What Is Package Forwarding? The Complete Guide for International Shoppers

Have you ever found a perfect product on an American website, only to see "We don't ship internationally" at checkout? Or added something to your Amazon US cart, only to discover the price triples once international shipping is added?

You're not alone. Millions of shoppers around the world face this exact problem every day. Package forwarding is the solution, and once you understand how it works, you'll never miss out on a US deal again.

This guide covers everything you need to know about package forwarding: what it is, how it works, what it costs, and how to get started today.

What Is Package Forwarding?

Package forwarding is a service that gives you a real US mailing address, receives your packages on your behalf, and ships them to your home country.

Here's the problem it solves: Most US online stores — Nike, Amazon US, Nordstrom, Target, eBay, Apple — either don't ship internationally at all, or charge extremely high rates for international delivery. A package forwarding service acts as your middleman inside the United States.

You shop at any US store using your forwarding address. The store ships to that US address. The forwarding company receives your package and then ships it to you, wherever you are in the world.

It's that simple. And it opens up the entire US retail market to you.

How Does a Package Forwarding Service Work?

At its core, a package forwarding service follows three steps.

Step 1 — Get a US address. When you sign up with a forwarder like Forwardme, you instantly receive a real US street address, in a state of Delaware, which has no sales tax.

Step 2 — Shop at US stores. Use your new US address as the delivery address at checkout. The store ships your order to that address as if you were a US customer.

Step 3 — The forwarder ships to you. Once your package arrives at the US warehouse, the forwarding company inspects it, repackages it if needed, and ships it to your door internationally using carriers like DHL, FedEx, or UPS.

Want to go deeper on the mechanics? Read our step-by-step breakdown of how it works step by step.

Why Do People Use International Package Forwarding?

There are five main reasons shoppers around the world rely on an international package forwarding service.

Access to US-Only Products

Many American brands sell exclusive products that are simply unavailable outside the US — limited sneaker releases, seasonal fashion collections, US-exclusive electronics configurations, and more. Forwarding gives you access to all of it.

Significant Price Differences

The same product can cost 20–40% more outside the US, even accounting for shipping. US sales, Black Friday deals, and membership discounts like Amazon Prime offer savings that international buyers can't usually access directly.

Stores That Don't Ship Internationally

A large number of US retailers, including many mid-size and specialty stores, simply don't offer international shipping. With a forwarding address, this restriction disappears entirely.

Consolidating Multiple Orders

One of the biggest hidden costs of international shopping is paying shipping fees separately for each order. A good forwarding service lets you consolidate packages — combining multiple purchases into one shipment. This alone can cut your shipping costs by up to 80%.

Better Rates Through Bulk Shipping

Forwarding companies ship thousands of packages every day. This volume gives them negotiated rates with DHL, FedEx, and UPS that individual shoppers could never access on their own.

What Can You Buy and Forward?

Almost anything sold on US retail sites can be forwarded internationally.

Fashion and apparel — Nike, Nordstrom, Ralph Lauren, Gap, Levi's

Electronics — Apple, Best Buy, B&H Photo, Newegg

Home and lifestyle — Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Crate & Barrel

Health and beauty — Sephora, Ulta, iHerb

Sports and outdoor gear — REI, Dick's Sporting Goods, Cabela's

Collectibles and specialty items — eBay US, Etsy sellers

A small number of items cannot be forwarded due to customs or shipping regulations, primarily hazardous materials and country-specific restricted goods. Your forwarding company will flag any restricted items before shipping.

How Much Does Package Forwarding Cost?

The total cost of using a parcel forwarding service has three components.

Membership fee. Many forwarding services charge a monthly or annual fee for access. At Forwardme, your basic membership is completely free — you pay nothing until you actually ship something. See our full breakdown on the shipping rates page.

The shipping fee. This is the main cost and varies by package weight and dimensions, your destination country, and your chosen shipping speed. As a rough guide, a 1 kg package from the US to most countries costs between $15 and $40 depending on the carrier and destination.

Optional services. These include package consolidation to combine multiple packages, repacking to reduce volumetric weight, photos of your package contents, and extended storage.

The most effective way to reduce your overall cost is consolidation, especially if you're ordering from multiple stores at once.

What Is a US Package Forwarding Address, Exactly?

When you sign up with a forwarding service, you receive a physical street address at the company's US warehouse. It looks like a normal US address, for example:

Your Name 123 Warehouse Drive, Suite 4521 Wilmington, DE 19801, United States

The suite or unit number at the end is your unique customer ID. It tells the warehouse which customer a package belongs to when it arrives.

This is a real, working address accepted by every major US retailer. You enter it at checkout exactly like any US shipping address.

Tax tip: Delaware has no state sales tax, which means packages shipped to a Delaware forwarding address are not subject to sales tax at checkout — an instant saving of 6–10% depending on what you'd normally pay.

Package Forwarding vs. Direct International Shipping

Some US retailers do offer international shipping directly. So why use a forwarding service instead?

When you ship directly through a retailer, you're limited to stores that offer the option, you pay the retailer's marked-up international rates, you can't combine orders from multiple stores, and you have no control over which carrier is used or at what cost.

With a us package forwarding service, every US store becomes available regardless of their shipping policy, you pay bulk carrier rates negotiated by the forwarder, you can consolidate orders from dozens of different stores into one shipment, and you choose the carrier and speed that fits your budget.

For regular shopping across multiple stores, forwarding is significantly cheaper and more flexible than direct shipping.

How to Get Started with Package Forwarding

Getting started takes less than five minutes.

First, get your free US address at Forwardme. Your account is free and your US address is ready immediately after signup.

Second, copy your US address and save it for easy access when shopping.

Third, shop at any US store. At checkout, paste your Forwardme address as the delivery address.

Fourth, wait for your package to arrive at our warehouse. You'll get an email notification the moment it lands.

Fifth, choose your shipping preferences — carrier, speed, and any add-ons like consolidation or insurance.

Sixth, we ship to you. Your package is dispatched within 24 hours of your shipping request.

If you want us to handle the entire purchase on your behalf, including the US credit card payment, we also offer a personal shopper service for items that require a US payment method.

Is Package Forwarding Legal?

Yes. Using a package forwarding service is completely legal. You are simply using a legitimate US mailing address, which is no different from having a friend in the US receive something for you.

The key legal consideration is customs: when your package arrives in your country, it may be subject to import duties and taxes depending on the declared value and your country's import regulations. Your forwarding company will provide all required customs documentation, and paying applicable customs duties is your responsibility as the importer.

Reputable forwarding services like Forwardme are fully transparent with carriers and customs, declaring the accurate value and contents of every shipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is package forwarding in simple terms? Package forwarding means a company receives your online purchases at a US address and then ships them to your home country. It lets you shop at any US store, including ones that don't ship internationally.

Is package forwarding safe? Yes. Reputable forwarding services operate bonded US warehouses, provide package insurance, and give you full tracking from the moment your package arrives at the warehouse until it reaches your door.

How long does package forwarding take? Once you request shipping, most packages are dispatched within 24 hours. International delivery then takes 2–5 business days for express services and 6–15 days for economy options, depending on your destination country.

Do I pay taxes when using a US forwarding address? If you ship to a tax-free state like Delaware, you pay no US sales tax at checkout. You may however be subject to import duties in your own country depending on the declared value of your shipment.

Can I use package forwarding for heavy or large items? Yes, though shipping costs increase with weight and dimensions. For heavy or bulky items, consolidation becomes especially valuable — combining multiple smaller packages is almost always cheaper than shipping them separately.

What happens if a package is lost or damaged? Forwardme offers insurance for an additional fee. Forwardme provides tracking at every stage and assists with carrier claims for lost or damaged shipments.

Summary

Package forwarding removes the single biggest barrier to international online shopping: the "we don't ship internationally" message.

With a free US address, you get access to every US retailer, the best US prices, tax-free shopping in Delaware, and the ability to consolidate multiple orders into one affordable shipment.

Ready to start shopping? Get your free US address — it takes under two minutes and costs nothing until you ship.