What is a UK forwarding address?
A UK forwarding address is a UK delivery address you can use at the checkout of any UK retailer, even though you live abroad. Bringbox gives you one, receives whatever you order, then combines it all into a single box and delivers it to your country. You pay to ship once instead of paying international postage on every order.
Why people use one
Two reasons, and cost is the bigger one. First, plenty of UK retailers will not deliver outside the UK at all, and the ones that do often charge more for postage than the item is worth. Second, UK prices are usually lower. A lot of things still work out cheaper bought in the UK and shipped to you than bought locally, even once shipping is counted.
So you shop as though you still lived in the UK, at UK prices, and Bringbox gets it to you. This is what is usually called parcel forwarding, and the forwarding address is what makes it possible.
It is popular with British expats who miss shopping from home, and with anyone abroad who wants UK brands they cannot buy locally.
How it works, in short
You get your UK address, you use it at the checkout, we receive and photograph whatever turns up, and you decide when it ships. The detail of actually placing an order, including where the address goes and what to do about verification codes, is covered in how to shop UK stores from abroad.
You can watch your box fill up
Most services leave you guessing until an invoice arrives. Bringbox shows you your box as it fills: every parcel photographed as it lands, what is inside, the weight so far and what it will cost to send. Nothing moves until you say so, and there is no storage countdown pushing you to ship before you are ready.
That is the part people tell us they did not expect. You are not waiting on an email, you can simply look.
Why one box instead of many
This is the part that saves the most money. If you order from five shops and post each parcel separately, you pay to ship five times. A forwarding address lets you hold them all in one place and send them together, so you pay once. It is the single biggest reason the service is worth it, and it is why we let you keep your box open with no rush to close it.
What it costs
The address is free and there is no subscription. You only pay when you decide to ship, and the price is set by the size of the box rather than a fee on every parcel. The full breakdown is on our pricing page. Duties and taxes are handled up front for certain destinations, so there is nothing to sort out when the box arrives.
| Question | Bringbox |
|---|---|
| Address cost | Free, no subscription |
| How long we hold parcels | As long as you like, no countdown |
| Combining orders | Yes, one box, ship once |
| Photos | Every parcel, included |
| You pay | Only when you ship |
Good to know.
Is it an ordinary UK address?
Yes. It is an ordinary UK delivery address that you use at the checkout like any other. Anything you order arrives there, is matched to your account, and is then sent on to you.
Is parcel forwarding legal?
Yes. You are buying goods in the UK and having them delivered to a UK address, then exported to you. It is ordinary international shipping, and the same customs rules apply as any other import into your country.
How long can Bringbox hold my parcels?
As long as you like. Your box stays open and we keep everything safe until you are ready to ship. There is no storage countdown.
Get your UK address today.
It takes a minute to set up and it is free. You only pay when you ship.
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