How shipping from Chinese shops to your country works
Most Chinese shops only deliver inside China. A consolidation (forwarding) service gives you a warehouse address in China, receives your parcels, packs them into one box and ships it to you. Here is the whole flow in four steps.
How shipping from Chinese shops to your country works
Step 1
Register in the Cainiao app and get your China warehouse address
The app (CAINIAO in the App Store / Google Play) gives every user a personal warehouse address in China with an identification code — that code is how the warehouse knows the parcel is yours.
Step 2
Buy on Taobao, Tmall, Pinduoduo, 1688, JD or Xianyu
Use the warehouse address as the delivery address and keep the code in the recipient name. A missing code is the most common reason parcels get lost in the warehouse.
Step 3
Parcels arrive and are merged into one box
Orders from different shops can be combined. Aim for 1 kg or more in total — the first-weight block makes tiny parcels expensive per kg.
Step 4
Pay the shipping in the app and receive it overseas
Lines are charged by chargeable weight (actual or volumetric, whichever is higher); duties depend on your country.
New-user first-order coupon
Register in the official app to get the new-user first-order coupon (amount shown in the app).
Ship one merged box of 1 kg+ for your first order — it’s cheaper per kg.
ShipCostCalc is an independent guide — not an official Cainiao page. Cainiao’s official consolidation is one option; other forwarders work the same way.
FAQ
Where does the warehouse address come from?
From the consolidation app after you register. Each user gets the same warehouse address with a personal identification code; copy it exactly into your Chinese shop account.
What happens if I forget the identification code?
The parcel arrives without an owner and can sit unclaimed or be returned. Put the code in the recipient name and, if possible, at the end of the address — the address checker shows what is missing.
Can I combine orders from several shops?
Yes. That is the point of consolidation: parcels from different shops wait in the warehouse until you ask for them to be packed into one box.
How is international shipping charged?
By chargeable weight — the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight (length × width × height ÷ 6000 for most lines) — plus any minimum weight of the line. Use the shipping and volumetric calculators to estimate it.
What can’t I send?
Power banks, spare batteries, aerosols, flammable liquids, meat products and other items are refused or seized. Check every item with the sensitive goods checker before buying.
Is this an official Cainiao page?
No. ShipCostCalc is independent. It explains how consolidation works and names Cainiao’s official consolidation as one option.