Everything we get asked most often, in one place. If your question isn't here, email info@creatinehq.co.uk and we'll come back to you within 24 hours.
Ordering
Do I need an account to order?
No. You can check out as a guest. Creating an account just makes it quicker next time and keeps your order history in one place.
How do I know my order went through?
You'll get an order confirmation email as soon as you've paid, and a second email with tracking once your parcel leaves us. If the first email hasn't arrived within a few minutes, check your spam folder before getting in touch.
Can I change or cancel my order after placing it?
Email us as quickly as you can with your order number. If it hasn't been picked and packed we'll amend or cancel it. Once it's with the carrier we can't recall it, but you can still return it under our 30-day policy.
Do you sell wholesale or to trade?
Our checkout is for personal orders. If you'd like to buy wholesale, email info@creatinehq.co.uk and we'll take it from there.
Is there a minimum age?
Yes — you need to be 18 or over to order. Creatine products are food supplements intended for healthy adults, and manufacturer labelling routinely advises against use by children and adolescents.
Delivery
How much is delivery?
Free on UK mainland orders over £30. £2.99 on orders under £30. £7.99 to the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly and Northern Ireland, whatever the order value.
How long will it take?
2–4 working days from dispatch. Order before 2pm Monday to Friday and your order leaves us the same day; orders placed after 2pm, at weekends or on a bank holiday go out the next working day. Highlands, Islands and Northern Ireland typically take 3–6 working days.
Who delivers it?
Evri on orders under £40, DPD on orders of £40 and over. Both services are fully tracked, and you'll get the tracking link by email as soon as your parcel is with them.
Do you deliver at weekends?
We dispatch Monday to Friday only. The carriers do sometimes deliver on a Saturday, but we can't guarantee it.
Do you ship internationally?
Not yet — UK only, which includes England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Isles of Scilly. We can't deliver to PO Boxes or BFPO addresses. If you'd like to know when we open up to Ireland or the rest of Europe, email us and we'll add you to the list.
Tracking says delivered but nothing has arrived.
Check with your household and immediate neighbours first, and look anywhere a driver might reasonably leave a parcel. Parcels marked delivered turn up within 24 hours more often than you'd think. If it still hasn't appeared, email us with your order number and we'll open a claim with the carrier — please tell us within 21 days of the expected delivery date, as that's the window the carriers give us.
My order arrived damaged.
Contact us within 48 hours of delivery with photographs of the item, the outer packaging and the shipping label. Please hold on to the packaging until we've resolved it.
Returns and refunds
What's your returns policy?
You have 30 days from delivery to request a return. Items must be unopened with the manufacturer's seal intact, in their original packaging, and within their best-before date.
Why can't I return an opened tub?
Creatine is a food supplement. Once a safety seal is broken we have no way to verify what has happened to the contents and we cannot lawfully resell it. This is standard across UK supplement retail, and it's why we suggest starting with the smallest size of anything you haven't tried before.
Who pays return postage?
If you've changed your mind, you do — we'd recommend a tracked service, and keep your proof of postage. If the item is faulty, damaged, wrong or not as described, we cover it.
How do I start a return?
Email info@creatinehq.co.uk within 30 days of delivery with your order number, the items involved and the reason. We'll reply within 24 hours with authorisation and instructions. Please don't send anything back before you've heard from us — unauthorised parcels can't be matched to an order.
How long do refunds take?
We aim to process approved refunds within 3–5 working days of your return arriving, and always within 14 days. Your bank may then take a further 3–5 working days to show it.
Do you do exchanges?
The quickest route is to return the item you have and place a new order for the one you want. We'll refund as soon as your return arrives and passes inspection.
About creatine
What does creatine do?
Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine.
How much should I take?
Always follow the dosage on the label of the product you've bought — formulations differ, and the label supersedes anything on this website.
What's the difference between monohydrate, Creapure®, micronised, HCl and Kre-Alkalyn?
Monohydrate is the standard and most widely studied form. Creapure® is a specific German-manufactured grade of monohydrate. Micronised monohydrate has been milled to a finer particle size, which makes it mix more easily. HCl and Kre-Alkalyn are alternative chemical forms, usually taken at smaller serving sizes. We stock all of them, and each product page lists the form, the grade and the creatine per serving so you can compare like for like.
Powder, capsules, tablets or gummies — does it matter?
It's a question of what you'll actually stick with. Powder is the cheapest per serving and gives you the most flexibility on dose. Capsules, tablets, gummies and sachets cost more per serving but need no scoop, no shaker and no mixing, which suits travel and work bags.
There's grit at the bottom of my shaker. Is the product faulty?
No. Creatine monohydrate is only partially soluble in cold water, so a gritty residue is completely normal. Mixing with warmer liquid, or letting it sit for a minute and stirring again, usually helps.
My unflavoured powder has gone clumpy.
Also normal. Creatine draws in moisture from the air. Keep the tub sealed, in a cool dry place, and use a dry scoop. Clumping doesn't affect how the product works.
Should I take it with anything, or at a particular time?
Follow the manufacturer's directions on the label. If you have a specific question about a product we stock, email us and we'll tell you what the label says.
Is it safe for me?
We can't advise on individual circumstances. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before taking creatine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have any kidney, liver or heart condition, have diabetes, take any prescription medication, or are under medical supervision for any reason. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, and nothing we sell is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
I'm a competing athlete — are your products batch-tested?
Some are, and where a product carries a recognised certification it's stated on the listing. Where it doesn't, we make no representation about it. Checking a product against your governing body's anti-doping rules is your responsibility.
Do you have anything for people new to creatine?
Yes — see our Creatine for Beginners collection, and our guides.
Products and stock
Are your products genuine?
Yes. We source through UK authorised distributors, and everything we ship is sealed, in date and batch-traceable.
The packaging looks different to the photo.
Product photographs are illustrative, and manufacturers rebrand without telling retailers in advance. The product itself is as described. Always read the label on what you receive.
I have an allergy — can you tell me if a product is safe?
Check the physical label on the product you receive, every time, including on repeat purchases. Manufacturers change formulations and production facilities. We can't guarantee any product is free from cross-contamination unless the label says so.
How much shelf life will my product have?
Everything is dispatched with a reasonable best-before date remaining. If you need a specific minimum date, email us before ordering and we'll check the batch we're holding.
Something I want is out of stock.
Email us with the product name and we'll tell you when it's due back, or point you at the closest equivalent we hold.
About us
Who are CreatineHQ?
We're a UK online retailer that sells creatine and nothing else — every form, every reputable brand. Being a specialist means we can tell you the creatine per serving, the grade and the real cost per dose on every product, which a general supplement shop generally can't.
Do you have a shop I can visit?
No — we're online only, and we dispatch from Glasgow.
How do I get in touch?
Email info@creatinehq.co.uk. We answer every email within 24 hours, seven days a week. Orders are dispatched Monday to Friday.