How to buy from a China spreadsheet in the US
Order the item through a shopping agent and pay for it. After it reaches the agent's warehouse in China, look over the photos, wait for the rest of your haul, then ship everything as one parcel on a line that serves the US. That second payment covers freight; depending on the line, US duties are either in it or collected when the parcel arrives.
Written for US buyers, independent of any agent · Last reviewed
Your bill, charge by charge
- Item pricepayment 1what the seller asks, as the agent converts it
- Agent service feepayment 1per item, a percentage, or inside freight
- Shipping inside Chinapayment 1from the seller to the agent's warehouse
- Add-onsif chosenextra photos, special packing, insurance
- International freightpayment 2weight, box size and the line you pick
- US duties and feesline or deliveryin a duties-included line's price, or billed at the border
- 1
Seller in China
Weidian, Taobao or 1688 listing
- 2
Agent buys it
Paid in your cart, sent to their warehouse
- 3
QC photos
Photographed on arrival — you approve or return
- 4
One package to the US
Combine items, pick a US line, pay freight
From sheet to doorstep
Eight steps to a first US haul
- 1
Open an account at one agent
The agent is the company in China that places the order for you. Sign up before your first purchase, through a link that applies the new-account coupon, since those coupons generally work on the first parcel only.
- 2
Pick a find and hit buy
Set your agent at the top of the sheet. The buy button on each card then opens that item on your agent's site, already converted from the seller's listing.
- 3
Read the listing before choosing options
Sizes are usually given in centimeters (divide by 2.54 for inches), and option names may be in Chinese. A few finds link to photos from earlier buyers; most don't, so the seller's notes and size chart are what you have. Message the seller through the agent if something is unclear.
- 4
Pay for the item
This is the first of two payments. It covers the item, the agent's service fee and the seller's shipping to the agent's warehouse in China. Nothing toward getting it to the US is in it yet.
- 5
Check the warehouse photos
Once the item arrives, the agent photographs it. Approve it, ask for more shots, or request a return or exchange. While the item is still in China, a fix costs the least it ever will.
- 6
Let the haul build up
Each parcel carries a first-weight charge, so one item alone costs almost as much to ship as several. Keep items in free storage until the haul is complete, then ask the agent to drop shoe boxes and packaging you don't need.
- 7
Pick a US line and pay freight
The agent weighs and measures the packed parcel and lists the lines that go to the US. Price follows the greater of actual and volumetric weight. Read whether each line includes US duties in its price or leaves them for delivery.
- 8
Settle anything owed at the border
China parcels no longer enter the US duty-free. On a line that doesn't include duties, the carrier or customs may bill you before handing over the parcel. Pay it and the parcel continues to your door.
The last two steps are where a US order differs most. For how the lines compare, read shipping to the USA; for what the border can charge, read the US customs guide.
Ready? Browse the spreadsheet, or convert a seller link you already have. Unfamiliar terms are defined in the glossary.
FAQ
Questions from US buyers
Will I owe duties on a China spreadsheet order shipped to the US?
Plan for it. Low-value parcels from China lost their de minimis (duty-free) treatment in 2025, so even a small haul can owe duties and processing fees. How much depends on the goods and their declared value, and whether you pay it up front or on delivery depends on the line. Our US customs guide covers the amounts.
Why does an order take two payments?
Freight to the US can only be priced once your items are in the warehouse, packed and weighed. So you pay for the items first, then for the parcel later, usually after several items have been combined into it.
How long until the parcel reaches me?
Add two waits: the seller's shipping to the agent's warehouse, and the trip from China to your door. The first depends on the seller, the second on the line and on clearing US customs. When you submit the parcel, the agent shows its own estimate for each line.
Can I declare a lower value to cut the duties?
Don't. The declared value is a statement made to US Customs and Border Protection, and an undervalued parcel can be held, delayed or seized. Declare what you paid.
What if the item turns out wrong?
Catch it in the warehouse photos and ask the agent to return or exchange it with the seller while it is still in China. Whether the seller agrees, and what the return costs, varies by seller and agent. After the parcel leaves China, sending something back is rarely worth the cost.