If you’ve spent any time in Cuban Facebook groups or WhatsApp chains from family abroad, you’ve probably run into the name Katapulk. It’s one of a handful of online platforms that let people outside Cuba buy groceries, appliances, and household goods for delivery straight to a relative’s door on the island. Here’s what the platform actually does, how the ordering process works, what it costs, and where it fits next to other options like Tuambia.
What Is Katapulk?
Katapulk is a Miami-based e-commerce marketplace, founded in 2016 by Cuban-American entrepreneur Hugo Cancio. It connects buyers anywhere in the world with private stores and suppliers that deliver products inside Cuba. Rather than running its own single warehouse, Katapulk works as an umbrella marketplace: over 150 different vendors and stores list products on the platform, and Katapulk handles payment, logistics, and delivery on their behalf.
The catalog covers a wide range: food staples, meat, cooking oil, toiletries, hygiene products, hardware, construction materials, appliances, car parts, and even mobile phone recharges and home internet payments for Nauta Hogar. In 2025, Katapulk also launched Katapulk Cargo, a separate logistics arm aimed at Cuba’s growing private business sector.
Katapulk isn’t the only service doing this. Similar platforms include Supermarket23, Cuballama, and Mercatoria, all of which US media has nicknamed the “Cuban Amazons.” Tuambia’s own Tuambia Envíos a Cuba service works on a similar principle, letting people abroad order food and appliances for delivery across Cuban provinces.
How Katapulk Works
The ordering process is fairly standard for this type of platform:
- Create an account on katapulk.com or through the Katapulk mobile app (available on iOS and Android).
- Browse the catalog and add items to your cart. Products can come from multiple stores within a single order.
- Enter the delivery address in Cuba, including province, municipality, and any specific references needed to find the location.
- Pay from outside Cuba using the payment methods available in your country.
- Track the order status until it’s delivered.
Katapulk has advertised delivery times of under 10 days for most orders, though actual timing depends on the province and the specific vendor fulfilling the item. If you’ve used a service like Tuambia’s online store before, the flow will feel familiar: pick products, confirm a Cuban address, pay abroad, track the shipment.
What Can You Buy on Katapulk?
Katapulk’s catalog is broader than a typical grocery delivery app. Shoppers commonly order:
- Food staples: rice, beans, cooking oil, flour, pasta, coffee
- Meat and protein: pork, chicken, beef
- Toiletries and hygiene products
- Small and large appliances: refrigerators, fans, pressure cookers, irons
- Hardware and construction materials
- Mobile recharges and Nauta Hogar internet payments
- Bottled gas (balitas), added to the platform in 2025
That range is wider than most competitors, which tend to specialize in either food or appliances rather than both. Tuambia takes a similar dual approach, splitting its offering between Tuambia Alimentos for food and a separate shipping line for appliances and hardware.
Katapulk Pricing and Fees
Katapulk’s pricing model has changed more than once, so treat any specific number as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. As of its most recent public update, in August 2025, the company said it was selling products “at cost,” with no markup baked into item prices. Instead, it charges a flat Katapulk Service fee of $7.99 per order, which the company says covers payment processing, regulatory compliance, and customer support.
Before that change, pricing worked differently, with margins built into individual product prices rather than a single flat fee. Given how often these platforms adjust their fee structure, it’s worth checking the current pricing at checkout before you commit to an order, rather than relying on an old screenshot or a friend’s memory of what they paid last year.
Katapulk Delivery Coverage in Cuba
Katapulk has expanded steadily since launch. The platform has reported coverage across 13 Cuban provinces, including Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Havana, Mayabeque, and others, with home delivery in most of the areas where private vendors operate. Coverage tends to be strongest in and around Havana, which matches the general pattern across this category of service. Tuambia’s own coverage runs across Havana, Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Matanzas, and Villa Clara (including Santa Clara), and is still adding provinces.
If a specific municipality isn’t listed at checkout on any of these platforms, it’s usually worth contacting support directly rather than assuming delivery isn’t possible. Rules and coverage maps shift often enough that the website isn’t always the last word.
Katapulk vs. Other Cuba Delivery Platforms
Here’s how Katapulk stacks up against a few of the other well-known options in this space.
| Feature | Katapulk | Tuambia | Cubamax | Supermarket23 |
| Founded | 2016 | Ongoing operation, US-based | Long-running remittance brand | Linked to state enterprise structures |
| Focus | Food, appliances, hardware, recharges | Food and appliance shipping | Packages, food, remittances | Groceries and gas cylinders |
| Pricing model | Flat service fee (~$7.99) plus item cost | Order total plus shipping cost | Varies by service type | Varies by product |
| Mobile app | Yes (iOS/Android) | Web-based ordering | Yes | Yes |
| Ownership | Privately held, Hugo Cancio | Independent operator | Independent operator | Tied to state-linked group |
If Katapulk doesn’t cover the province you need, or you’d rather compare a second option before ordering, Tuambia’s guide on where to send food and shopping in Cuba and the page on reaching Cubamax by phone are both useful starting points.
Is Katapulk Reliable?
This is the part worth being honest about. Katapulk has real scale and a long operating history, and plenty of customers report smooth, on-time deliveries. But customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot are mixed, with complaints about delayed food orders, prices changing after payment, and product weight discrepancies on delivery. None of that is unique to Katapulk; every platform in this category has a similar spread of reviews, because logistics inside Cuba are genuinely difficult regardless of which US company is managing the order.
The practical takeaway: keep your order confirmation and tracking number, photograph anything that arrives damaged or short-weighted, and contact support quickly if something looks wrong. If you want a service with a more predictable process, it’s worth comparing the Mercado Tuambia guide to see how a similar platform structures its ordering and delivery process, and reading through how to reach Tuambia’s customer support before you’re stuck waiting on an order.
Tracking a Katapulk Order
Like most platforms in this space, Katapulk issues a tracking number once an order ships, letting you check its status online instead of calling anyone for an update. If you’re used to a different platform’s tracking system, Tuambia’s page on how order tracking numbers work explains the general process, which is close to identical across most Cuba delivery services.
Frequently Asked Questions About Katapulk
Is Katapulk a legitimate company?
Yes. Katapulk Marketplace LLC is a registered US-based technology company operating since 2016, with partnerships including a remittance deal with Western Union. That said, legitimate doesn’t mean complaint-free, so check current reviews before placing a large order.
How much does Katapulk charge per order?
As of its most recent pricing update, Katapulk charges products at cost plus a flat $7.99 service fee per order. Fees have changed in the past, so confirm the current cost at checkout.
How long does Katapulk delivery take?
The company has advertised delivery in under 10 days for most orders, though timing varies by province and by which vendor is fulfilling the specific item.
Does Katapulk deliver to all of Cuba?
No. Coverage currently spans 13 provinces, with the strongest availability around Havana and nearby regions. Some rural municipalities may not be covered yet.
Can I send money through Katapulk, not just goods?
Yes. Katapulk partnered with Western Union to offer remittance transfers of up to $2,000 per transaction, deposited into Cuban bank accounts at select banks.
Is Katapulk the same as Tuambia?
No, they’re separate companies. Both operate as online marketplaces that let people abroad send food, appliances, and household goods to Cuba, but they run independent catalogs, pricing, and delivery networks. Comparing Tuambia’s shipping guide against Katapulk’s offering is a reasonable way to decide which fits your situation.
Conclusion
Katapulk has built a genuinely large catalog and a track record that goes back nearly a decade, which puts it a step ahead of some newer competitors in this space. It’s not flawless. Order delays and pricing complaints show up often enough in reviews that they’re worth planning around, not dismissing.
If you’re sending food, appliances, or hardware to family in Cuba, it’s worth comparing Katapulk’s current pricing and coverage against alternatives like Tuambia before you place an order, especially if your relative lives outside the provinces where delivery is strongest. Whichever platform you choose, keep your tracking number, confirm the delivery address carefully, and follow up quickly if anything looks off on arrival.