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US Territory Shipment PSA

Swappa Staff

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Hey all!

I just wanted to share some insights from my experience on shipments to US Territories.

We get a lot of communication about costs to US Territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, etc...) The issue is generally the high cost that UPS and FedEx charge, which typically can be 2 or 3 times more versus their domestic fees.

Surprisingly, there are some that don't realize that the USPS asks the same flat fee to US Territories as it does to any US state.

USPS FAQ that goes more in depth - https://faq.usps.com/s/article/What-US-Possessions-US-Territories-and-Freely-Associated-States-are-Considered-Domestic

Typically a customs form is not needed, but there are some instances where it is required, but that can be completed online.

Has anybody had a different experience?

Thanks for looking!

Travis

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Oct 18, 2021 at 2:45 p.m.

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James B.

When I ship to US Territories via USPS, I always use Pirate Ship to make the customs forms process easy.

Standing in line at a post office and trying to figure out which forms you need can be a big hassle. Pirate Ship takes care of that paperwork for you. You just have to fill in a few fields in an online form.

Signing up for an account is free and you get commercial rates for both USPS and UPS. I highly recommend them for anyone that wants cheaper rates and the ability to ship labels from home. I've used them for years.

Here's a link to their site and an article about filling out customs forms through their system.

https://www.pirateship.com/

https://support.pirateship.com/en/articles/2154103-how-do-i-fill-out-a-customs-form

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Oct 18, 2021 at 3:36 p.m.

Lawrence N

We’ve successfully used the USPS Flat Rate Boxes to ship iPhones to American Samoa, 96799, and the Northern Marianas, 96950, without a problem! We fill out all paperwork online at the USPS website using the Click-n-Ship process and declare customs as required. The recipients received their hardware without a problem at their POBox Numbers, because that’s what the post office uses at these territories. A delivery note is placed in their post office box indicating a package is waiting for them to pick up at the counter - it’s easy! I wish more sellers would try this method because it is the same cost as sending a package across town or across the country! I was in the Army and we received letters and packages via APO/FPO without a problem either!..,

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Oct 23, 2021 at 2:14 a.m.

James B.

Lawrence, thank you for your service!

I've had a fair bit of experience shipping to military family members overseas and I know how important it is to them to be able to get new/replacement devices while stationed overseas.

For anyone that is shipping to an overseas military post of US territory, I highly recommend using PirateShip to make the customs forms paperwork a breeze.

https://www.pirateship.com/