The five costs
| Cost | When you pay | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Item price | At order | The seller's price in Chinese yuan, converted to your currency. |
| Domestic shipping | At order | Seller to warehouse inside China. Often free, sometimes ¥5 to ¥15. |
| Service or payment fees | At order or top-up | Some agents charge a small service fee or a card/PayPal fee. Check the agent's fee page. |
| International shipping | When you ship | Usually the biggest cost, based on the parcel's chargeable weight and the line you pick. |
| Import tax and duty | On arrival, or included in the line | Depends on your country. See customs by country. |
Optional extras like extra photos, measuring, removing boxes or vacuum-sealing are usually cheap or free. Insurance is worth it on bigger parcels.
A worked example
A first haul of a hoodie, a T-shirt and a pair of trainers, shipped to the UK:
| Item | Approx. cost |
|---|---|
| Items (¥520) | about $72 |
| Domestic shipping (2 sellers) | about $2 |
| International shipping, 2.6 kg, special line | about $35 to $45 |
| Import VAT | depends on the line; some include it |
| Total | about $110 to $120 |
Prices are illustrative. Shipping rates change often, so get a live quote from your agent before you commit.
How to pay less
- Ship once. One 3 kg parcel is much cheaper than three 1 kg parcels.
- Cut the volume. Removing shoe boxes and vacuum-sealing clothes lowers volumetric weight.
- Compare lines. The cheapest line isn't always the slowest; check a few. See shipping lines.
- Watch exchange rates and coupons. Agents often run shipping coupons for new accounts.