US stores box your order like it's going across town. The bigger the box, the higher your FedEx, UPS, and DHL bill — even when it's mostly tissue paper. We repack every parcel to its real size before we ship it overseas. Free.
Repacking isn't unique — but charging extra for it is the industry default. Compare what you'd pay every time you ship.
per package, on top of shipping
on every parcel that leaves our warehouse
A typical scenario: a US store ships small items in an oversized box. Carriers bill that box by its dimensions, not its contents. We shrink it to fit — and the rate drops with it.
Carriers don't just charge by weight — they charge by whichever is greater between actual weight and dimensional weight. That's why an oversized half-empty box gets billed like a brick.
FedEx, UPS, and DHL multiply Length × Width × Height of the parcel in inches.
International DIM divisor is 139 in³/lb. A 24×24×24 box = 13,824 ÷ 139 = 99 billable lbs.
Even if it weighs 12 lbs on the scale, you're billed for ~30+ DIM lbs. Shrinking the box drops that fast.
What is dimensional weight (DIM weight) and why does it matter?
International carriers like FedEx, UPS, and DHL charge you based on whichever is greater — actual weight on the scale, or dimensional weight (L × W × H ÷ 139 for international). An oversized box stuffed with tissue paper gets billed like it weighs 30+ lbs even if it weighs 8. Shrinking the box to the true size of the contents collapses that number, often cutting the shipping rate by half or more.
Does Selectido charge extra for repacking like other forwarders?
No. Repacking is free on every parcel that leaves our Minneapolis hub — no opt-in needed, no $8 to $15 surcharge like Shipito, MyUS, and Stackry. We hand-check the original box, repack the contents into the smallest safe box, photograph the new dimensions, and quote 3 carriers before anything ships.
How much can repacking actually save on international shipping?
Savings depend on how oversized the original US-store box is. For a typical case — a 24×24×24 box dropped down to a 14×10×10 box — FedEx Ground international rates can drop from around $160 to around $60, a 62% reduction. For tightly-packed parcels there's less room to shrink, but most US-store fulfillment leaves significant air in the box.
What if my items can't be repacked into a smaller box?
Some items genuinely need their original box — large electronics with custom foam inserts, fragile artwork, items in collector packaging. In those cases we leave the original box alone and document why in your Orders tab. You're never billed for repack work that wasn't done, and we never compromise on protection to save dimensions.
Get a free US address. We'll repack and quote 3 carriers before anything ships.
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