for collection on the third business day following the auction. Local taxes may apply on your purchase.

New York City sales tax

When purchasing in New York, if you arrange for your own shipper to collect your purchase, New York City sales tax will be due prior to release of the item regardless of the delivery location. An invoice inclusive of applicable tax can be provided when you select this option during online checkout or by your Post-Sale Lead.

Export and CITES licenses

If you intend to export your purchase, you may also require an export and/or CITES permit (this will be noted on your invoice).

Sustainable shipping options

Christie’s is proud to offer sustainable shipping options. Among these are quotes utilising recyclable, lightweight crates and a consolidated sea freight shipping option from New York to Hong Kong. Contact your Post-Sale Lead to learn more.

Terms and conditions for shipping

Packaging

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Many lots can be shipped via courier service in our strong boxes and prints pads, which are double-strength cardboard boxes, usually with a plastic liner to reinforce the cardboard and make it puncture-proof.

Lots are wrapped in Tyvec or glassine to keep moisture out and to protect the surface of lots. Acid-free tissue may also be used between the pages of books or multiple prints.

Lots are cushioned in their boxes or crates with foam. If a lot is framed under glass, glass tape may be used to protect the surface of the work from the glass should it break in transit.

For especially fragile or high-value lots, a crate may be necessary. Crates come in varying levels of specialisation, from basic to museum-quality.

For international shipments, crates with stamps showing that the wood is heat-treated are required to protect the eco-systems in other countries. Crates are custom-made for the work they are holding and can often be used multiple times.

Shadow boxes or travel frames may be constructed for lots with delicate surfaces so that packing materials do not come into contact with the surface of the lot. Lots are often secured to a T-frame using Oz Clips drilled into the frame. These do not affect the lot’s value.

Some lots may be slip-cased and placed in a commercial bin or loaded into a slat crate for safe travel traveling in a fine art shuttle or exclusive truck without extra packing materials which may be unnecessary for those methods of transport.

Very large lots may need an a-frame to travel securely in a truck or cargo hold. Very heavy lots may require rigging and gantry to be moved.

Christie’s may also book your high-value or oversized lots for priority airfreight service. This includes white glove delivery by a fine art handling company.

Storage

We're happy to offer complimentary storage for 90 days after the auction. If your property remains in our warehouses past this deadline, you will be responsible for monthly storage charges and any applicable local taxes.

Outlined below are each region's associated charges. Kindly note, tax may be applicable on storage charges.

Monthly storage charge per lot:

Months 0–3: Complimentary
Months 4–6: £200 / US$250 / HK$2,000 / €200 / CHF 200 / RMB 2000
Months 7+: £400 / US$500 / HK$4,000 / €400 / CHF 400 / RMB 4000

* Storage charges for oversized and high-value artworks, based on weight, dimensions and/or their values, may be subject to bespoke quotes.

For further information regarding Christie’s storage conditions, use the links below. Please contact your Post-Sale Lead prior to collecting property to confirm lot location, schedule collection, arrange shipping and to settle any outstanding charges.

Storage conditions: New York | London | Hong Kong | Shanghai | Paris (EN) | Paris (FR)