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Not PandaBuy, and not connected to it: PandaBuy closed in 2024. This is an independent guide to the agents and shops people moved to, and none of them runs or pays for it.

PandaBuy shipping calculator

PandaBuy Shipping Calculator: Estimate a Parcel's Cost the Way Agents Charge It

Checked · the PandaBuy Alternatives desk

Short answer

PandaBuy used to quote shipping inside its own estimate page; that's gone, but every agent still charges the same way. Lines bill the higher of real weight and volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷ a divisor, usually 5,000 or 6,000), rounded up to the next half kilo, times a price per kilo. Our worked example, a 2.34 kg haul in a 40×30×15 cm box, is charged as 3.0 kg: about $27.93 to the UK and $55.17 to the US at reference rates taken from Sugargoo's published quotes. Use the calculator for your own parcel.

3.0 kgcharged in the example
$9.31per kg, UK reference
$18.39per kg, US reference
0.5 kgtypical rounding step
Open the calculatorSee the worked example💬 Want a real quote? Ask

8 light finds that ship cheaply

Tees, shorts and small accessories under $40: light enough to add to a parcel without moving it into a higher weight step. Each tile opens on repbuysheet.com. Close but not quite? Search the 10,000+ products in the catalog behind this grid.

Sponsored links. Photo, name and button all open one listing on repbuysheet.com, where the seller's full photo set, the size options and the source shop link live. Dollar and yuan prices are copied from that catalog on the check date and move with the exchange rate.

Estimate a parcel's shipping cost

Runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere. Reference rates are Sugargoo's published 3 kg clothing quotes ($27.94 UK, $55.18 US) divided by 3. Your agent's line will differ: replace the rate with its quote.

A worked example: one haul, two boxes

A typical mixed haul: one hoodie, two tees and a pair of trainers without the shoe box, 2.34 kg on the scale. Packed in a 40×30×15 cm box, its volumetric weight is 40×30×15 ÷ 6000 = 3.0 kg, more than the real weight, so the line charges for 3.0 kg.

The same haul in two box sizes
BoxReal weightVolume weightChargedUK at reference rate
40×30×15 cm2.34 kg3.0 kg3.0 kg$27.93
35×25×12 cm2.34 kg1.75 kg2.5 kg$23.28

Computed on this page with the calculator's formula; UK reference rate $9.31/kg.

Asking the agent to repack into a smaller box saves about $4.65 here, which is why 'remove shoe boxes' and 'reinforced but compact packing' are the most useful options at checkout. PandaBuy offered the same; most agents do it free or for a few yuan.

Verdict: Volume, not weight, is what usually makes a haul expensive. Ask for a smaller box before paying freight.

Which kind of shipping line to choose

The price per kilo depends on the line you pick. Broadly, there are three kinds:

  • Postal-style lines (often 10–25 days): cheapest per kilo, usually with a 6,000 divisor and tighter rules on batteries and liquids.
  • Tax-included lines to the EU or UK: the price includes VAT or duty handling, so a higher rate may still be cheaper delivered.
  • Express couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS; often under 10 days): highest rate and usually a 5,000 divisor, with import charges billed on delivery.

PandaBuy's dedicated lines are gone, but every open agent runs similar ones. Get two quotes for the same parcel from your agent's estimate page, and check the country rules on the duty calculator. City guides cover delivery in the US, the UK and Australia.

Verdict: Compare the delivered price, tax included, not the headline rate per kilo.

Shipping cost questions

How much was PandaBuy shipping?

PandaBuy charged by line, weight and box size, the same way every agent does, and its estimate page went with it. For a present-day comparison, our example 2.34 kg haul in a 40×30×15 cm box is billed as 3.0 kg, roughly $27.93 to the UK at the reference rate. Run your own parcel through the calculator and swap in your agent's quote.

What is volumetric weight?

It's a box's size expressed as kilos: length × width × height in centimetres divided by the line's divisor, usually 6,000 on postal lines and 5,000 on express couriers. The line bills whichever is higher, that figure or the scale weight, rounded up to the next half kilo. Bulky items like hoodies push it up fast. Ask for compact packing whenever volume, not weight, sets the price.

How can I lower my shipping cost?

Shrink the box first. In our worked example, repacking the same haul from a 40×30×15 cm box into a 35×25×12 cm one saves about $4.65 at the UK reference rate. Also remove shoe boxes, ask for vacuum packing on bulky clothes, send everything as one parcel and compare two lines. Volume is usually the expensive part, so deal with it before paying freight.

Why are the reference rates from Sugargoo?

Sugargoo publishes door-to-door quotes for the same 3 kg clothing parcel to both countries: $27.94 to the UK and $55.18 to the US. Dividing by 3 gives $9.31 and $18.39 per kilo, a realistic starting point anyone can verify. Your own agent's line will differ, so overwrite the rate with its quote once you have one.

How long does shipping take from China?

Postal-style lines usually take 10 to 25 days, and express couriers such as DHL, FedEx or UPS often arrive in under 10. Add a few days for sellers to reach the agent's warehouse before the parcel can be packed, and remember the slowest item sets the pace. If speed matters more than price, pay for express; otherwise a postal line does the job.

Does the shipping price include import duty?

Only on tax-included lines to the EU or UK, where VAT or duty is handled at checkout, so a higher rate per kilo can still work out cheaper delivered. On postal lines and express couriers such as DHL, import charges are billed on arrival, and the import duty calculator estimates them by country. Weigh the total you'll pay at the door, tax and all, rather than the per-kilo figure.

Where Shipping cost estimator readers click next

What Shipping cost estimator is based on

Put together by the PandaBuy Alternatives desk; every claim was checked against the list below on . The PandaBuy history leans on court records, police-side reporting and Wikipedia; agent fees, storage and review counts come from each agent's own pages or the named trackers. Where sources disagree we print both. A finds tile was only published if its main photo and its link showed the same item.