The short answer
If a French store won't ship to the US, ships slowly, or charges eye-watering international rates, forwarding almost always wins — especially when you consolidate several orders into one shipment. A 2 kg consolidated box ships with VoilaShip for $27 all-in, duties included. The same haul through a typical forwarder — subscription, handling fees, then a surprise customs bill at the door — routinely lands between $50 and $90.
But "almost always" isn't "always". Here's the honest math, so you can decide before you spend a cent.
When forwarding clearly wins
1. The store doesn't ship to the US at all. The most common case. Le Slip Français, most of Vinted France, many Sézane drops, and countless small Parisian labels simply refuse a US address at checkout. A French address is the only way in — and whatever forwarding costs, the alternative is no product at all.
2. The store ships to the US, but at a punitive price. French e-commerce sites often quote €35–60 to deliver a single order internationally, arriving in two to three weeks by economy post. Forwarding the same order via FedEx express usually costs less and lands in days, not weeks.
3. You're buying from several stores. This is where the economics get genuinely good. Send five orders — a City Pharma skincare haul, a Polène pouch, two Vinted finds, a box of chocolates — to your French address, and we consolidate them into one box with one shipping fee. Five separate international deliveries could total €150+; one consolidated 3 kg shipment is around $36.
4. French prices are simply lower. French pharmacy skincare often sells for half its US retail price. A €12 bottle of Bioderma that costs $25 stateside pays for a good chunk of its own shipping. Our French pharmacy guide runs the numbers in detail.
When forwarding is NOT worth it
We'd rather tell you now than have you find out after checkout:
- A single cheap, heavy item. One €15 cast-iron trivet weighing 2 kg costs more to ship than to buy. Weight is the enemy; value density is your friend.
- The US site sells the identical product at a similar price. L'Occitane, Sephora and most global brands have US stores. If the gap is under ~20% and the item ships domestically, skip the forwarding.
- Prohibited items. Alcohol, aerosols, loose lithium batteries — we can't fly them, full stop. Check the prohibited list before you order.
The math, step by step
Your real cost has exactly three parts:
- Transport — based on billable weight (the greater of actual and volumetric weight). VoilaShip starts at $14 for up to 0.5 kg on Economy.
- US duties and taxes — since the end of the de minimis exemption, most imports are dutiable. We estimate them from your declared value and category and include them in the quote — that's DDP. No courier invoice at your door, ever. Full explanation in the customs duties guide.
- Storage — free for 15 days, then €0.50/package/day. Order everything within two weeks and this is always $0.
No subscription, no signup fee, no handling charge — those three numbers are the total. Run your own scenario in the calculator: it's public, instant, and doesn't ask for an account.
A worked example
Say you order a Sézane cardigan (€120, ~600 g), two Bioderma cleansers (€24, ~500 g) and a Polène cardholder (€95, ~300 g). Consolidated: about 1.4 kg billable, roughly $240 declared value.
- Transport (Economy, 1–1.5 kg band): $24
- Estimated US duties across apparel, cosmetics and leather: ~$35
- Storage: $0 (everything arrived within one week)
Total: around $59, at your door in 2–5 business days, nothing owed on arrival. Sourcing the same items through US channels — where they exist at all — would cost $80–120 more at US retail.
The bottom line
Forwarding is worth it when the product is unavailable in the US, cheaper in France, or when you can consolidate several orders. It isn't when the item is heavy-and-cheap or sits on a US shelf at the same price. The calculator on our home page gives you the all-in figure in five seconds — decide with real numbers, not vibes.