You probably may have encountered online stores that only ship to US or UK addresses if you shop online. Such shipping restrictions mean you might miss out on fantastic products and deals if you live in Australia or Kenya. That isn’t very fair.
Companies now offer parcel forwarding services to put an end to that bottleneck.
What is a Parcel Forwarding Service?
A parcel forwarding service allows you to shop at any online store, deliver the item to a US or UK address, and forward it to your location.
Parcel forwarding service is also known as package forwarding, mail forwarding, or forwarding service.
Parcel forwarding becomes the perfect solution for online shoppers who can’t shop at certain online stores because they live outside the store’s service area.
A package forwarding service is also an excellent idea for individuals who cannot immediately receive mail because they’re away from home, either on a business trip or vacation. So if you do not know when you’d be back, have a company receive the item at a specified US address. You can then forward it to your desired location whenever and wherever you can receive it.
Consider many things when choosing a parcel forwarding service, including shipping cost, trustworthiness, package consolidation, and shipping time.
We have reviewed and compiled the best package forwarding services below to make things easier for you.
Best Package Forwarding Services for International Shoppers
- Stackry
- Forward2me
- Planet Express
- PostScan Mail
- Shipito
- Fishisfast
- Opas
- MyUS
- Reship
- Shippn
- Ship7
- Shop & Ship
Stackry
Stackry gets our highest recommendation because the company offers reliable worldwide shipping, making it one of the best parcel forwarding services.
You get a free US shipping address after registration, and you can choose how you want your package shipped.
However, they don’t offer free photos of packages.
Stackry Features
- No membership or monthly fees
- Tax-free shipping
- Standard repacking at $5 per package
- Consolidation at $2 per package
- Free 45-day package storage (15 days more than the 30-day industry standard)
- Express shipping to over 200 countries worldwide
- Discounted shipping with major carriers: DHL, FedEx, and USPS.
- Email notifications to keep you updated on your shipment until arrival.
*Get $10 OFF when you use this code “7544465“
Forward2me
Forward2Me is a package forwarding service located in the UK. On registration, the forwarding company gives you a UK, Turkey, or Japan address so that you can shop on any online store that ships to any of these countries. But, of course, you’d hardly find an eCommerce store that doesn’t.
Forward2me Features:
- Package storage is free for 30 days
- Membership is free, meaning you get a UK, Germany, Turkey, and Japan native address at no cost.
- Tax-free UK native address
- Forward2me ships from the UK, Germany, Turkey, and Japan.
- Fast shipping and great value for money
- Ships to over 200 countries
- Ships dangerous goods
- You are charged based on item weight and dimensions. No extra fees.
Planet Express
Planet Express‘s package forwarding services offer free US address for online shopping and UK addresses as well. In addition, shoppers can enjoy a tax-free US address in Oregon for just a $5 fee.
Planet Express offers its forwarding services in two packages: a free and paid plan. Whereas the free plan doesn’t include consolidation service and can handle only one package, the premium plan does, thus saving you the shipping costs.
Planet Express Features:
- Free US mailing address.
- Free repackaging, 2 free pictures when packages arrive, and personal shopper.
- Paid plan costs $10 per month and $50 per year.
- Forwarding costs $2 per package for the free and paid plan.
- Consolidation costs an additional $5
- 10 days of free storage for the free plan and 30 for the paid plan.
- PayPal, Amazon Pay, Wire Transfers, and BitPay are supported.
PostScan Mail
PostScan Mail is a virtual mailbox and package forwarding company that allows you to manage your packages remotely from your device. They offer you a virtual address where you can receive your mail and purchased items, have them scanned, viewed on your smartphone or laptop, and discarded or forwarded to your location.
Their package forwarding services give you a real street address in the US. So if you’re ever within reach of the virtual mailing address you selected, you can walk in and pick up your package.
PostScan Mail Features:
- Mobile app with unlimited cloud storage to access your mail and packages.
- Offers virtual mailbox and package consolidation
- Tax-free addresses in Delaware, Oregon, and New Hampshire
- Automated customs form and commercial invoice
- Ships from over 400 virtual addresses to over 190 countries
- 30 days of free storage
Shipito
Shipito is arguably one of the best package forwarding services and offers you one address in the US and one in the EU.
They ship worldwide to about 220 countries, so the chances are that you’d find their helpful service wherever you are. Their website is relatively easy to use, and their shipping is fast. In addition, Shipito offers a free and paid (premium) plan. The premium plan allows you to order multiple packages with a 0% sale tax address.
Shipito Features:
- Offers free storage for up to 180 days
- The free account offers five days of free storage
- Ship worldwide to 220 countries
- 24/7 customer support
- Free repackaging and package consolidation
- $3 processing fee for the free account
- $2 processing fee for the premium membership
- Overweight packages cost $10 extra
- Offers mail forwarding
Fishisfast
Fishisfast has proven to be one of the best parcel forwarding services, especially when you desire extended storage. They offer up to 6 months of free storage, and their packing speed is quite fast, hence their brand name. You can get your items packed and ready for shipping on the same day.
Fishisfast offers a free US address on registration, which is free, with no credit card required.
On the flip side, some countries don’t offer credit card payment options.
Fishisfast Features
- Free US address
- Free storage for up to 6 months
- Free package consolidation
- Free package photos (although you pay $5 for Always Content photos and $5 for One-time Content photos)
- Free membership and no hidden charges
- Zero US sales tax
- Fastpacking and package handling
- Payment option of cashback service
- Paid express processing, power-on testing, and personal shopper
URL: https://www.fishisfast.com/en
Opas
Opas notably offers addresses in Japan and the US. This is a go-to package forwarding solution for online shopping in Japan and other countries in proximity to it. Although Opas charges higher, their forwarding services are top quality and rated pretty high, just like their competitors (4/5).
Opas Features:
- Opas offers free (basic) and paid plans (Premium and Distributor).
- The free plan offers package forwarding only
- The premium plan starts at $15/month or 100/year
- Free consolidation and repacking for premium members
- Distributor plan for online retailers and distributors at $20/year
- Ships from the USA and Japan to any country around the world
- 30 days of free storage
- Supports credit, debit, & prepaid cards, and PayPal
URL: https://opas.com/
MyUS
MyUS is one of the oldest and most trusted package forwarding companies in the United States. Since its inception in 1997, MyUS has forwarded over 16 million packages from the United States to customers all over the globe.
With MyUS, you can get a 7% discount on your online shopping at any US online store, thanks to the company’s tax-free postcode.
Their services come in two ways: free membership and paid premium membership. You can also use MyUS to get a virtual mailing address for mail forwarding.
MyUS Features:
- Tax-free Florida address
- Offers free repacking and consolidation service, personal shopper
- Mobile app on Android and iOS
- Ships from the US worldwide
- Ships restricted items such as non-prescription medicine and dangerous goods.
- Payment method includes credit cards, PayPal, Check/money order, and Wire Transfer.
- Free trial on the paid plan
- Offers mail forwarding for $25/month (only on premium membership)
- Shipping services cost $25.07 for 1 lb and $27.67 for 2 lbs. 4 lbs cost $33.95.
Reship
Reship is a package forwarding company that offers addresses in Canada, the US, and the UK. Their services come with the right to inspect your packages without notice.
Services include consolidation, personal shopping, B2B, gift wrapping, and special requests.
Reship Features:
- Consolidation costs $2/package and $7/edits
- Package storage is free for 30 days.
- Ships from 3 different addresses (Canada, the US, and the UK)
- Does not ship to 14 countries, including Algeria, North Korea, and Yemen.
- Pricing varies per package for the one-time shopper
- Monthly membership costs $10/month and $99/year
- A one-time signup fee of $5
- Payment method includes Paypal, Visa, and MasterCard.
- Duties and taxes vary according to the import policies of the destination country.
Shippn
Shippn offers free addresses in over 26 countries, meaning you can ship from virtually all over the globe. The innovative parcel forwarding company enables online shoppers to order their favorite items efficiently and cost-effectively and have them shipped to their doorsteps wherever they are
Because it offers addresses in various countries, Shippn is best to shop for rare products from less popular online stores in Italy, Singapore, Germany, etc.
Shippn Features:
- Free membership.
- Offers repacking, consolidation, and forwarding services.
- Option for scanning and emailing.
- Loyalty programs for business owners.
- Credit card payment.
- 30 days of free storage.
- It ships from over 26 countries to over 180 countries.
- Shipping fees depend on the shipping address, destination, and package dimensions.
- It offers Personal Shopper service for a $10 fee.
Ship7
Ship7 offers parcel forwarding with free addresses in the USA, UK, and Turkey meaning you can do online shopping in any US or UK online store. You can also shop for any online retailer that ships to either of these countries. On their website, the company claims to be your friends living in the US and UK who can help you get whatever you need. It’s true because most of their services are either free or cheap.
Their additional service and shipping costs are reasonable. And they also offer DDP for select regions.
Ship7 notably offers free shipping insurance for items valued up to $100. You can also get more sophisticated insurance for just an additional $3. In short, many services offered by Ship7 are free.
Offers repacking service, free package consolidation service, mail forwarding, and package insurance
Ship7 Features:
- Free membership (free UK and US addresses)
- Tax-free online shopping when you send your packages to their tax-free warehouse
- Shipping cost varies with package dimension, and you can reduce the total size by packing multiple items in one package.
- Free storage for 60 days
- Accept payment through Credit Card & Paypal.
- Personal shopper for 10% fee.
URL: https://ship7.com/
Shop & Ship
Shop & ship offers remarkable parcel forwarding but is at the bottom of the list for a reason. They charge a $45 signup fee and ship to only 80 countries. If yours is among them, then this isn’t much of a problem.
However, Shop & Ship’s high cost has its dividends: you get 30 international addresses to shop online stores all over the globe!
Notwithstanding, there remain some downsides to Shop & Ship services. They offer neither free storage nor consolidation because they ship immediately after the package arrives. All their plans are also paid.
Shop & Ship Features:
- S&S Protect offers free protection against loss or damage for all shipments above $100.
- S&S Select allows you to shop restricted items, including nail polish, hair spray, hair growth products, etc., for an additional $10.
- Supports Credit & debit cards
- 25% discount on S&S Select service allows you to ship restricted goods such as hair growth products, perfumes, etc.
- It has a mobile app compatible with Android & iOS.
URL: https://www.shopandship.com/
Most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why would you use a package forwarding company?
There are three notable reasons why you’d need package forwarding:
- The primary reason for using forwarding services is that you shop in an online store that doesn’t ship to your country. The service provider can receive and reship the delivery in a supported location.
- Another situation where parcel forwarding proves useful is when you are currently away from home and cannot personally receive mail.
- If you do not want to use your personal address for receiving mail as a home-based business, mail forwarding is also a viable solution.
How do package forwarding services work?
It usually works in the following steps:
- You register/sign up with the forwarding provider and get a native address in the US, UK, or other countries you need to ship to. You’re also given an account number that uniquely identifies you.
- You input that native address when checking out after your online shopping.
- The parcel forwarder receives the item(s) at that native address, which is most likely their warehouse.
- The company may consolidate and repack the item(s) as the case may be and provide storage.
- You pay the package forwarder for the service provider, which may include repacking, consolidating, and customs fees for shipping to your home address.
- The package forwarder ships the item(s) to your location.
Best package forwarding the US to Canada
- Stackry
- Planet Express
- Shipito
- Fishisfast
- MyUS
- Opas
- Reship
Best package forwarding from the US to Australia
- Stackry
- Shipito
- MyUS
- Reship
- Ship7
- Fishisfast
- Opas
Is parcel forwarding safe?
Yes. It’s relatively safe and reliable, especially when dealing with a reputable company. That’s why checking customer reviews on a particular company before subscribing to their service is advisable. Avoid companies whose offer sounds too good to be accurate and have very few or poor ratings.
Is package forwarding legal?
Yes. Using a package forwarding service is legit as all the listed companies are registered agencies, and you can find thousands of reviews from people who used the service before.
What is the cheapest package forwarding service?
Stackry is one of the cheapest package forwarding services in the US. As they offer no membership or monthly fees, tax-free shipping, and free 45-day package storage.
Can I use a parcel forwarding company to avoid customs fees?
When shipping internationally, the items are generally subject to customs charges. While you cannot avoid it, you can use package forwarding to minimize your custom fees since forwarding companies ship items in bulk.
Most parcel forwarding companies will embed the custom fees in your total shipping fees, so you may not know you’re paying for it. Some also declare the charges per item on their website.
Do parcel forwarding companies provide insurance?
Most package forwarding providers offer insurance for your items at a cost. However, you may choose whether or not to buy the coverage. In addition, some offer free insurance for specific packages. For example, Shop & Ship offers free coverage against loss and theft for parcels valued over $100.
Are there any restrictions on what can be shipped using a parcel forwarding service?
Yes, some items may be prohibited from being imported into certain countries or may require additional documentation or fees to be paid. It’s important to check with the parcel forwarding service and your country’s customs regulations before purchasing.
Conclusion
Several reputable companies offer parcel forwarding, but it ideally depends on your needs and which one to use.
If you’re looking for a provider that offers a tax-free address and mail forwarding, MyUS and PostScan Mail are excellent choices. On the other hand, Shop & Ship is ideally the best parcel forwarding option if you shop for expensive items and therefore desire free insurance.
All of the parcel forwarding companies listed above are safe, reputable, and reliable, so it depends on you, how sophisticated your needs are, and how much you’re willing to pay.
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