Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about mugs, orders, delivery, returns and some other useful stuff.

Mugs & Designs

What’s the difference between a Normie and a Wrap layout?

A Normie puts the same design on both sides of the mug.

A Wrap takes the artwork around the mug for a more continuous design.

Same mug. Different clothes.

What’s the difference between Big and Standard sizes?

Standard is our everyday 11oz (325ml) mug.

Big is 15oz (425ml), for anyone whose relationship with caffeine has moved beyond casual. Big mugs are white only and available on selected designs.

Which Ugly Mugs are dishwasher safe?

All Ugly Mugs except ‘Reveal mugs’ are dishwasher safe.

Reveal mugs use a heat-sensitive coating to do their little party trick, so they should be hand-washed instead.

Which Ugly Mugs are microwave safe?

All Ugly Mugs except 'Reveal mugs' are microwave safe.

Reveal mugs should never go in the microwave. Heat your drink, not the special-effects department.

Why do the colours on my mug look different from my screen?

Because your screen glows and your mug doesn’t.

Screens display colour differently depending on brightness, calibration and the device you’re using. Printing colour onto ceramic is a physical process, so small differences between what you see on-screen and the finished mug are completely normal.

If something looks genuinely wrong rather than just slightly different, get in touch.

What’s a Mood?

A Mood is the personality of the mug, it’s the design world it belongs to.

Defiance is louder and in your face. Charmer is cleaner and cuter. Grind is rougher and more weathered. Psych explores the more questionable corners of being human.

Use Moods when you know the kind of energy you’re looking for.

What’s an Intent?

A mug Intent is about what you’re shopping for - Workplace, Sarcasm, Coffee First, Profanity and the rest.

In simple terms: Moods tell you how a mug feels. Intents help you find what it’s for.

What are Ugly Mugs made from?

Ceramic.

Depending on the version you choose, your mug may have a classic white finish, coloured elements or the heat-sensitive coating used on Reveal mugs.

The exact version is shown on the product page before you order.

What is a Reveal Ugly Mug?

You may know them as “magic mugs”.

Reveal mugs start dark, then the design appears when you pour in a hot drink. As the mug cools down, the dark finish gradually returns.

Because the effect comes from a heat-sensitive coating, Reveal mugs should be hand-washed and never microwaved.

Actual magic would cost more.

Are Ugly Mugs made to order?

Yes. Always.

We don’t keep warehouses full of pre-printed mugs gathering dust. Your Ugly Mug goes into production after you order it.

It means we produce what people actually want rather than guessing and making piles of unwanted stock.

How is my mug packaged?

Well, it depends where you live. However as a minimum, all our mugs make their way to you in super sturdy, double walled, cardboard, unbranded packaging. We also comply and stay up to date in the EU as they continue to amend packaging requirements for e-tailers.

Orders & Payment

Can I cancel or change my order?

Get in touch as quickly as you can and we’ll always do our best.

If your mug hasn’t entered production yet, we can usually change or cancel the order. Once production has started, though, we can’t alter or stop it.

At that point it becomes a normal return rather than a cancellation, so you’ll need to receive the mug and send it back before we can refund it.

It’s not us being awkward. Your mug is literally being made.

Where is my order confirmation?

We send an order-confirmation email automatically after you place your order.

If it hasn’t appeared, check your spam, junk or promotions folder first. Still nothing? Get in touch and we’ll track it down.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept the major debit and credit cards supported by Shopify Payments, along with the other payment and wallet options Shopify makes available at checkout, plus PayPal.

The exact options shown can vary by device and location, so checkout will always show you what’s available to you.

What if I entered the wrong delivery address?

Tell us immediately.

If your order hasn’t entered production, we can change the address for you. Once production has started or the mug has shipped, we can’t reroute it.

If an address mistake causes the delivery to fail, we’ll help with one replacement or reship. Repeated address mishaps, however, are on you. Check twice. Mug once.

What if there’s another problem with my order?

Just tell us, we’re an understanding bunch.

Send us your order number, explain what’s gone wrong and include a photo if it helps. We’ll work out the sensible way to put it right.

No labyrinthine ticket system. No ceremonial chanting required.

Pricing, Offers & Discounts

How do the Mix & Match offers work?

Add eligible mugs to your basket and we’ll work out the saving automatically.

White mugs:

2 for £20

3 for £27

Colour mugs:

2 for £24

3 for £33

A White mug has a white handle and white inside. A Colour mug has a coloured handle and matching coloured inside. The artwork printed on the mug doesn’t decide which offer it belongs to – all our prints have colour!

Buying four or more eligible mugs? There’s a little extra saving on top, and larger orders are automatically calculated using the best qualifying combination available.

No code. No calculator. Just add mugs.

Reveal mugs, Psych range and Big mugs are excluded from Mix & Match offers unless explicitly stated on the website. Make sense?

Can mugs from different ranges be combined in an offer?

Yes.

Eligible mugs can be mixed across different designs and ranges - they don’t all have to be the same.

If a mug isn’t included in the offer, we’ll make that clear rather than springing it on you at checkout.

Can I use more than one promo code at a time?

No. Sitewide promo codes can only be used one at a time, so you can’t combine multiple promo codes on the same order.

Choose wisely.

Can I combine a promo code with an on-site offer?

Yes.

Our on-site offers are stackable with promo codes, so an eligible Mix & Match saving can still be used alongside your promo code.

We’re not money monsters.

Do your prices include tax?

Yes.

In the jurisdictions we sell in, we calculate the applicable tax up-front, so it’s already baked into the mug price you see on-screen.

No unpleasant tax surprise waiting at checkout.

Shipping & Delivery

Which countries do you ship to?

Ugly Mug is currently available in the UK, all EU countries, Norway, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Singapore and Japan.

We’re always looking to add more places, so if yours isn’t on the list yet, don’t take it personally.

Is shipping/postage really free?

Yep. Standard shipping is always free.

How long will my order take to arrive?

Every Ugly Mug is made to order. Meaning it takes a smidge longer, so orders are usually dispatched within 2–3 working days (sometimes sooner), then delivery time depends on where you live and the service chosen. Express Delivery usually saves around a day or two.

If it still hasn’t arrived 9 working days after you ordered, get in touch. You can choose a full refund, an expedited replacement, or wait for the original to arrive and we’ll give you £5 Ugly Mug store credit as an apology – because we’re nice like that.

How do I track my order?

The easiest way is through Shopify’s SHOP app. In addition, you’ll also receive a tracking email from your local, designated carrier when your order is dispatched, which will contain a unique tracking link.

My order hasn’t arrived — what should I do?

If 9 working days have passed since you placed your order and it still hasn’t arrived, get in touch .

You can choose:

• a full refund;

• a replacement at no extra cost; or

• to wait for the original delivery and receive Ugly Mug store credit as an apology.

And if you choose to wait and the late mug eventually turns up, obviously the mug is still yours. We’re not sending someone round to reclaim it.

Returns & Other Issues

Can I return my mug?

Yep. We have a 30-day no-nonsense returns policy for change-of-mind returns.

The mug needs to come back to us in good condition and you’ll need to pay the return postage. Once we receive it, we’ll refund the product to your original payment method.

We’ll also give you some Ugly Mug store credit, issued as an eVoucher, to help soften the return-postage sting.

How do I get a refund?

Get in touch with us first.

For a standard change-of-mind return, we’ll give you the return details. Once the mug arrives back with us in good condition, we’ll refund the product to your original payment method and send you an Ugly Mug store-credit eVoucher too.

Damaged, incorrect or missing orders are handled differently, so don’t send anything back unless we ask you to.

How long does a refund take?

For Shopify Payments, a refund can remain pending for up to 2 business days while it’s being processed, and your bank may then take up to 10 business days to put the money back into your account. Other payment providers can have their own processing times.

If it’s been longer than expected, get in touch and we’ll help you trace it. But from our end, it’s processed immediately.

What if my mug arrives damaged?

Hide your disappointment and get in touch within 14 days of receiving it.

Send us your order number and a clear photo of the damage, and you can choose a replacement at no extra cost, a full refund, or Ugly Mug store credit for the full value of the item.

No need to send the broken mug back. It’s suffered enough.

What if I receive the wrong mug?

That one’s on us.

Get in touch with your order number and, ideally, a quick photo of what arrived. We’ll put it right at no cost to you.

You shouldn’t have to pay for our mistake. Fairly basic principle, really.

Good to Know

How can I contact you?

We’re not shy.

You can get in touch by email, phone (call-back service), online form or even snail mail. Visit our dedicated CONTACT US page for all the options.

Is Ugly Mug environmentally sustainable?

We’re not going to pretend that making and delivering a physical product has zero environmental impact. It doesn’t.

What we can do is choose a model designed to reduce unnecessary waste. Every Ugly Mug is made to order rather than mass-produced and stored in the hope somebody eventually buys it.

Our production partner also uses a distributed local-production network. In its 2025 sustainability data, 86% of orders were produced in the same country as the customer and 99% in the same region, helping reduce transport distances, emissions and logistics waste.

Perfect? No. Better than producing piles of unwanted stock and shipping everything halfway around the planet? We think so.

Do you use AI?

Like any modern business, yes of course, but that doesn’t mean our mugs are designed by AI.

We use it to help with things like ideation, refining our custom-built image filters, small adjustments within design software, checking copy and streamlining some of the boring administrative stuff.

Every Ugly Mug design is underpinned by and rooted, in hours of human thought, judgement and creative work. AI helps us make things. It doesn’t decide what we make.