Mail Forwarding Service, Concierge Service
US Stores That Don’t Ship Internationally (and 3 Workarounds)
Sep
Many US stores do not ship internationally, including a large share of big-box chains, warehouse clubs, grocery and drugstore sites, and some brand-owned stores. You can still buy from them. The three working routes are the retailer’s own international checkout where one exists, a US forwarding address that receives the order domestically and ships it to you, or an assisted purchase by a US-based concierge for a flat $99.95 per request.
Key Takeaways
- Marketplaces and large department stores are the most likely to ship abroad. Big-box chains, warehouse clubs, and many brand-direct sites usually ship only to US addresses.
- Retailer policies change often and vary by country and product. Always check the store’s current shipping page before you plan around it.
- The usual reasons for a refusal are brand territory agreements, card and address verification, hazardous materials rules, and the cost of international returns.
- A US forwarding address solves the address problem. It does not solve a declined foreign card.
- Assisted purchase solves the card problem. Our US team buys the item for you for $99.95 per purchase request, plus the cost of the goods.
- Combining several store orders into one box typically cuts international shipping 30% to 40% per batch.
Table of Contents
- Which Kinds of US Stores Ship Internationally
- Which Kinds Usually Do Not
- Why US Retailers Refuse International Orders
- Retailer Categories at a Glance
- Workaround 1: The Retailer’s Own International Checkout
- Workaround 2: A US Forwarding Address
- Workaround 3: Assisted Purchase (Concierge)
- Which Workaround Fits Your Order
- Products That Stay Restricted No Matter How You Buy
- What It Costs, Honestly
- Mistakes to Avoid
- Frequently Asked Questions
Which Kinds of US Stores Ship Internationally
The US retailers most likely to ship abroad are the big marketplaces, the large department stores, and specialty sellers whose customers have always been global. Even among these, international service covers only some products and some countries, so treat the list below as a starting point and confirm on the retailer’s site.
Marketplaces
Amazon’s US site ships a portion of its catalog to many countries, and the product page tells you if an item is eligible for your address. Third-party sellers decide for themselves, so two listings for the same product can give different answers. eBay runs an international shipping program that lets many US sellers reach foreign buyers without handling customs forms. Etsy sellers set their own destinations. In every case the marketplace ships some things abroad, not everything, and the items that are excluded tend to be the ones people want most: electronics with batteries, branded goods, and anything heavy.
Department stores
Several American department stores, including names such as Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue, have offered an international checkout, usually run by a cross-border commerce partner. You see prices in your currency, duties are estimated up front, and the partner handles export. Coverage is uneven. Certain brands inside the store are blocked from export, some countries are not served, and stores have been known to add, pause, or remove the feature. Check the store’s shipping or international page on the day you order.
Specialty and enthusiast retailers
Camera shops, musical instrument dealers, outdoor gear sellers, and bookshops with long mail-order histories often ship worldwide because their customers always have been worldwide. These stores tend to be candid about what they cannot send to your country, which is helpful.
Global brands with local sites
Many large brands will sell to you, but only through the site for your own country, with local prices and a local catalog. That is international selling, but it is not the same as buying from the US store, and it is the usual reason people start looking for another way in.
Which Kinds Usually Do Not
Retailers built around US stores, US warehouses, and US carrier contracts generally ship only to US addresses. The categories below are the ones our customers ask about most. Individual policies change, so verify with the retailer before assuming either way.
Big-box and discount chains
Chains such as Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Kohl’s, and The Home Depot have, as a rule, run their US websites for US delivery. Some have sister operations in other countries, which are separate businesses with separate catalogs. A few have tested international shipping through partners over the years and later withdrawn it. If the checkout has no country field, you have your answer.
Warehouse clubs
Costco and Sam’s Club sell to members and ship within the United States from their US sites. Membership terms and bulk pack sizes add another complication for buyers abroad.
Brand-direct stores
This one surprises people. The US websites of many well-known brands in electronics, athletic footwear, fashion, and cosmetics ship only within the country. Apple’s US store and Nike’s US site are two commonly cited examples. The brand wants you on the site for your region. Limited releases, US-only colors, and outlet pricing are exactly the things that do not cross over.
Off-price, outlet, and flash-sale sites
Off-price retailers buy inventory under agreements that often restrict where it can be resold. Expect US-only shipping, and expect strict checks on the billing address.
Grocery, drugstore, and pet retailers
Sites selling food, vitamins, over-the-counter medicine, and pet supplies deal in regulated products with short shelf lives. They rarely offer export, and many of their products face import controls at your end anyway.
Small independent shops
Thousands of small US online shops have simply never set up international shipping. The owner is not refusing you on principle. Customs forms, lost-parcel claims, and foreign returns are more than a two-person business wants to take on.
Why US Retailers Refuse International Orders
A store that will not ship to you is almost never making a judgment about you or your country. It is responding to contracts, fraud controls, shipping rules, and costs. Knowing which of these is in play tells you which workaround will succeed.
Brand territory agreements
Manufacturers divide the world into sales territories and sign distributors for each one. A US retailer’s contract with a brand often allows sales to US consumers only. That is why a department store with international checkout still blocks certain labels at the cart, and why authorized dealers of cameras, watches, and premium cosmetics are careful about export. Warranties follow the same logic. A product bought in the US may carry a US-only warranty, which is worth checking before you buy a laptop or a lens.
Card checks and AVS
The Address Verification Service (AVS) compares the billing address you type with the address your card issuer has on file. It was designed around US, Canadian, and UK address formats. A foreign-issued card often returns no match, and many retailers set their systems to decline or manually cancel those orders. From the store’s side, a foreign card shipping to a newly created address matches a common fraud pattern, and the store absorbs the chargeback if it guesses wrong. This is the reason an order can be accepted at checkout and cancelled by email six hours later.
Hazardous materials rules
Perfume, nail polish, aerosols, some cleaning products, and lithium batteries are regulated as dangerous goods in air transport. Shipping them abroad requires trained staff, special packaging, and carrier approval. Most retailers decide it is not worth it, and they block those items from export even when the rest of the catalog ships. Ground shipping inside the US has looser rules, which is why the same bottle ships to Ohio without comment.
Customs, duties, and returns
An international order means export documentation, duty and tax questions from the customer, and returns that cost more than the item. Partner-run checkouts exist to take that work off the retailer, at a price that is built into what you pay. Retailers with thin margins skip the whole thing.
Pricing and launch control
Brands price differently by market and stagger product launches. Open export from the US site would undercut their own regional pricing. Blocking foreign addresses is the blunt tool that protects it.
Retailer Categories at a Glance
This table summarizes typical behavior by category. It is a guide to what to expect, not a statement of any retailer’s current policy.
| Retailer category | Ships internationally? | Usual obstacle | Workaround that tends to fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large marketplaces | Partly, by item and seller | Item not eligible for your country | US forwarding address |
| Department stores | Often, through a checkout partner | Blocked brands, country gaps, higher landed price | International checkout, or forwarding for blocked brands where permitted |
| Big-box and discount chains | Usually no | US-only checkout, foreign cards declined | Forwarding address, or concierge if the card fails |
| Warehouse clubs | Usually no | Membership and US-only delivery | Forwarding address with your own membership |
| Brand-direct US sites | Usually no | Territory rules, purchase limits, card checks | Forwarding address, or concierge |
| Off-price and outlet sites | Usually no | Strict billing address checks | Concierge |
| Grocery, drugstore, pet | Rarely | Regulated and perishable goods | Forwarding for shelf-stable, permitted items only |
| Small independent shops | Sometimes, ask them | No international setup | Forwarding address |
Workaround 1: The Retailer’s Own International Checkout
If the store offers international checkout and your item is eligible, use it for single, simple orders. It is the route with the fewest moving parts: one payment, duties shown up front, and a single tracking number to your door.
Where it works well
- One order from one store, with no need to combine anything.
- Countries where prepaid duties speed up delivery.
- Buyers who want the retailer, not a third party, to handle any return.
Where it falls short
The partner’s fees, currency conversion, and shipping margin are folded into the total, so the landed price can be well above the US shelf price plus postage. US promotions and coupon codes are frequently disabled for international orders. Brand blocks remove items at the cart. And each store is its own shipment, so buying from four stores means paying international freight four times. For a broader comparison of these routes, see our guide on how to shop in the USA and ship internationally.
Workaround 2: A US Forwarding Address
A forwarding address makes you a domestic customer. You rent a real US street address with a personal suite number, enter it at checkout, and the store ships there by normal US delivery. The forwarding company receives the package and ships it on to your country.
How it works with us
- Choose a plan and complete USPS Form 1583, the notarized identity form required for every private mailbox in the United States. Online notarization is accepted. Our Form 1583 guide walks through it.
- Receive your Massachusetts street address and suite number at our staffed business center in Tewksbury. It is a USPS-approved Commercial Mail Receiving Agency, not a P.O. Box, and it accepts USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and Amazon deliveries.
- Shop. Every arrival triggers a free email alert.
- When your orders are in, ask us to combine them. We repack into one carton, quote discounted USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL rates, and ship once you approve. We forward to 220+ countries and territories.
Why consolidation is the real saving
International carriers charge a base amount per parcel and bill for box size as well as weight. Retail packaging is mostly air. Repacking several orders into one dense carton typically cuts the international shipping cost 30% to 40% per batch. Consolidation is free on our Silver and Gold plans and a paid add-on for Starter. The details are on our package consolidation service page, and the rate mechanics are explained in the international shipping savings guide.
Questions people ask first
The most common one is about packages versus letters, and we answer it fully in does mail forwarding include packages. The short version is yes: a private forwarding address takes parcels from every carrier, which the free USPS forwarding service does not. If you want to understand the address itself, start with our virtual address page or the mail forwarding service overview.
Limits to know about
A US address does not change the card you pay with. If the retailer declines foreign cards or requires the billing and shipping addresses to match, the order can still fail. Some retailers also cancel orders to addresses they recognize as freight forwarders, usually for high-demand releases. And some brand warranties are valid only in the US. None of this is common enough to stop most purchases, but you should know before you build a shopping plan around one store.
Workaround 3: Assisted Purchase (Concierge)
When the problem is the payment and not the address, an assisted purchase fixes it. You send us the product link, size, color, and quantity. Our US team places the order with a US payment method and has it delivered to your suite. The service fee is a flat $99.95 per purchase request, plus the cost of the goods and any US sales tax or domestic shipping the retailer charges.
When concierge is the right tool
- The store declined your card, or cancelled the order after an AVS mismatch.
- The store only accepts US-issued cards or US payment apps.
- The seller wants a phone call, a US phone number, or an in-person style of order you cannot manage from abroad.
- You are buying a higher-value item where a failed order and a frozen refund would be costly.
When it is not
A $99.95 fee makes no sense on a $40 purchase. If your card works at the store, use the forwarding address alone and keep the fee. Concierge is for orders where the item cannot be had any other way, or where the value makes the fee small by comparison. We also will not buy items that are prohibited for export or that we cannot legally ship. How the service runs is covered on the Personal Concierge service page, and you can order it directly from the concierge service product page.
Which Workaround Fits Your Order
Match the workaround to the obstacle. If the store ships to your country and you only want one thing, use its checkout. If the store will not ship abroad but takes your card, use a forwarding address. If the store will not take your card, use concierge.
| Your situation | Best route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One item, store offers international checkout | Retailer’s checkout | Simple, duties shown up front |
| Several stores over a few weeks | Forwarding address with consolidation | One international shipment instead of many |
| Store is US-only, your card is accepted | Forwarding address | You become a domestic customer |
| Store rejects foreign cards | Concierge purchase | Order is placed with a US payment method |
| US coupon or sale excluded from international checkout | Forwarding address | Domestic orders keep domestic promotions |
| Item is hazmat or restricted in your country | None | The restriction follows the product, not the checkout |
A worked scenario
A reader in Portugal wants running shoes from a brand’s US site, two pairs of jeans from a department store, and a kitchen tool from a big-box chain. The department store offers international checkout, but the jeans brand is blocked for export. The brand site and the big-box chain ship to US addresses only. With a forwarding address she places three domestic orders, two of them with free US shipping, waits nine days for everything to arrive, and ships one consolidated box. Her card was accepted everywhere, so she never needed concierge. Had the big-box chain declined it, that single item would have been a concierge request and would have joined the same box.
Products That Stay Restricted No Matter How You Buy
A workaround gets you past a retailer’s checkout. It does not get a product past carrier rules, US export law, or your own country’s import law.
- Dangerous goods. Perfume, aerosols, nail polish, and loose lithium batteries face air transport limits with every carrier.
- Export-controlled items. Certain optics, night vision, firearm parts, and some high-end electronics need licenses or cannot leave the US at all.
- Import-controlled items at your end. Medicines, supplements, food, seeds, cosmetics, and wireless devices are regulated differently in every country.
- Counterfeit or gray-market goods. We do not ship them, and customs seizes them.
Our list of prohibited commodities for mail forwarding has the details, and customs duties on forwarded packages explains what your customs authority will charge on the things that are allowed. For US export questions, the authority is US Customs and Border Protection. For import rules, ask your own country’s customs agency.
One more warning. If a stranger online offers to pay you for receiving and reshipping parcels, or asks to use your forwarding suite, that is a fraud scheme, and the account holder ends up responsible. Read reshipping scams and parcel mules before agreeing to anything of the kind.
What It Costs, Honestly
A forwarding address has a fixed yearly cost and a variable shipping cost. The fixed part is the plan: Starter at $330 per year, Silver at $450, or Gold at $595, each with one bonus month on annual billing, so 13 months for the price of 12. Silver is the most popular because it includes free consolidation, free mail scanning, 60 days of storage, and up to 3 users. Gold adds 90 days of storage, up to 5 cubic feet, and up to 5 users. Three-month and six-month terms exist as well. Current details are on the plans and pricing page.
The variable part is international postage at discounted carrier rates, quoted per shipment and approved by you before anything leaves. We do not publish a rate table because weight, box size, destination, and carrier all move the number.
A quick break-even
Silver costs $120 more per year than Starter. If free consolidation saves 30% to 40% of your freight, the upgrade pays for itself once the freight you would otherwise have paid reaches roughly $300 to $400 in a year. A shopper sending three or four multi-store boxes abroad usually passes that. Someone who ships one small parcel a year does not, and Starter, or no plan at all, is the honest recommendation. If you are comparing providers, our write-ups on MyMailForwarder vs. MyUS and MyMailForwarder vs. Shipito lay out the differences in fee structure.
Mistakes to Avoid
Most failed orders and surprise bills come from a short list of avoidable errors.
- Assuming last year’s policy still applies. Retailers add and drop international shipping without announcement. Read the shipping page each time.
- Entering the forwarding address as your billing address. Billing must match what your card issuer has on file. Only the shipping address changes.
- Leaving off the suite number. The suite number is how a box gets matched to your account. Without it, the package is held until we can identify the owner.
- Shipping every order separately. The saving is in the batch. Use your plan’s storage window, and ship once.
- Ignoring return windows. Ask us to check an item on arrival if fit or condition is a concern. A domestic return from Massachusetts is cheap. A return from another continent is not.
- Forgetting import tax. The US price is not the landed price. Look up your country’s duty and tax rules before buying anything expensive.
- Paying a concierge fee you did not need. Try your own card first. Concierge is for when it fails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which US stores do not ship internationally?
Big-box and discount chains, warehouse clubs, many brand-owned US websites, off-price sites, and grocery or drugstore retailers generally ship only to US addresses. Marketplaces and department stores are more likely to ship abroad, but only for some items and some countries. Policies change often, so check the retailer’s current shipping page before ordering.
Why do some American stores refuse to ship abroad?
The common reasons are brand agreements that limit sales to US customers, fraud controls that reject foreign cards and addresses, hazardous materials rules for items like perfume and batteries, and the cost of handling customs paperwork and international returns. The refusal is a business decision about risk and contracts, not about the individual shopper.
How can I buy from US stores and ship internationally?
There are three routes. Use the retailer’s own international checkout if it offers one. Rent a US forwarding address, have the store deliver there domestically, and have the package forwarded to your country. Or use an assisted purchase service, where a US-based team places the order for you and receives it at your US address.
Will a US forwarding address work if the store rejects my foreign card?
Not by itself. A forwarding address changes where the order ships, but the store still checks your card and billing address. If the card is declined or the order is cancelled after review, an assisted purchase is the fix. Our Personal Concierge service costs a flat $99.95 per purchase request, plus the cost of the goods.
Is it legal to use a US forwarding address to shop?
Yes. Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies are registered with USPS, and every customer completes USPS Form 1583 with notarized identification. You remain responsible for following US export rules and your own country’s import laws, and for paying any duties and taxes due on arrival. A retailer’s terms of sale may also restrict export for certain brands.
Do American department stores ship internationally?
Several large US department stores have offered international checkout through a cross-border partner, with prices in local currency and duties estimated at checkout. Some brands are blocked from export, some countries are excluded, and US promotions may not apply. Because these programs change, confirm on the store’s own international shipping page before you shop.
Is a forwarding address cheaper than international checkout?
For a single small order, international checkout is often simpler and may cost about the same. For several orders from different stores, a forwarding address is usually cheaper, because consolidation typically cuts international shipping 30% to 40% per batch and domestic orders keep US sale prices and free-shipping offers.
What can I not ship from the US even with a forwarder?
Dangerous goods such as perfume, aerosols, and loose lithium batteries, export-controlled equipment, weapons and related parts, counterfeit goods, and anything your own country bans or regulates, such as certain medicines, foods, and supplements. Check the forwarder’s prohibited items list and your national customs authority before you order.
Buy From the US Stores You Actually Want
A store’s checkout is not the last word on what you can buy. With a real Massachusetts street address at a staffed facility that has operated since 2007, you shop as a domestic customer, combine your orders, and ship once. When a card gets declined, our team places the order for you. Compare plans and pricing to get your address, or contact us with a product link and we will tell you plainly whether it can be shipped to your country.
