Forwarders & Shopping Agents
Calculate dimensional weight and estimate shipping costs for popular package forwarders and shopping agents. Each guide explains how volumetric weight is calculated and provides tips to reduce your shipping expenses.
15 services with detailed shipping calculator guides. Select a forwarder below to understand their volumetric weight rules and get cost-saving tips.
Shopping Agents
Services that purchase items on your behalf from Chinese, Japanese, and other regional e-commerce platforms.
Pandabuy
Shopping AgentPandabuy is a popular shopping agent service that helps international buyers purchase products from Chinese e-commerce platforms. They handle purchasing, quality inspection, consolidation, and international shipping for customers who want to buy from Taobao, Weidian, and other Chinese marketplaces.
Sugargoo
Shopping AgentSugargoo is a shopping agent platform specializing in helping international buyers purchase from Chinese e-commerce sites. Known for competitive shipping rates and responsive customer service, they offer purchasing, inspection, and international forwarding services for Taobao, Weidian, and other Chinese marketplaces.
Wegobuy
Shopping AgentWegobuy is an established shopping agent platform helping international customers buy from Chinese e-commerce sites. They provide purchasing, quality control photography, package consolidation, and worldwide shipping services for products from Taobao, Tmall, JD, and other platforms.
CSSBuy
Shopping AgentCSSBuy is a shopping agent service enabling international buyers to purchase from Chinese e-commerce platforms. They offer competitive rates, multiple shipping carrier options, and consolidation services for orders from Taobao, Weidian, 1688, and other Chinese marketplaces.
Superbuy
Shopping AgentSuperbuy is a well-established shopping agent platform that helps international buyers purchase products from Chinese e-commerce sites. They offer comprehensive services including purchasing assistance, quality inspection, photo services, and worldwide shipping from Taobao, JD, and other platforms.
Buyee
Shopping AgentBuyee is a Japanese proxy buying service that enables international shoppers to purchase from Japanese e-commerce sites and auctions. They provide purchasing, inspection, consolidation, and international shipping services for items from Yahoo Auctions Japan, Rakuten, Amazon Japan, and other Japanese platforms.
ZenMarket
Shopping AgentZenMarket is a Japanese proxy buying and auction bidding service for international customers. They enable purchases from Yahoo Auctions Japan, Rakuten, Amazon Japan, Mercari, and other Japanese platforms, providing inspection, consolidation, and worldwide shipping services.
Package Forwarders
Services providing local addresses to receive packages, with consolidation and international shipping.
MyUS
Package ForwarderMyUS is a package forwarding service based in Florida, USA, providing international shoppers with a US shipping address. They receive packages from US retailers, consolidate shipments, and forward them to over 220 countries worldwide.
Shipito
Package ForwarderShipito is a package forwarding company offering US, UK, and Austrian addresses for international shoppers. They provide package consolidation, repackaging, and worldwide shipping services, enabling access to US and European retailers that don't ship internationally.
Stackry
Package ForwarderStackry is a US-based package forwarding service providing international shoppers with an American shipping address in New Hampshire (tax-free state). They offer consolidation, repackaging, and worldwide shipping to help customers buy from US retailers.
Planet Express
Package ForwarderPlanet Express is a California-based package forwarding service providing international shoppers with a US shipping address. They offer consolidation, repackaging, photo services, and worldwide shipping with a focus on competitive rates and transparent pricing.
Forward2me
Package ForwarderForward2me is a UK-based package forwarding service providing international shoppers with British shipping addresses. They offer consolidation, repackaging, and worldwide shipping to help customers purchase from UK and EU retailers that don't ship internationally.
Reship
Package ForwarderReship is a multi-origin package forwarding service offering addresses in the USA, Canada, and UK. They provide international shoppers with local addresses for purchasing from retailers in these countries, with consolidation, repackaging, and global shipping services.
Shipping Software
Platforms offering discounted carrier rates and shipping tools for businesses and individuals.
Pirate Ship
Shipping SoftwarePirate Ship is a free shipping software platform that provides discounted USPS and UPS rates for businesses and individuals in the United States. They offer commercial pricing without monthly fees, making shipping more affordable for e-commerce sellers, small businesses, and personal shippers.
Shippo
Shipping SoftwareShippo is a multi-carrier shipping API and platform that helps businesses access discounted rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and other carriers. They provide shipping label generation, tracking, and integration tools for e-commerce businesses of all sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a shopping agent?
A shopping agent is a service that purchases products on your behalf from stores in a specific country (like China or Japan) and ships them to you internationally. They handle purchasing, inspection, consolidation, and international shipping for buyers who can't buy directly.
What is a package forwarder?
A package forwarder provides you with a local address in a country (like the USA or UK). You ship your purchases to that address, and they forward the packages to your international address. They often offer consolidation to combine multiple packages into one shipment.
How do forwarders calculate shipping costs?
Most forwarders calculate shipping using 'chargeable weight'—the higher of actual weight or volumetric (dimensional) weight. Volumetric weight is calculated by multiplying package dimensions and dividing by a carrier-specific divisor (typically 5000-6000 for metric).
What is volumetric weight for shipping?
Volumetric weight (also called dimensional weight) reflects the space a package occupies rather than its physical weight. It's calculated as (Length × Width × Height) ÷ Divisor. Carriers charge the higher of actual or volumetric weight to account for large, lightweight packages.
How can I reduce my forwarder shipping costs?
Key strategies include: consolidating multiple packages into one shipment, requesting removal of unnecessary packaging, using vacuum packing for clothing, comparing carriers with different volumetric divisors, and choosing economy shipping for non-urgent items.
What's the difference between shopping agents and forwarders?
Shopping agents purchase products for you from local stores and handle the entire process. Package forwarders provide an address and forward packages you've already purchased. Shopping agents are necessary when stores don't accept international payment or only ship domestically.
Related Tools & Resources
Dimensional Weight Calculator
Calculate volumetric weight with carrier presets
ToolChargeable Weight Calculator
Compare actual vs volumetric weight
HubWhat is Dimensional Weight?
Complete guide to volumetric weight
GuideHow to Reduce Chargeable Weight
Tips for lowering shipping costs
DefinitionDivisor (DIM Factor)
Understanding the key calculation factor
DefinitionChargeable Weight
What determines your shipping cost