Guide · shipping
Shipping is a weight problem before it is a price problem
Two parcels of the same price can cost 40% differently to ship, and the difference is almost never the line you picked. It is the box, the fill and whether the agent billed you on volume.
Rough estimator
What would a parcel cost?
Indicative ranges only — real quotes come from the agent’s checkout, and lines change monthly.
Estimated shipping
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Typical transit
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Billed weight
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Ranges assume a compact parcel under 60 cm on its longest side.
Actual weight, volumetric weight, and the bigger one
Couriers bill the greater of actual and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is length × width × height ÷ a divisor the line sets, usually between 5,000 and 8,000. A puffer jacket that weighs 900 g but fills a 40 × 30 × 20 cm box bills as roughly 3–4.8 kg.
This is the single biggest surprise in agent shipping, and the cheapest fix: ask the warehouse to vacuum-pack soft goods before quoting. It reduces volume without touching weight.
The three line types, in plain words
Economy
~$8–12 / kg
Sea or rail plus local delivery. Slow, cheap, and the volume tier is the most forgiving.
25–45 days
Standard
~$14–20 / kg
Air consolidation. The default for most clothing parcels under 5 kg.
10–18 days
Express
~$24–34 / kg
Courier with tracking at every hop. Worth it for one urgent item, not for a haul.
5–9 days
What the parcel legally costs on arrival
Within the EU, import VAT applies from the first euro — the old €22 exemption was removed in 2021. Above €150 of goods value, duty is charged on top. Both are usually collected by the carrier before delivery, plus a handling fee.
German import VAT on goods + shipping
Goods-value threshold before duty applies
Typical carrier handling fee per parcel
Four ways to make a parcel cheaper
- Consolidate. Three orders in one box remove two base fees.
- Vacuum-pack soft goods. Volume is the line item you can actually change.
- Drop the shoebox. A box inside a box can add a volumetric tier.
- Split the heavy from the light. Two parcels sometimes beat one oversized one.
FAQ
Shipping questions
Is shipping charged on actual or volumetric weight?
Whichever is higher. Most lines bill the greater of the two, which is why a light puffer can cost more to ship than a heavy pair of boots.
When do I pay EU import VAT?
From the first euro in most EU countries — the old €22 exemption is gone. Above €150 goods value, duty applies on top of VAT.
Can I consolidate parcels?
Yes, and you should. Consolidating three orders into one parcel removes two base fees and usually one volumetric tier.
What cannot be shipped?
Batteries, liquids, aerosols, magnets, knives and anything with a brand licence the line refuses. The agent will flag it at the warehouse, not at checkout.