How a parcel from China is priced
Almost every line prices a parcel in two parts: a first-weight charge covering the first half kilogram or first kilogram, and a smaller charge for every additional 500 grams above it. That structure is why one light item looks expensive and ten light items look cheap — the first-weight charge is paid once per parcel.
On top of weight come the fees: a service or handling fee from the agent, a payment processing fee on the money you sent, optional insurance, and possibly customs duty or VAT when the parcel lands. Currency conversion touches all of them, because the agent quotes in CNY and you pay in your own currency at whatever spread your payment method applies.
The final variable is the exchange rate you actually got. Use the exchange rate converter to check the live mid-market rate before accepting an agent's settled rate, and remember that a one-percent spread on a large haul is real money.
Run the numbers
Enter the product price, the shipping rate your agent quoted, the fees you expect and the parcel weight. The result is a band rather than a single figure, because every input is an estimate at this stage.
Estimate only
Cost result
Enter your own current rates, then calculate an estimate.
Your low, mid, and high estimate will appear here.
The calculator does not submit your inputs until you explicitly create a share link.
Chargeable weight: the number that decides your bill
Carriers compare what the parcel weighs against the space it occupies. Volumetric weight is length × width × height in centimetres divided by a divisor — 6000 on most air lines, 5000 on stricter ones — and you are billed for whichever figure is higher. The rounding step, usually up to the next 0.5 kg, then adds a little more.
| Box size | Actual weight | Volumetric (÷6000) | Billed as | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 × 20 × 10 cm | 0.6 kg | 1.0 kg | 1.0 kg | A shoe box. Volumetric weight already exceeds actual weight. |
| 40 × 30 × 20 cm | 1.8 kg | 4.0 kg | 4.0 kg | Two pairs with boxes. Boxes are the single biggest lever. |
| 40 × 30 × 20 cm | 1.8 kg | 4.0 kg | 1.8 kg | Same parcel with the boxes removed — billed on actual weight. |
| 60 × 40 × 40 cm | 6.0 kg | 16.0 kg | 16.0 kg | A winter coat haul. Bulky items are punished by the divisor. |
The lesson is in rows two and three: the same two pairs cost more than twice as much to ship with their boxes. If you do not collect shoeboxes, ask your agent to discard them — it is the cheapest saving available on almost every haul.
Typical transit windows by line
Transit time is counted from the day the parcel is handed to the carrier, not from the day you pay. Add warehouse processing, consolidation and any QC round trip before that. The ranges below are what buyers commonly report; they are not guarantees, and they stretch during Chinese New Year, national holidays and peak season.
| Shipping line | Typical transit | Trade-off | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax-free / economy air line | 12–25 days | Cheapest per kg, usually capped weight and category limits | Best for clothing and single pairs where speed does not matter. |
| Standard air line | 8–16 days | Middle price, wider category acceptance | The default choice for most hauls under 10 kg. |
| Express courier (DHL / FedEx / UPS) | 3–8 days | Highest per kg, strong tracking, duties often billed to you | Use when you need it fast or the item is fragile. |
| Rail / sea freight | 25–60 days | Cheapest per kg at high volume, long lead time | Only sensible for heavy or bulky consolidations. |
Track parcels through the carrier rather than through the agent dashboard once they leave the warehouse, and expect tracking to stall during the international leg even when the parcel is moving normally. See shipping and returns for what to do when a parcel stops updating.
Before you submit the parcel
- Consolidate everything into one parcel unless the weight pushes you into a cheaper per-kg tier on a second line.
- Remove retail packaging you do not need — boxes, dust bags and stiff inserts all add volumetric weight.
- Review QC photos for every item while the parcel is still in free storage; a rejection after shipping is a loss.
- Declare honestly. Under-declaring to save duty risks the entire parcel, and no insurer will cover a parcel that was mis-declared.
- Keep the estimate with the invoice so you can see which line item drifted when the final bill arrives.
Why the final bill differs from the estimate
Estimates drift for predictable reasons: the carrier re-weighs and rounds up, an oversize or remote-area surcharge appears, peak-season fees are added, the exchange rate moved between order and settlement, or customs charged duty in the destination country. Each of those is visible in the invoice if you ask for the breakdown — so ask. Understanding which line changed is the difference between a surprise and a budgeting error.
Looking at 11,414 listings, remember that heavier categories — boots, jackets, denim — carry a shipping premium that a lighter alternative of the same price does not. When two items look equivalent on the product page, the parcel is where they diverge.
Shipping questions, answered
The six questions that come up before every first or second haul.