How Does Forwardme Work? A Step-by-Step Guide
Here's exactly how Forwardme works: get a free US address, shop any US store, consolidate packages, and ship to 220+ countries. Costs and customs explained.
Forwardme is a package forwarding service that gives you a real US shipping address so you can shop any American store and get your purchases delivered to your door. Whether you want to ship from the US to your country or you're after products that aren't available locally, Forwardme covers over 220 countries worldwide.
This guide walks you through exactly how Forwardme works, from signing up to getting your package delivered, plus what to know about costs, carriers, and customs before you ship for the first time.
Step 1: Create your free account and get your US address
Getting a free US address takes about two minutes. Sign up at forwardme.com and your US shipping address is ready immediately. No credit card required, no subscription to choose.
Your US address is a tax-free Delaware address, which means you won't pay US state sales tax on most purchases you ship there. Forwardme also has a location in New Jersey, another state with no sales tax on most goods.
Under the same account, you also get addresses in the UK and Türkiye. If you want to shop UK retailers or receive packages from Türkiye, those addresses are included at no extra cost.
Keep your address saved somewhere easy to find. It's the delivery address you'll use at checkout on every US store you shop from.
Step 2: Shop any US store
Use your Forwardme address as the delivery address at checkout on any US retailer. This is how to shop from US stores internationally: give the store a domestic US destination, and they handle the rest. Most retailers that don't offer international shipping will ship to a US address without any issue.
Because your address is in Delaware (or New Jersey), you won't pay US state sales tax on most purchases. Delaware is one of five US states with no statewide sales tax, according to the Delaware Division of Revenue. On a $200 order, that's typically $12 to $20 saved before international shipping even factors in.
This works on Amazon, Nike, Apple, specialty retailers, and smaller independent stores. If a store ships within the US, your Forwardme address will work.
Step 3: Your packages arrive at the warehouse
When your order ships from the retailer, it goes to Forwardme's US warehouse. You get an email notification as soon as it's checked in and logged to your account.
Your packages are held free for up to 15 days. That gives you time to order from several stores and wait for everything to arrive before you decide to ship. There's no pressure to forward items immediately. The storage window is there so you can consolidate before committing to international shipping costs.
From your dashboard, you can see everything currently at the warehouse, review status updates, and manage what happens next. You can request photos of any package or its contents to confirm what arrived and check condition before paying for international shipping.
If a retailer shipped your item in oversized or bulky packaging, you can request repacking. Carriers calculate international shipping partly on dimensional weight, a formula that accounts for the size of the box, not just actual weight. Repacking into a more efficient box reduces the billed weight and lowers your cost.
Step 4: Consolidate your orders
If you have multiple packages at the warehouse, consolidate packages into a single shipment before forwarding internationally. Consolidation means Forwardme combines everything into one box, so you pay international shipping once rather than separately for every item.
Here's a simple example. Say you ordered a pair of trainers from one US store and a jacket from another. Both arrive at the warehouse in separate boxes. Without consolidation, you'd pay international shipping twice. When you combine packages to save on shipping, you pay it once, and Forwardme strips out excess packaging to keep the dimensions and weight as efficient as possible.
The savings can be up to 70% compared to forwarding each item separately. The more packages you consolidate, the more you save. It makes the biggest difference when you're ordering from three or more stores, but it's worth doing even with two packages.
Packages are held for 15 days free, so there's plenty of time to wait for all your orders to arrive before requesting consolidation.
Want to see what consolidation could save you? Compare rates in the shipping calculator before you ship.
Step 5: Choose your carrier and ship
Log into your dashboard, compare carrier rates, pay for shipping, and you're done. Forwardme ships via DHL, FedEx, UPS, and USPS. Rates vary by carrier, destination, package weight, and dimensions.
Use the international shipping calculator to compare rates across all carriers before you decide. You can run a quote before you even create an account, so you know what to expect going in.
Because Forwardme ships in high volumes, its rates are significantly lower than booking the same carrier directly. In some cases, the difference can reach up to 80% which makes it a practical option for cheap international shipping from the USA, especially for shoppers who don't have access to negotiated carrier rates on their own.
Carrier | Best for | Typical speed |
|---|---|---|
DHL | Fast international, business-class delivery | 2–5 business days |
FedEx | Reliable express to most destinations | 2–5 business days |
UPS | Balance of speed and cost, no remote fee | 3–7 business days |
USPS | Cheapest option for smaller packages, no remote fee | 6–14 business days |
Aramex | Affordable shipping to the Middle East and GCC regions | 8-15 business days |
Asendia | Economy cross-border e-commerce shipments | 8-20 business days |
Forwardme Economy | Budget-friendly option for non-urgent international shipments | 6-11 business days |
If your delivery address falls in a Remote Delivery Area, UPS or USPS will usually be the most cost-effective choice.
Your package ships from the warehouse the same or next business day after payment. Real-time tracking is included from warehouse pickup through to delivery at your door.
Not sure which carrier to use? Run a quick quote in the international shipping calculator — it takes 30 seconds and shows all four carriers side by side.
The personal shopper service
Some US retailers decline international credit cards. Others require a US billing address that matches the payment method. This is common with certain electronics stores, clothing brands, and specialty retailers.
If that happens, the personal shopper service is the solution. Give the Forwardme team a product link and the details of what you want to buy. They purchase it using a US payment method, the package arrives at the warehouse as normal, and you ship it from there.
It also covers situations where a store won't ship to a forwarding address, or where checkout simply won't go through for an international customer. If you can't complete the purchase for any reason, this is the workaround.
What you can and can't ship
Most US consumer goods can be forwarded internationally without issue. But some items are restricted by carrier rules, destination country regulations, or both. Prohibited items shipping is something worth checking before you order, not after the fact.
Common restrictions include certain lithium batteries, flammable liquids, aerosols, pressurised containers, and some types of electronics. What's allowed also depends on where the package is going rules vary significantly by destination country.
Before you order something unusual or high-value, check the full list at forwardme.com/restrictions. The help centre also has a detailed breakdown of restricted and prohibited items with carrier-specific guidance.
Check before you buy. If a package arrives at the warehouse and can't be forwarded, it stays in storage until you arrange an alternative.
Shipping insurance and tracking
Real-time tracking comes standard with every Forwardme shipment. From the moment your package leaves the warehouse, you can follow it at each stage, warehouse dispatch, customs clearance, and final delivery to your address.
Optional shipping insurance is available if you want added protection. If a package is lost or damaged in transit, insurance covers the declared value of the contents. It's worth adding for high-value shipments: electronics, jewellery, or anything fragile that would be costly to replace.
You can add insurance when you submit your shipping request in the dashboard, before you pay.
Import duties and taxes
When your package arrives in your home country, customs authorities may charge import duties and taxes. These are set by your government and paid by you on arrival. For US-specific import rules and current de minimis thresholds, the US Customs and Border Protection website is the official source. Forwardme prepares and submits the customs declaration, but the charges themselves come from your country's tariff rules, not from Forwardme.
Rates depend on what you're importing, the declared value, the country of origin, and your destination country's tariff schedule. Some product categories are duty-free below a certain value threshold. Others attract charges regardless of price.
Our customs and import duties guide explains how duties are calculated for different countries and product types. If you want a closer estimate for your specific shipment, the duty calculator in the help centre can help.
The total landed cost, purchase price plus international shipping plus any import duties is what you actually pay. For large or high-value orders, it's worth running those numbers before you commit.
The Remote Delivery Area fee
FedEx and DHL apply a $35 surcharge to deliveries at addresses they classify as remote or hard to reach. This is called the Remote Delivery Area (RDA) fee, also referred to as a remote area surcharge.
It's a carrier charge, not a Forwardme charge. It applies to your home delivery address, not to the Forwardme warehouse.
Before choosing FedEx or DHL, use this guide to check whether your address falls in an RDA zone. If it does, UPS or USPS are usually the better options neither applies this surcharge.
The international shipping calculator shows rates across all available carriers for your address and package details, so you can compare everything before you pay.
What does it cost?
Signing up and getting your addresses is free. No subscription, no monthly fee.
You pay for international shipping when you're ready to forward a package. The rate depends on the package weight, dimensions, carrier, and destination. Use the international shipping calculator for an accurate quote, carrier rates change, and the calculator always reflects current pricing.
A few other charges to be aware of:
Remote Delivery Area fee: $35, applied by FedEx or DHL to certain delivery addresses. UPS and USPS don't charge this fee.
Carrier surcharges: Fuel surcharges, oversize fees, and other charges may apply. Full details at forwardme.com/help/what-are-surcharges.
Import duties and taxes: Paid on arrival in your country, set and collected by your government.
How does Forwardme work: common questions answered
Is it free to sign up? Yes. Creating an account and getting your US, UK, and Türkiye addresses costs nothing. There's no subscription.
What is a free US address? A real US street address in Delaware or New Jersey assigned to your account when you sign up. You use it as the delivery address when checking out on US websites.
How long are packages held at the warehouse? Up to 15 days, free of charge.
Can I see my package before I ship it? Yes. Request photos of any package or its contents from your dashboard.
What carriers are available? DHL, FedEx, UPS, USPS, Aramex and Asendia. Compare rates with the shipping calculator.
Do I have to pay import duties and taxes? Yes, they're charged by your home country's customs on arrival. Forwardme handles the documentation, but the charges go to you. Our customs guide explains what to expect.
What if a US store won't accept my card? Use the personal shopper service. The Forwardme team makes the purchase on your behalf.
What can't I forward? Check forwardme.com/restrictions for the full list.
What is the Remote Delivery Area fee? A $35 remote area surcharge applied by FedEx and DHL to certain delivery zip codes. Check if your address is affected before choosing a carrier.
Get started
Sign up for free at forwardme.com and your US shipping address is ready immediately. Nothing to pay until you choose to ship.
If you have more questions before signing up, the FAQ covers the most common ones.