How to order from US websites and get delivery in France

Have you ever drooled over Sephora USA or Amazon USA, wondering why they don’t sell in Europe?

Today, I’m going to share my tips for ordering from US websites and getting delivery in France. This article is not sponsored and is only intended to help you find what you need.

The US market is huge, which is why many US websites and sellers prefer to sell only in the US rather than dealing with international shipping (with customs and currency issues).

However:

• There are things that are only sold in the US.
• Cosmetic products with a completely different formulation for the US version vs. the European version.
• US sales are much better than French sales. Cosmetics can be up to 80% off.
• Several brands charge outrageous prices depending on their sales zone (+50% in Europe vs. US prices).
• Not to mention the secondhand market in the US, which is much larger and more interesting than in Europe.

How to order from a US website that doesn’t ship to Europe/France?

There are services that receive all your orders for you in the US. By signing up, they give you an address you can use to have your packages sent.

The state where the address is located has a direct impact on your spending.In general, websites show prices excluding tax, and depending on the state you send your package to, that state’s taxes will be added. Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon have no taxes, so if the depot is there, great, but that’s rarely the case. In any case, on average, they’ll give you an address where you’ll pay between 6% and 8% in taxes.

Then, once all your packages are received, they consolidate everything you receive into one package and ship it to you in France (or Europe).

Note: mists (BBW, VS), deodorants, shaving foams, perfumes, or any other alcohol-based products are prohibited and cannot be shipped. The list is quite long; if in doubt, ask the shipping services.

So you pay:

1. package receiving fees (depends on the service)
2. package storage fees (depends on the service)
3. package consolidation fees (depends on the service)
4. shipping fees based on actual weight
5. any customs fees (it’s random)

Unfortunately, the common point of all these services, is that you don’t know exactly how much it will cost in the end because the weight is not known in advance.

You just have to trust them, and avoid ordering anything too heavy.

Recently, I bought a serum that’s impossible to find in Europe because it’s only sold in the US. Following this very smooth and successful experience, I started buying other products unavailable in Europe.

Between the time the package arrived at the US address and the reception of said package in France, 1 month passed, and I was charged €24 for 238g. I chose the cheapest, slowest shipping service (USPS, the US postal service) and right after Black Friday, which I think explains the delays.

If I had multiple packages waiting, with some services, it would have cost me even more because I would have been charged to consolidate all packages into one, pay for package storage (beyond 7 days), and possibly pay for another box to hold it all. See? So you have to compare all these points to find the most suitable service.

Here are the most well-known services:

• Shipito (link) : receives orders in the US (in California) and ships worldwide. also receives orders in Austria and ships worldwide. The advantage is that they have a platform with a customer account where you can see the status of your packages and make requests, add options, etc. If there are sites that don’t accept international credit cards (like ULTA, FUNKO, MACYS, SEPHORA), you’ll have to ask them to place the order for you (which costs $8.5 in fixed fees + 12.5% commission).
• Leslie Shopping USA : 2023 update: I no longer recommend their services. After two packages received without issue, the third (worth $200 mind you) is practically lost. Package received in early August 2023 in the US, only shipped mid-September 2023 because the lady was on vacation (but she never informed me), and stuck in the US in October 2023. Their services are no longer reliable.

Once the package arrives in France, depending on your luck at that moment, you may or may not be subject to customs fees. Shipito honestly declares the value of the package, so if the market value is significant, you won’t escape customs. La Poste will charge you customs fees upon receipt of your package. And it’s impossible to refuse to pay customs fees.

With my package worth $58, I avoided customs fees. But it seems to me that from €60 onwards, you’ll definitely have to pay them. How much? I don’t know. For $250 worth of goods, the estimated fees are €60. Note: I’ve never had to pay customs. Maybe I’m lucky?

In any case, choose shipping via Airmail, USPS (that’s the US Postal Service) or Shipito Priority Parcel because there’s a higher chance of not paying fees. UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc. will almost always charge you.

In short, there are lots of risks and unknown factors when placing an order from the US. Keep an eye on the exchange rate before placing a big order, so that all this effort is worth it. I obviously wouldn’t recommend buying overly expensive items like Apple products, because if you need to use more reliable delivery services like DHL/UPS/FEDEX, the bill quickly goes up and it’s no longer worth it at all. It would even be more interesting to fly to the US and stock up on products rather than opting for UPS Express. Ahahaha.

Right now, you can use the code JULY26 until August 20, 2026 to get -10% on shipping fees

Are you planning a trip to the US? Our partner Get Your Guide offers entry tickets and guided tours with French-speaking guides at very reasonable rates. Click here to see what they offer and book online.