International Mail Order for US Consumers: Duties, Risks, and What to Expect

Ordering from a foreign company by mail or catalog is legal and straightforward in many cases — but it introduces costs, delays, and reduced consumer protection that domestic orders do not. Understanding the mechanics before you order prevents surprises.

International mail order has existed for as long as international postal service has. American consumers have long ordered specialty goods from British clothing companies, Canadian seed suppliers, Irish linen weavers, German tool manufacturers, and dozens of other foreign catalog operations. The case for international ordering is straightforward: some goods are made better, cheaper, or exclusively in other countries, and mail-order is often the most practical way to access them.

The complications of international ordering are equally real. Customs duties, longer transit times, currency exchange costs, limited dispute resolution options, and inconsistent product standards all require consideration before committing to an order from an overseas supplier.

US customs duties and de minimis thresholds

When goods enter the United States from another country, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may assess duties — taxes on the imported goods — depending on the value and category of the merchandise. For mail-order consumers, the most important concept to understand is the de minimis threshold.

The de minimis threshold is the value below which goods can be imported without paying duties or filing formal import paperwork. As of 2026, the United States de minimis threshold is $800 per shipment. Goods valued below $800 in a single shipment enter duty-free and with minimal paperwork. Goods valued above $800 may be subject to formal entry requirements and duties that vary by product category.

For the majority of individual mail-order purchases, the de minimis threshold means no duty is owed. However, there are specific product categories where lower thresholds or outright restrictions apply regardless of value. Alcohol, tobacco, firearms, certain food products, live plants, and some textiles from specific countries of origin all have import restrictions that supersede the standard de minimis rule. If you are ordering any of these categories from a foreign company, verify the import status before purchasing.

Shipping times and carrier limitations

International mail-order shipments take longer to arrive than domestic orders, sometimes significantly longer. Package transit times depend on:

• The shipping service selected by the seller. International express services (FedEx International Priority, UPS Worldwide Express, DHL Express) typically deliver to major US cities in three to five business days from most countries. Standard postal services (Royal Mail, Canada Post, Deutsche Post using US Postal Service final delivery) typically take seven to twenty-one business days.
• Customs clearance time. Most packages clear customs without delay, but a small percentage are held for inspection, documentation review, or duty assessment. There is no way to predict which packages are selected for additional review. Allow for this possibility when timing-sensitive orders are involved.
• Seasonal volume. International package transit times slow noticeably during the pre-holiday period in November and December, when postal systems globally handle peak volume.

When ordering from a foreign catalog company for a specific occasion or deadline — a birthday, holiday, or event — add at least two weeks to your expected transit time to account for the variability in international shipping. Ordering by a fixed deadline with international shipping is a different risk profile than with domestic orders.

Currency exchange and total cost

When a foreign catalog company prices its goods in its local currency, the final cost in US dollars fluctuates with the exchange rate between when you order and when your card is charged. For small orders, this is usually a negligible difference. For large orders, currency fluctuation over the days between order placement and settlement can move the effective price by a meaningful amount in either direction.

Some foreign catalog companies allow customers to pay in US dollars at a fixed exchange rate. This eliminates exchange rate variability but introduces a spread between the company’s stated rate and the market rate — typically a modest charge that the company builds in as its currency conversion fee.

Your credit card issuer will charge a foreign transaction fee (typically 1–3% of the transaction value) when processing a payment to a foreign merchant in a foreign currency. Some cards waive this fee; it is worth knowing your card’s policy before making regular international mail-order purchases.

Consumer protection differences for international orders

This is the most significant practical difference between international and domestic mail-order, and the one most likely to matter if something goes wrong.

US consumer protection laws — including the FTC Mail Order Rule (which requires sellers to ship within the stated timeframe or offer a refund) and state consumer protection statutes — do not apply to foreign companies. If a foreign catalog company fails to ship your goods, ships incorrect items, or refuses to process a return, your legal recourse is limited to what the foreign country’s laws provide, which may be difficult to exercise from the United States.

The practical implication is that payment method matters more for international orders than for domestic ones. A credit card chargeback — disputing the charge with your card issuer rather than with the seller — remains your most accessible and effective remedy when a foreign seller fails to deliver. Your card issuer operates under US law and will process a legitimate chargeback regardless of where the seller is located. For international orders, paying by credit card is not just a preference but a meaningful protection.

Identifying legitimate international catalog companies

The same indicators of legitimacy that apply to domestic mail-order companies apply to foreign ones, with additional considerations:

• The company should have a verifiable physical address and contact information that you can confirm through an independent search, not just from the catalog or website itself.
• Check whether the company has US customer reviews available through independent review platforms. For well-established foreign catalog companies that serve US customers regularly, US-based customer reviews are typically findable.
• Understand the return logistics before ordering. Returning goods to a foreign address is expensive and time-consuming. Some foreign catalog companies have US-based returns processing arrangements; others require international return shipment at the buyer’s expense. Know the policy before you buy.
• Be cautious with very low prices from foreign companies selling goods that are normally expensive. Counterfeit goods — luxury items, branded electronics, designer apparel — are shipped into the US in international mail-order packages. CBP does seize counterfeit shipments, and you will not receive a refund for a package that is confiscated at the border.