Shipito vs. Planet Express — Which US Reshipping Service Is Better?

Shopping at American online stores is typically 30–50% cheaper than in Europe — especially for electronics, branded clothing, and outdoor gear. The problem: most US retailers don't ship internationally. Reshipping services solve this by giving you a US delivery address, holding your parcels at their warehouse, and forwarding them to your home country. Shipito and Planet Express are two of the most popular options for European buyers. Here is a head-to-head comparison across 8 criteria that actually matter.

1. Warehouse location and sales tax

This is the most important factor — and Shipito wins clearly.

Shipito: Oregon (no tax) + California. Oregon is one of five US states with no sales tax. Most US e-stores calculate tax based on the shipping address — send to Oregon and you pay zero tax. That is an immediate 5–10% saving on the goods price before any other cost is considered.

Planet Express: Torrance, California. One address, in California with 9.5% sales tax. A minor advantage: Torrance is near Los Angeles, so stores offering free California shipping deliver slightly faster to the warehouse. But the 9.5% tax saving at Shipito's Oregon address is worth more than any difference in warehouse delivery speed.

Winner: Shipito — significantly.

2. Free storage

Reshipping services hold your parcels for a free window so you can shop gradually and consolidate into one international shipment (saving on shipping costs).

• Shipito: 45 days free, then $1/parcel/day
• Planet Express: 30 days free, then $0.50/parcel/day

Shipito's window is 50% longer, which matters for planning larger purchases (Black Friday, seasonal sales). Planet Express has a cheaper overage rate, but this only matters for parcels stored beyond 45 days — which is rare for most buyers.

Winner: Shipito for flexibility; Planet Express for long-term storage beyond 45 days.

3. Consolidation

The main reason reshipping services exist is consolidation: breaking down individual packages and repacking them into one shipment to avoid paying separate international shipping for each item.

• Shipito: from approx. $2 per parcel; professional repacking, photo documentation
• Planet Express: from approx. $1 per parcel; basic repacking

Planet Express is cheaper per parcel, but Shipito provides better packing quality — sturdier boxes, extra protection, higher probability of damage-free delivery. For fragile or high-value items (electronics, glassware), the small price difference is worth it.

Winner: Planet Express on price; Shipito on quality.

4. Loyalty bonuses

Shipito has a unique loyalty programme that rewards regular customers:

• 5th shipment: $5 credit
• 10th shipment: $10 credit
• 20th shipment: $20 credit

For regular shoppers this adds up to $35 in savings over 20 shipments. Planet Express has no comparable programme — they occasionally offer promo codes for new customers (typically a discount on the first shipment).

Winner: Shipito.

5. International shipping — carriers and prices

Both services offer a choice of international carriers: USPS, DHL Express, FedEx, UPS. Prices are practically identical because both companies have similar volume rates with carriers.

Indicative prices for a 1 kg parcel to Europe:

• USPS Priority Mail International: approx. $25, 7–14 days
• DHL Express: approx. $45, 3–5 days
• FedEx International: approx. $55, 3–5 days

Winner: Tie.

6. Customer support

Shipito: English-language support via live chat, email, and phone. Email response typically within 24 hours. The team is well-versed in European customs rules (EU VAT, de minimis thresholds, UK duty rules post-Brexit).

Planet Express: Email only, slower responses (2–3 days). Less customer service infrastructure for European buyers.

Winner: Shipito.

7. Special services

Shipito offers:

• Invoice removal from parcel (for reducing declared value — a grey area but legal in most cases)
• Special packaging for fragile items
• Repacking (removing original packaging to reduce chargeable weight)
• Photo documentation of every received parcel

Planet Express offers:

• Basic consolidation
• Photo documentation
• Basic repacking

Shipito has a broader service menu, which pays off for fragile or high-value shipments.

Winner: Shipito.

8. Reputation and stability

Shipito has been operating since 2008 with tens of millions of parcels processed. It has a strong reputation among European buyers and extensive English-language reviews, YouTube guides, and forum discussions.

Planet Express was founded in 2013 and is smaller. It has solid reviews but a much lower profile among European shoppers.

Winner: Shipito.

Decision matrix

Conclusion

For most European buyers, Shipito is the right choice. The Oregon address eliminates 8–10% sales tax immediately — which is more than any savings from Planet Express's slightly cheaper consolidation. Add the loyalty bonuses, longer free storage, better support, and stronger reputation among European shoppers, and the decision is straightforward.

Planet Express makes sense in two specific scenarios: (a) the seller you're buying from doesn't ship to Oregon, making Shipito's California address equally disadvantaged; and (b) you plan to store parcels for longer than 45 days while waiting to consolidate. In all other cases, Shipito is the more economical and better-supported option.

If you're new to US reshipping, the process involves registering for a free account, receiving your personal US address, shopping at US stores with that address at checkout, and then requesting forwarding once all parcels arrive. Both services offer the same core flow — the differences above determine which one saves you more money over time.