Shopping on Amazon US via Shipito — Step-by-Step Guide

Amazon.com (US) has a larger product catalogue than any European Amazon marketplace, and prices for electronics, branded goods, and US-exclusive items are typically 15–30% lower. The catch: Amazon.com won’t ship most items internationally. Using a US reshipping address from Shipito solves this cleanly.

1. Amazon.com vs. Amazon.de (or .co.uk) — what’s different?

Amazon operates separate marketplaces per country. The US marketplace (amazon.com) has:

• Lower base prices on electronics, Apple products, gaming gear, and US brands
• A wider selection of niche items, collectibles, and US-exclusive products
• Many third-party sellers that only operate in the US market

The trade-off: amazon.com does not directly ship most items to EU addresses. Hence the reshipping approach.

2. Setting up an Amazon.com account

Go to amazon.com (not amazon.de, .co.uk, or .fr). Click “Account & Lists” → “Start here” to create a new account. You can use any email address and a non-US payment card — European Visa and Mastercard work normally for USD purchases.

Note: You can have separate Amazon accounts per marketplace, or use the same login across marketplaces. If you already have an Amazon EU account, you can use the same credentials on amazon.com — but set up a separate delivery address for US shipments.

3. Adding your Shipito address

In your Amazon.com account, go to “Your Account” → “Manage addresses”. Click “Add address” and enter your Shipito Oregon address exactly as provided in your Shipito dashboard — including the suite number (e.g., Suite 4217). This suite number is how Shipito identifies that the package belongs to your account.

Oregon has no state sales tax. This means you pay only the listed price on amazon.com — no additional state tax on top. Compared to a California or New York address, you save 5–10% on every purchase.

4. Which items ship free to your Shipito address

Amazon.com offers free standard shipping on eligible orders over $25. Items marked “Amazon Prime” or “FREE Shipping” qualify. Non-Prime, non-eligible items typically charge $3.99–$6.99 for standard shipping to a US address.

Amazon Prime ($14.99/month or $139/year) gives free 2-day shipping on most items. If you’re making regular US purchases, Prime often pays for itself quickly — 2-day shipping otherwise costs $10–15 per order.

5. Items with shipping restrictions

Not every product on amazon.com ships to all US addresses. Check each product page for:

• “Ships to: Check item details” — means some restrictions apply
• Third-party seller items — some sellers set their own shipping radius and may not ship to Oregon or to freight forwarder addresses
• Age-restricted or regulated items (alcohol, firearms accessories, certain supplements) — may not ship to Shipito addresses at all

For most mainstream consumer electronics, clothing, books, toys, and household goods, there are no US shipping restrictions.

6. Checkout and payment

Proceed to checkout, confirm your Shipito address is selected, and pay. Amazon accepts all major Visa, Mastercard, and American Express cards — EU-issued cards work without issues. The transaction is in USD; your bank converts to your local currency.

Amazon does not require a US billing address for payment — your European billing address is fine.

7. When your parcel arrives at Shipito

Shipito sends you an email notification when Amazon’s package is received at their warehouse. Log in to your Shipito dashboard to see:

• Package weight and dimensions as measured by Shipito
• Photos of the package (free on Premium plan; small fee on Standard)
• Available international carriers with prices

If you have multiple packages, use consolidation before forwarding — combining items from multiple orders into one shipment saves significantly on per-kg international shipping rates.

8. International shipping from Shipito to Europe

Choose your carrier in the Shipito dashboard. Typical options for EU delivery:

9. Customs duties and VAT

All parcels from the US pass through EU customs. Since 2021, the €22 VAT-free threshold is gone — VAT applies from €1:

• Goods value under €150 — VAT only (20–21%, depending on EU country). The carrier or Shipito pre-clears and bills you separately.
• Goods value €150 or above — VAT + customs duty. Duty varies by product category: laptops 0%, smartphones 0%, clothing 12%, shoes 17%, cameras 0%.

Shipito declares the actual paid value on the customs form. Do not request under-declaration — EU customs cross-references declared values against Amazon invoices and market prices. Mismatches lead to parcel holds or fines.

10. Real savings example

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones:

• Amazon.com (US): $279 + Shipito forwarding $45 + €0 EU duty (electronics) + ~€55 German VAT = total approx. €325
• Amazon.de (EU): €329
• Saving: approx. €4 — marginal in this example

Same headphones during a US sale at $210:

• Total with Shipito: approx. €265 — saving €64 vs. Amazon.de

The key is timing purchases to coincide with US sales (Black Friday, Amazon Prime Day, Memorial Day) when US prices drop significantly below EU prices.

Summary

Shopping on Amazon US via Shipito is straightforward: create an amazon.com account, use your Shipito Oregon address, shop and checkout normally, then forward via Shipito when packages arrive. Factor in international shipping ($35–100), EU VAT (20–21%), and any customs duty before purchasing. The best savings come on expensive US electronics during sales — the math works best above $200 per item.