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If you’re a wholesale buyer or a small business owner in Australia or New Zealand looking for a reliable herbal shop that supplies organic herbs, bulk organic spices, and wholesale tea, herbs and spices – you probably have a few questions. At The Herbal Connection (based on the Gold Coast, QLD), we pride ourselves on serving bulk foods and tea businesses across ANZ with premium products and great service. In this conversation-style article, we’ve gathered some of the most frequently asked questions from our customers (like you!) and answered them in a friendly, educational tone. Think of it like sitting down with us for a chat about what we do, from our sustainable packaging to our unique customer service values. Let’s dive into your questions!

How do I get a wholesale account, and what are the benefits?

Great question! The Herbal Connection is a wholesale-only business, which means we cater to food manufacturers, bulk health food stores, tea blenders, pet product makers, beverage companies, and other businesses – not direct retail consumerstheherbalconnection.zendesk.comtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. To become a wholesale customer, you’ll need to register an account on our website and complete the wholesale account application form. Once we review and approve your application, we’ll assign you to the best wholesale pricing category for your needstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. Don’t worry – the signup process is quick, and we’re here to help if you get stuck.

Now, what’s in it for you? Plenty of perks! Our registered wholesale customers enjoy special discounts on larger orders (for example, orders over $500 get 10% off, $1000 get 12% off and orders over $1,500 get 15% off)theherbalconnection.zendesk.com.  Having an online account also means you won’t need to re-enter your details each time, you can easily track your order progress, and you can view past orders for easy reordering as well as reprint invoices with ease theherbalconnection.zendesk.comtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. In short, we’ve designed our wholesale account to make your buying experience smoother and more rewarding. (Oh, and did we mention our award-winning customer service and quick stock turnaround? We’ve got those tootheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.)

“What if I’m just an individual looking for small amounts of herbs or spices?” In that case, our offerings might not be the best fit – we pack in bulk and shipping can be costly for tiny orderstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We usually refer retail customers to local stores that carry our products. But if you’re a business ready to buy in bulk, we’d love to have you onboard as a wholesale partner!

How can I pay for my orders?

We try to make payments easy by accepting multiple payment methods. You can pay via PayPal (using our email sales@herbalconnection.com.au) or by credit cardtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. Credit card payments can be done securely at checkout on our website, or if you prefer, you can call us at 1300 SPICED to process a card payment over the phonetheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We also accept direct bank deposits if that’s easier for you – we provide our bank BSB and account number for direct EFT paymentstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. In short, whether you like online payments, phone payments, or bank transfers, we’ve got an option to suit you. And if you ever need an official invoice for your records or to pay later, just let us know – we can email you an invoice on request so you can settle up via your preferred methodtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

(Tip: If you’re ever unsure about payment or need a copy of an invoice, you can reprint invoices online through your account, or reach out to our team – we’re happy to help.)

How are freight costs calculated?

Shipping costs are always a concern when ordering in bulk. We want to be transparent and fair with freight charges. The Herbal Connection doesn’t mark up shipping – we charge you exactly what our couriers charge us, with no extra handling feestheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. During checkout, our system will calculate the freight cost based on your order’s size and weight, and you’ll be able to choose from available courier options (you can pick your preferred courier or the cheapest option available)theherbalconnection.zendesk.com. This way, you have control over the shipping method and cost.

Why do we calculate freight at checkout instead of having a flat rate? Simply because bulk products can vary significantly in weight and volume. Shipping companies charge based on dead weight vs. cubic weight (whichever is greater)theherbalconnection.zendesk.com. For example, 1 kg of dried lavender flowers is very fluffy (larger box, higher cubic volume), whereas 1 kg of turmeric powder is dense and compact. The lavender might cost more to ship than the turmeric, even at the same weighttheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. By calculating in real time, we ensure the rate is accurate for the specific mix of items in your cart.

Do we offer free shipping? We don’t have a blanket free shipping policy, because we focus on keeping our product prices as competitive as possible and simply pass on the actual freight costtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. However, we do offer ways to save on shipping: for instance, our loyalty points can be redeemed for free shipping coupons if you accumulate enough pointstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. And if you have a very large order (what we consider a “bulk” order), talk to us – in some cases, bulk orders may qualify for special freight arrangementstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

Are your products certified organic and high quality?

Absolutely. Quality is at the heart of everything we do. The Herbal Connection has been Certified Organic since 2017 and we maintain that certification every yeartheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We’re certified by Southern Cross Certified (SXC), so when you see “Organic” on our labels, you can have confidence it truly meets the organic standardtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. In fact, if you are producing an organic product yourself, you can even have us blend or pack your product knowing we’re a fully certified organic processor (certificate #4306P) – meaning your product stays certified organic through our handlingtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

Beyond the organic badge, we go to great lengths to ensure our herbs and spices are pure and unadulterated. We only trade in 100% natural products – no fillers, no added sugars or salts, no sneaky substitutestheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. What you order is exactly what you get: the herb or spice in its natural form, whether it’s cut and sifted leaves or finely ground powdertheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We also do not sell any irradiated products, periodtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. (Irradiation is a treatment some suppliers use to sterilize herbs/spices, but in line with Food Standards ANZ, any irradiated product must be labeled as suchtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com – and we choose to avoid them entirely.) Instead, if a sanitation treatment is needed, we opt for natural methods like steam sterilization or freeze treatment to eliminate any contaminants while keeping the product organictheherbalconnection.zendesk.comtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

To further guarantee quality, we source from trusted suppliers and require independent lab testing on our products. We review all analysis reports to make sure everything meets strict safety standardstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We even undergo an annual independent audit that traces our products back to their source – extra reassurance that what we’re selling is exactly what we claimtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. On top of that, our facility operates under a certified HACCP Food Safety Program, meaning we have rigorous procedures to identify and control any potential hazards from receiving the goods, through packing, to dispatchtheherbalconnection.zendesk.comtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. While dried herbs and spices have low risk, we stay vigilant (for example, watching out for any foreign objects or signs of infestation, especially in imports)theherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

All of this is to ensure you get safe, high-quality organic herbs and spices that are fragrant, flavorful, and exactly as nature intendedtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We stand behind our quality with a Happiness Guarantee – meaning if something isn’t right, we’ll make it right. You and your customers can have full confidence in The Herbal Connection and the products we supplytheherbalconnection.zendesk.comtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

What if I need a product that’s not listed on your website?

We carry a wide range of herbs, spices, teas, and other botanicals – but we know there might be that one special herb you need which you don’t see in our catalog. If that happens, just ask us! The short answer to “can you order products in for me?” is yes, of course we cantheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We’re happy to look into sourcing a product that you’re after.

Here’s how it works: We maintain a “wish list” of products that clients inquire abouttheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. If you request something we don’t stock, we’ll note it down. When enough people ask for the same item, we’ll bring some in on a trial basis and potentially add it as a regular stock line if the demand is strongtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We do have to be mindful of supplier minimum order sizes – in some cases our suppliers require us to buy 25 kg as a minimum, and in other cases it could be a few hundred kilostheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. So while we’re willing to bring in new products, very small or niche requests might take a little longer (we might wait until we can justify that minimum volume).

The key point is: it’s always worth asking. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need a particular organic herb or spice in bulk that you can’t find on our site. We love getting feedback on what you’re looking for, and we’ll do our best to fulfill your request or suggest an alternative. Supporting your business is what we’re here for!

Are your tea bags compostable, and what are they made from?

We’re glad you asked – sustainability is important to us, and we’re always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact. The good news is our tea bags tick all the boxes for being compostable and biodegradabletheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We use a special material called Neo Soilon for our pyramid tea bags. Neo Soilon is a plant-based mesh (essentially PLA, a biopolymer made from corn starch) that is fully compostable – even the string and tags are eco-friendly! We don’t use any glues or plastics in the tea bags; the tags and string are heat-sealed to the bag, so the entire bag is free of synthetic polymerstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

So, what does “compostable” mean in this context? Our tea bags will break down over time, especially under the right conditions. Under industrial composting conditions (high heat of 55–70 °C), the Neo Soilon material can biodegrade within a few days to a few monthstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. In a home compost bin, which might not get as hot, the bags will still break down, but it could take longer – they will eventually biodegrade, just at a slower pace if the temperature is lowertheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. Even if you don’t compost, rest assured that the material will not linger in the environment like traditional plastic.

By choosing these biodegradable tea bags, we ensure that your organic teas not only brew deliciously but also align with eco-friendly values. From the herbs inside to the bag itself, you can offer your customers a fully organic and earth-conscious cup of tea. ♻️

(Bonus: We also use recyclable clear packaging for our bulk products, and we store everything in optimal conditions (cool, dark storage) to keep products fresh without needing foil-lined bagstheherbalconnection.zendesk.comtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. This way, when you receive your order, you can see the quality of the herbs or spices through the clear pack immediately, and you won’t have to open sealed bags just to inspect themtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. It’s part of how we balance quality control with customer convenience.)

Do you offer blending or private label packaging services?

Yes! One thing that makes The Herbal Connection more than just a supplier is our range of custom blending and packing services. We understand that many of our wholesale clients are creating their own products – be it a unique tea blend for your tea shop, or repackaging spices under your own brand – and we’re here to help make that process easier.

Custom Blending: If you have a recipe or formulation in mind (say, a special herbal tea mix), we can blend it for you in-house. Our team can take the ingredients you need, combine them in the exact ratios, and ensure a homogeneous blend. Since we’re a certified organic processor and also HACCP certified, you can trust that the blending is done under strict quality standardstheherbalconnection.zendesk.comtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. Once blended, we also freeze-treat all mixed stock for 6 days before it ships out, as a natural way to eliminate any potential pests without chemicalstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We usually recommend allowing about 3 weeks turnaround time for a custom blending and packing project (to account for scheduling, blending, and the required freeze treatment)theherbalconnection.zendesk.com. If you have a tight deadline, let us know – we do our best to accommodate rush jobs when possibletheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

Tea Bag Packing: Have loose tea that you want packed into convenient sachets? We offer a pyramid or pillow tea bag packing service. You can choose to use your own custom-branded tea bag tags (perhaps with your logo) or go with our plain generic white tags – we have options for boththeherbalconnection.zendesk.com. Using custom branded tags typically costs about 5 cents per bag, whereas our generic blank tags cost about 3.7 cents per bagtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. The filling of the tea (i.e., putting your tea into the bags and sealing them) starts at around 11.5 cents per bag and may vary depending on the herb/tea (some herbs are fluffier or require more time to pack)theherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We do charge a small setup and cleaning fee for each run – currently a flat $35 machine clean-down fee (to thoroughly clean the equipment between different blends and avoid cross-contamination) and a $62.50 blending setup fee per batchtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. These are one-time fees per production run, regardless of quantity, just to cover the labor of setting up. Each job is quoted individually, so you’ll get a clear estimate before we proceedtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

Minimum Order for Tea Bag Packing: To keep things efficient and ensure our equipment stays in tip-top shape, we do have a minimum run size for tea bag projects. If you’re using our generic tags, the minimum is about 3 kg worth of tea (which yields roughly 1,500–2,000 tea bags, depending on fill weight)theherbalconnection.zendesk.com. If you want custom-branded tags, we generally require ordering a full roll of tags (approximately 6,000 tea bags) since we have to dedicate a roll to your designtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. This minimum is in place because we meticulously clean the machinery between jobs – we treat each new tea or herb blend like a fresh production to avoid any mixing of ingredientstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. The cleaning and setup take time, so we need a reasonable batch size to justify the process. But the good news is, 3 kg is a fairly small minimum in the world of bulk tea, which means even fairly small businesses can take advantage of our packing service.

Private Label and Other Packaging: What about packing herbs or spices into retail pouches, bottles, or other packaging for you? We can assist with that too through our Custom Pack-Out service. We’ve partnered with a local disability services enterprise here on the Gold Coast to help with contract packaging jobstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. This partnership is a win-win: you get your products packaged (whether it’s filling stand-up pouches with dried herbs, packing tea bags into boxes, applying your labels to jars, etc.), and at the same time we provide meaningful work opportunities to people in our community with disabilitiestheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. It’s part of “The Herbal Connection Difference” – we try to give back to the community while serving our customerstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. The pack-out services can include assembling your packaging, filling it with product, applying labels or stickers, and stamping on batch codes or best-before datestheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. Essentially, you supply us with your branded packaging materials, and we handle the filling and finishing touches. The cost for pack-out depends on the complexity, ranging roughly from $0.90 to $3.00 per unit packed, regardless of weighttheherbalconnection.zendesk.com (the exact price will depend on what type of packaging and tasks are needed). We quote each project individually based on your requirementstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. Like with tea bags, all production is done under our certified organic, HACCP-certified processes, and we even offer to take photos or videos of the production process – great for your quality assurance or marketing use on social mediatheherbalconnection.zendesk.com!

In summary, we’re more than just a bulk supplier; we’re a one-stop solution if you need help creating a finished product. Whether it’s blending a custom herbal mix, packing teas into biodegradable pyramid bags, or filling and labeling your retail packages, The Herbal Connection can handle it. This allows you to focus on developing your business and sales, while we take care of the behind-the-scenes production details. And rest assured, any service we provide maintains the organic integrity of your product – if we blend or pack it, it’s still certified organic when it leaves our facilitytheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

(If you’re interested in these services, just reach out to us for a consultation and quote. We love collaborating on new projects and helping our customers grow their own brands!)

How quickly will I hear back after I contact you?

We understand that in business, communication is key. When you reach out to The Herbal Connection – whether by phone or email – we do our absolute best to respond as quickly as possibletheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. Here’s what you can generally expect from us in terms of response times:

• Phone calls: If you call during our business hours (Monday–Thursday, 7am to 3pm AEST), we aim to return any missed calls within 24 hours on those business daystheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. If you call outside our working hours (for example, in the evening or over the weekend), we’ll return your call the next business day as soon as we’re back in the officetheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We encourage you to leave a voicemail if we don’t answer immediately – we do listen to all voicemails promptly and will call you back as soon as someone is availabletheherbalconnection.zendesk.comtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

• Emails: We try to reply to all emails within 24 hours as well (during business days)theherbalconnection.zendesk.com. You can email us at sales@herbalconnection.com.au or use the contact form on our website. Often, you’ll hear back much sooner than 24 hours, but if we’re experiencing a high volume of inquiries or it’s a holiday period, it might take about a day. Rest assured, if your email comes in on a Friday or over the weekend, it will be first in line Monday morning when we’re back (if we don’t manage to shoot you a quick reply on Friday afternoon)theherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

The reason we sometimes can’t answer immediately is that we’re a small team, and there are times we’re all hands-on-deck in the warehouse blending spices or packing orders for customerstheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. During those busy moments, we might not be able to pick up the phone right away. But we make it a priority to circle back to all messages as soon as we have a free handtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. In fact, we pride ourselves on being very responsive and available – it’s part of our commitment to award-winning customer service that we mentioned earliertheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

So, in short: You won’t be left waiting long. Expect a call or email back within a day, often sooner. If you reach out and don’t hear back in what you feel is a reasonable time, something might have gone astray – please try us again. We’re here for you and want to ensure your questions or issues are addressed promptly. Your business is important to us, and so is your time.

(Pro tip: For the fastest help, you can also use our online chat during business hours or consult our FAQ knowledge base (like you’re doing now!) for quick answers to common questions. But never hesitate to contact us directly – we love speaking with our customers one-on-one.)

Why is your office closed on Fridays?

You might have noticed our office (and warehouse) operates Monday through Thursday, and wondered, why not Friday? This is actually one of our favorite questions to answer because it gets to the heart of our company values. The reason is rooted in our commitment to community and work-life balance. Every Friday, our team dedicates the day to volunteering and giving back to the local communitytheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. Early on, Chris and Renae (the founders of The Herbal Connection) made a conscious decision that building a successful business wasn’t just about financial success, but also about being rich in purpose. By closing on Fridays, it gives us the opportunity to focus on others – whether that means volunteering at local charities, participating in community projects, further education or simply taking time to support causes we care abouttheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

We believe this balance actually makes us a stronger company. It keeps us energized and emotionally fulfilled, which in turn makes us better at serving you Monday through Thursday. It was important to us, when starting The Herbal Connection, to create a business that supports not just our livelihood but also our well-being and our desire to make a positive impacttheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. Dedicating Fridays to volunteer work is how we achieve that balance between work and life, profit and purpose.

Now, what does that mean for you as a customer? While we don’t pick and pack orders on Fridays, we’ve set up our logistics to minimize any inconvenience. Orders that come in on Friday are queued as first priority on Monday – first in, first outtheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. We even have an Australia Post courier pickup on Friday afternoons to collect any late Thursday orders that missed the regular Thursday pickuptheherbalconnection.zendesk.com. So, in most cases, an order placed on Friday will be packed and shipped out first thing Monday morning (and if by chance we can get to it Friday, we will). Similarly, if you leave us a voicemail on Friday or send an email, we’ll check those first thing Monday and get back to you ASAP – in many cases, you might even hear from us on Friday afternoon or over the weekend, since we do keep an eye on communications even if the office isn’t officially opentheherbalconnection.zendesk.com.

In essence, our Friday policy is part of what makes The Herbal Connection unique. We’re not just about selling wholesale organic herbs and spices; we’re about doing it in a way that aligns with our values of community support and sustainability. By giving our team time to give back, we foster a company culture that cares – and that caring extends to how we treat our customers too. We hope you’ll find this approach refreshing. Many of our customers have told us they appreciate knowing that their supplier has a strong ethical compass. When you do business with us, you’re indirectly supporting those community efforts as well, and we think that’s a wonderful added benefit.

(If you’re curious, some of the organizations and causes we’ve supported on our Fridays off include local food banks, community gardens, and environmental clean-up initiatives. We’re big believers in businesses being a force for good in the world.)

We hope this Q&A has answered some of your burning questions about The Herbal Connection. We aimed to cover the big topics: getting started with a wholesale account, ordering and shipping details, product quality assurances, our services, and the values that drive us. Our goal is to be your trusted partner for all things herbs, spices, and teas – from providing top-quality organic products in bulk to offering a helping hand with custom blends and packaging. We also strive to be a business with heart, whether that’s through eco-friendly choices like compostable tea bags or community initiatives like our volunteer Fridays.

If you have any other questions that we didn’t cover here, please reach out! We’re only a phone call or email away, and we love talking herbs and spices. After all, sharing knowledge is part of being a good partner. Thank you for considering The Herbal Connection for your wholesale tea, herb, and spice needs. We look forward to supporting your business and growing together in a way that’s successful, sustainable, and mutually rewarding.

Happy blending, brewing, and bottling! ?‍??☕