The overhead at each price
| Ship to | ¥1,000 | ¥2,000 | ¥3,000 | ¥5,000 | ¥10,000 | ¥20,000 | ¥50,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 620%* | 310%* | 207%* | 124%* | 63%* | 32%* | 13%* |
| Canada | 530%* | 265%* | 177%* | 106%* | 54%* | 27%* | 11%* |
| United Kingdom | 638% | 329% | 226% | 144% | 83% | 51% | 33% |
| Australia | 584% | 297% | 201% | 125% | 68% | 39% | 22% |
| Germany | 633% | 326% | 224% | 142% | 81% | 50% | 31% |
| France | 638% | 329% | 226% | 144% | 83% | 51% | 33% |
| Singapore | 442% | 226% | 153% | 96% | 53% | 31% | 18% |
| Taiwan | 310% | 155% | 103% | 62% | 38% | 22% | 12% |
| Hong Kong | 405% | 203% | 135% | 81% | 42% | 21% | 8% |
Everything on top of the item (service fee, packing, postage in Japan, EMS, payment fees and import tax) divided by the item price. Green is 50% or less. * The United States and Canada exclude import charges that depend on the item or the province, so the true share is higher.
Reading the table
On a ¥1,000 item the overhead is 310% to Taiwan and 638% to France: you pay several times the item's price to get it. The overhead first drops to half the item price or less at ¥10,000 for Taiwan, ¥10,000 for Hong Kong, ¥20,000 for United States, ¥20,000 for Canada, ¥20,000 for Australia, ¥20,000 for Singapore, ¥50,000 for United Kingdom, ¥50,000 for Germany, ¥50,000 for France.
That is not a rule about what to buy. A ¥2,000 out-of-print book you cannot find anywhere else may be worth three times its price to you. It is a rule about how to buy: if the item is cheap, wait until you have several, and send them together. The postage is shared, and a per-order service fee is paid once.
What the overhead is made of
For a ¥3,000 item, 1 kg, to United Kingdom through Doorzo, the ¥6,780 on top of the item breaks down as international postage ¥4,400 (65%), import tax ¥1,480 (22%), postage inside Japan ¥700 (10%), service fee ¥200 (3%). The international postage is the biggest share by far, which is why weight matters more than the choice of service.
Lighter parcels
A 500 g parcel pays a lower EMS band. At that weight the overhead on a ¥3,000 item drops to 78% to Taiwan, 93% to Hong Kong, 108% to Singapore, 135% to Canada, 156% to Australia, 160% to United States, 174% to Germany, 176% to United Kingdom, 176% to France.
Making a cheap item worth it
- Bundle it. Three light items in one box pay one EMS band instead of three. See consolidating parcels.
- Keep it light. A 500 g parcel costs less than a 1 kg one. See the EMS weight bands.
- Check whether you need a proxy at all. New items from some Japanese shops can be bought directly from shops that ship overseas, which removes the proxy's fees. The calculator suggests some when you choose a shop rather than an auction.