The price of a product in the US store is not what you will pay in the end, and it is not as far from it as you might imagine. “Landed cost” is the sum of just five items, and four of them you know exactly before you buy. Here is how to calculate it item by item, along with a calculator that estimates your country’s customs.
The formula
| Item | How much? | How to know it in advance |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Product price | As listed in the store | The product page |
| 2. US sales tax | 0% with an Oregon address (6 to 10% in most other states) | Why Oregon |
| 3. Shipping within the US | Usually free above a threshold set by the store | The cart page before checkout |
| 4. International shipping to your door | Depends on chargeable weight and service | The calculator, before you buy |
| 5. Your country’s customs and tax | A percentage of the goods’ value, exempt below a set threshold in most countries | The estimator below and the customs guide |
And there is no sixth item: no subscription, no receiving fees and no percentage of your goods’ value, and consolidation, repacking and 30 days of storage are free.
A worked example, step by step
A pair of headphones priced at $120 on the store’s website, in a box with a chargeable weight of two pounds, going to Riyadh. Sales tax is zero, and the store’s shipping to your address in Oregon is free. International shipping is $74 by Economy (about 278 riyals), or $82 by Express. That leaves customs: Saudi Arabia exempts from customs duties anything worth less than SAR 1,000 including shipping, and collects 15% VAT on the value including shipping. Enter the two figures in the estimator below to see the estimate in dollars.
How much will customs cost you?
Enter the value of the goods and the shipping cost, choose your country — and get an instant estimate.
This is an indicative estimate calculated at the rates published in the destination country. The final figure is set by your country's customs according to the type of goods, and may be lower or higher. Fees are paid in your country on delivery — not part of our invoice.
Where does the difference go with other companies?
When you compare package forwarders, compare landed cost, not “starting from”: receiving fees per parcel, photo and consolidation fees, a monthly subscription, a percentage of the goods’ value, and storage charges that begin after a few days are all items added after the advertised price. With us, the figure shown in the calculator is what you are charged, and the two paid items (optional insurance and the heavy or long box fee) are shown to you before you pay. How to compare package forwarders.
Five ways to bring your landed cost down
- Consolidate: three parcels in one box, and you pay for one shipment, not three. The numbers.
- Ask for repacking: removing the stores’ cartons lowers the volumetric weight. How it is calculated.
- Choose Economy when you are not in a hurry. When to choose each service.
- Buy during sales seasons: a 30% discount on the product covers the whole shipping cost on many orders. The sales calendar.
- Watch the customs exemption threshold: two small orders under the threshold can work out cheaper than one order above it, depending on your country.
It is everything you pay until the product is in your hands: its price in the store, US sales tax if any, shipping within the US, international shipping, and your country’s customs and tax. With an address in Oregon, the sales tax item drops out.
It depends on the product: the higher its price and the lighter its weight, the more clearly the difference works in your favor, as with electronics, watches and brand-name goods during sales seasons. Calculate the landed cost with the two calculators before you buy and compare it with the market price where you live.
In Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, yes: the threshold and the tax are calculated on the goods’ value including shipping. In Kuwait the threshold is calculated on the goods’ value alone. Details for each country are in the customs guide.
On the product page in the store, under package dimensions and shipping weight. Enter them in the calculator and it gives you the chargeable weight and the price; if you cannot find them, send us the link and we will estimate them for you.
Calculate your landed cost before you buy
The calculator gives you the final shipping price for your weight and destination, and an Oregon address takes sales tax out of the equation.
