How To Utilize A Re-shipper/Cross Border Service
Last updated
Last updated
Why Use A Re-Shipper/Cross Border Service? Reshipping/cross border services act as intermediaries, making it feasible to procure goods from locations that might have otherwise been inaccessible due to shipping limitations (such as obtaining products from US retailers that do not ship outside the US). This process allows you to expand your shopping horizons and access products from around the world. They make this possible by providing you your own unique US (or other country) address which you can then use as your shipping address. Once the company receives your packages, they then charge you a (typically fairly reasonable) fee to clear your package over the border and ship it to you in Canada. Most services provide this address to you at no charge and only charge you for packages that you actually send through them/bring over the border. Many Amazon sellers also use Cross Border services to send their products from Canada to the US to be sold in the US market although in many cases, it is typically best to use a Prep Center that either works directly with a cross border service or takes your products over the border directly. Check out our blog post to find prep centers that support shipping to the US: How To Use A Re-shipper/Cross Border Service 1. Sign up: Begin by registering for an account with your desired reshipping service. Ensure you understand the fees that they charge and always ensure you understand what your shipping costs will be before ordering any products (and always factor these fees in to your cost of goods before ordering). Some services may also request that you fill out forms for them to act as your customs broker. 2. Wait for account confirmation: Some services will be active immediately while some others you may need to wait a few business days before they become active. Once your account is active, you should then have access to their online portal and be provided with your own unique address. 3. Attach your new address to your credit card (optional): This is an optional but in many cases, beneficial step as many retailers will not accept Canadian billing addresses and/or will not allow your transactions to go through if your billing address does not match the shipping address. You can bypass these issues by adding your new address as a secondary billing address on your credit cards. You can do this by contacting customer support for your card issuer and asking them to add on this secondary billing address for you. Sometimes you may speak with someone who is unfamiliar with doing this and they may indicate that this is something you cannot do. I would recommend asking to speak with someone more senior or contacting their support via their online chat. I have personally accomplished this with both American Express and RBC credit cards by speaking with their chat online (RBC I spoke with via their online messaging system). 4. Order your items; You can now order your products and have them shipped to your new address.
5. Await Warehouse Confirmation: After the item arrives at the re-shipper's warehouse, you should receive a notification via email or their online platform.
6. Reship to Your Desired Location: Once the item is in the re-shipper's possession, you can then clear it through their online portal (you will typically need to provide details about the items origin, what the item is, value etc.) and have it shipped to your final destination after paying any corresponding fees. Notes: Keep in mind that all companies typically have some restricted classes of items such as tobacco, alcohol, some foods, batteries etc. Ensure you understand what these restrictions are before ordering any products. If you are unsure if your product can be brought over the border, it would always be best to check with their support before proceeding. You should also note that duties/taxes may be applied to your items as well, which are typically paid by your re-shipper and then billed to you before bringing over the border. I would always recommend speaking with your service and indicating you are a business/importing for commercial use to see if you can be exempt from these additional charges. Popular US to Canada Re-shippers/Cross Border Services How to Estimate Cross Border Fee's/Total Landed Costs I previously shared a Google sheet calculator that I made with the group that I use to estimate my total landed cost per unit. You can find that calculator here: I also put together a video on how to utilize this calculator which you can find here: