Mailboxde

Mailboxde was founded in 2004 and has claimed to ship 135,000 packages annually for 100,000 customers. They serve Germany and the EU. Fees and costs are transparent, with a shipping calculator available. Consolidation fees come with a yearly fee and a per-package fee based on weight.

Mailboxde gives you a free German mailing address with no registration or monthly membership fee. You can use it to receive purchases from German and other EU retailers, then have them forwarded internationally. Packages up to 30 kg can be forwarded, with shipping charged separately according to destination, weight and dimensions.

The forwarding fee is based on package weight. For a shipment outside the EU, processing starts at €3.24 + VAT-exempt postage for packages up to 2 kg, with a €2.20 customs declaration fee also applying. The standard 2 kg processing fee including German VAT is €3.85 for EU destinations.

Storage is relatively generous for smaller packages: 60 days free for packages up to 5 kg, 30 days for up to 10 kg, 20 days for up to 20 kg and 10 days for up to 30 kg. After that, daily storage charges range from €0.30 to €1.25 depending on package weight.

You can consolidate multiple packages for €17.80 per year, plus the cost of the consolidation box. Individual box options range from €1.49 to €4.80 depending on size. You can also request services such as package photos, invoice removal, stronger packaging and returns for additional fees.

For example shipping to New Zealand, Mailboxde offers Deutsche Post Weltpaket and UPS Express Saver. Deutsche Post offers tracked shipping up to 20 kg, while UPS provides faster door-to-door delivery. Mailboxde currently lists a €1.80-per-kg crisis surcharge on Deutsche Post shipments to New Zealand.

Our take: Mailboxde looks particularly competitive for small, regular European purchases, thanks to its low processing fees and free German address. The economics become less attractive for larger packages or when consolidation is required, because you pay the processing fee for each incoming package as well as the annual consolidation fee.