When purchasing from Taobao, here are three tips to help you save money on shipping costs.

When purchasing items from China online, shipping costs are an important component of the total cost of the purchase. As a result, it is critical for you to understand how fees are calculated and how to save money on shipping costs.

Understanding the Freight Charge
There are two types of shipping fees: ground and air.

Shipping within the United States
This is the cost of shipping goods from the seller's warehouse to the forwarder's facility.

Most sellers are offering free shipping on orders over a certain value. As a result, it would be more cost-effective if you were able to place an order for a higher value than the minimum order value, otherwise you will be required to pay for the shipping fee.

Shipping to International Locations
The cost of shipping the items from the forwarder to your residence.

Taobao does not determine the cost of international shipping; instead, the forwarder does.

When your purchased goods have arrived at the forwarder's facility, they will be packaged and delivered to you. While the box itself has a weight, you'll be required to pay for it.

Example: If your purchased items weigh 0.9 kg and the box weighs 0.2 kg, the total weight of your purchases will be 1.1 kg, and you will be charged for 1.5 kg!

Why? As a result of the way they calculate, the decimals will always be rounded up rather than down!

Three Ways to Lower Your Shipping Expenses
Let's take a look at how we can save money on shipping! This would necessitate a few minor deceptions.

To begin, it is recommended that you ship your items in a mixed parcel. What exactly is it? It means that you should mix everything up while you are packing! Try not to pack all of your clothes or all of your shoes in the same box. Baby products, such as baby bottles, cups, bowls, and spoons, are the least likely to be taxed out of all of the items on the market. In order to reduce the cost of shipping by eliminating the possibility of being taxed, it is recommended that you divide your items into multiple packages. If you have too few items to mix, it is recommended that you keep the weight of cosmetic items between 1-3 kg and the weight of clothing between 5 kg!! This may lessen the likelihood of being taxed in the future! You can save even more money by having a total weight of your package that is greater than 1kg!

Why? Consider the following example from the United States:

• The first kilogram would cost you $15, with each additional 0.5 kilogram costing you $4.
• As a result, for a parcel weighing 1.5 kg, the cost would be 15 + 4, or $12.67 per kilogram.
• For a 6 kg parcel, on the other hand, the formula would be 15 + 4*10.
• That works out to $9.16 per kilogram, which is more cost-effective!
• In order to save money on shipping, it is preferable to consolidate your packages when you have a large number of them.
• Example: If you have two packages totaling 1.5 kg each and another totaling 0.3 kg, you would be charged a shipping fee of 1.5 kg plus 0.5 kg equaling 2 kg.
• However, if you choose to consolidate your shipment, the forwarder will separate your items and repackage them into a single package.
• Then you'll only have to pay for 1.5kg, saving you money.

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3rd Tip: Don't Forget About DIM Weight
Please keep in mind that the forwarder will charge you based on the weight of your parcel or the size of your parcel, whichever is greater in proportion to the weight.

Purchasing bulky items such as pillows and chairs is not recommended if at all possible due to the high cost of shipping these items due to their large size.