Updated
Many Taobao sellers only deliver within China. Send your orders to our Guangzhou warehouse instead: we combine parcels from different shops into one shipment and bring it to your door in Singapore.
The full guide
Why ship Taobao orders through a forwarder
- One shipment, not five. Orders from different Taobao shops arrive at one warehouse and travel together, so the first-kg charge applies once.
- Free delivery to the warehouse is common. Many Taobao listings include free delivery within mainland China (包邮), which covers the trip to Guangzhou.
- Combine with other apps. Taobao, Tmall, JD, Pinduoduo and 1688 orders can all go in the same shipment.
Set up your Taobao address (one time)
- Get your Paotui code. WhatsApp us and reply Address. You get our warehouse address with your personal code (PT-xxxx). It's yours for every order.
- In the Taobao app, add a new delivery address (收货地址 → 新增地址) and copy each field from our warehouse address, which has a copy button per field.
- End the street address with your code, like …君祥仓：PT-xxxx. Taobao can hide your name on the label, so the warehouse reads your code from the address.
- Recipient name: (PT-xxxx) Your Name. Phone: our warehouse number, not yours. The China courier calls that number to deliver.
- Save it as your default address.
Shop, then track each parcel
Check out as usual with the warehouse address. In the Taobao order you'll see the China courier and tracking number. When it says delivered (已签收), check it on Track Parcel to see that it has reached us. There's no need to tell us before you order, and we don't send arrival messages. Our tracking guide translates the Chinese updates.
Tracking number not working? The seller may have given you a transfer number. Ask them for the 转单号: “你好，请问这个单号有转单号吗？我仓库那边查询不了”.
Ship it to Singapore
When everything has arrived, send us your order list on WhatsApp: Air or Sea, Normal or Sensitive goods, your tracking numbers, and your name, Singapore address and phone number. We weigh and measure, send the invoice, and ship once it's paid.
| Method | Door to door | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air | est. 4–5 working days | S$13.00 for 1 kg, S$21.80 for 2 kg; S$8.80/kg from 5 kg; S$8.50/kg from 31 kg | Small, urgent or valuable parcels |
| Sea by kg | est. 3–4 weeks | S$8.00 first kg + S$2.50 per extra kg | Smaller loads, up to about 33 kg |
| Sea LCL | est. 2–3 weeks | S$90.00 up to 0.4 m³; then by volume | Furniture, bulky items, many boxes |
Work out your cost first with the shipping calculator.
Common Taobao items
- Normal: clothes, shoes, bags, home and kitchen goods, furniture, stationery, toys (unbranded).
- Sensitive (declare them): skincare and make-up, perfume, phone accessories with batteries, power banks, snacks and packaged food. Liquids, perfume and cosmetics included, can go by air or sea unless they're flammable, dangerous or controlled. Sprays, aerosols, fragrance oils and diffuser liquids go by sea only.
- Ask us first on WhatsApp: branded goods, medicines, seeds, walkie-talkies. Some need a Singapore permit, so we check before you buy.
- Can't ship: chewing gum, vapes and pods, lighters, alcoholic drinks, frozen food, live plants, toy guns, swords, drones. Also can't ship: e-bikes, e-scooters and other mobility devices, nicotine products. Full list: what you can and can't ship.
Furniture and other bulky buys usually work out cheaper by Sea LCL.
How combining parcels saves the first-kg charge
Each shipment pays for its first kg once. By air, the first kg is S$13.00 and the next ones are S$8.80. By sea, the first kg is S$8.00 and the next ones are S$2.50. Send three small parcels one by one and you pay that first kg three times. Send them as one shipment and you pay it once, or not at all: from 5 kg, air is a flat S$8.80 for every kg.
Three parcels from three shops: 1 kg, 2 kg and 2 kg
By air, one by one: S$13.00 + S$21.80 + S$21.80 =
S$56.60.
By air, together (5 kg): 5 × S$8.80 = S$44.00. You save
S$12.60, which is three first-kg premiums of S$4.20
(S$13.00 less S$8.80).
By sea, one by one: S$8.00 + S$10.50 + S$10.50 =
S$29.00.
By sea, together (5 kg): S$8.00 + 4 × S$2.50 = S$18.00.
You save S$11.00: the first kg costs S$5.50 more than a normal kg, and
you now pay that once instead of three times.
The weights above are chargeable weights. For the combined shipment we weigh and measure it once at the warehouse, and that final figure is what goes on your invoice. Combining works across apps too, so a Pinduoduo or 1688 order can travel with your Taobao parcels, as long as everything goes to the same Singapore address.
What typical Taobao hauls cost
Four common orders, worked out from our public rates. Freight is charged on the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷ 5,000), each rounded up to a whole kg. Then add import tax: 9% of what you paid for the goods.
| Haul | Packed size and weight | Chargeable weight | By air, with tax | By sea, with tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One pair of shoes in its box | 35 × 25 × 13 cm, 1.2 kg | 3 kg | S$38.70 | S$21.10 |
| Clothes from four shops, packed together | 45 × 35 × 25 cm, 5 kg | 8 kg | S$86.60 | S$41.70 |
| An air fryer in its retail box | 40 × 35 × 38 cm, 6 kg | 11 kg | S$107.60 | S$43.80 |
| Home items: bedding, curtains, a rug, two lamps | 80 × 60 × 50 cm, 22 kg | 48 kg | S$439.50 | S$121.50 (Sea LCL) |
Shoes: a light box still takes up space
A shoe box of 35 × 25 × 13 cm weighs 1.2 kg, which rounds up to 2 kg. Its volumetric weight is 2.28 kg, rounded up to 3 kg. The higher one counts: 3 kg. Air S$30.60, or sea S$13.00. The shoes cost S$90.00, so import tax is S$8.10. Total: S$38.70 by air, S$21.10 by sea.
Clothes from four shops, one shipment
Packed together they measure 45 × 35 × 25 cm and weigh 5 kg. Volumetric weight: 7.88 kg, rounded up to 8 kg. Air 8 × S$8.80 = S$70.40. Sea S$8.00 + 7 × S$2.50 = S$25.50. Goods S$180.00, import tax S$16.20. Total: S$86.60 by air, S$41.70 by sea.
A small appliance: the box is bigger than the item
An air fryer weighs 6 kg, but its retail box is 40 × 35 × 38 cm. Volumetric weight: 10.64 kg, rounded up to 11 kg. Air S$96.80, sea S$33.00. Goods S$120.00, import tax S$10.80. Total: S$107.60 by air, S$43.80 by sea. Plug-in appliances with no battery are Normal goods. Anything with a battery is Sensitive.
Home items: when sea by kg turns into Sea LCL
Bedding, curtains, a rug and two lamps fill a carton of 80 × 60 × 50 cm at 22 kg. Volumetric weight: 48 kg, so it's charged as 48 kg. That's past 34 kg, where sea by kg would cost more than S$90.00, so it ships as Sea LCL instead: 0.24 m³, charged as 0.3 m³ = S$90.00. By air it would be 48 kg = S$408.00. Goods S$350.00, import tax S$31.50. Total: S$121.50 by sea, S$439.50 by air.
These are examples, not quotes. Your invoice uses the weight and size we measure at the warehouse. To try your own sizes, use the volumetric weight calculator, the CBM calculator, or the full list in China to Singapore shipping rates.
From "seller has shipped" to your door
- The seller hands your parcel to a China courier. How long this leg takes depends on the seller. It isn't part of our transit estimate.
- It arrives at our Guangzhou warehouse. Every parcel is scanned in under its tracking number. We don't open parcels or look at what's inside. The weight you may see on Track Parcel is an intake record, not the weight we bill on.
- It waits for the rest of your orders. Storage is free for 45 days, counted for each parcel from the day it arrives.
- You send one order list when everything is in. We then seal, weigh and measure the shipment, so nothing can be added or taken out after that. A late parcel goes in your next shipment.
- We send the invoice. Invoices go out in a daily evening batch once your shipment has been weighed. Pay within 24 hours by PayNow or bank transfer. Your tracking number comes after payment.
- We dispatch. The warehouse dispatches Monday to Saturday, not on Sundays. Sea shipments leave weekly, and the cut-off day varies, so WhatsApp us if you're timing a sea order.
- Transit and customs. Est. 4–5 working days by air, 2–3 weeks by Sea LCL, 3–4 weeks by sea by kg. That estimate already covers Singapore customs and the local delivery leg. Nothing is added on top. Sensitive goods can take a day or two longer.
- A local courier delivers. They set the day and time, and we can't book a slot for you. For Sea LCL the courier messages you before delivery. For air you'll most likely get updates. For sea by kg they may not message ahead, so keep an eye on your tracking and keep your phone on.
Busy periods slow things down. Right after 11.11 and through November and December, flights and vessels fill up and delays are common, sea most of all. Our warehouse also closes over Chinese New Year. If you need something by a date, shop early. More in how long shipping from China takes.
Storage while you shop
- Free for 45 days. Parcels that arrive early wait for the rest at no charge, so you can shop over a few weeks and still ship once.
- The clock is per parcel. It starts when that parcel reaches the warehouse.
- We can't keep parcels past 45 days. Parcels left longer are discarded and we aren't liable for them. If one order will take a long time, such as made-to-order furniture, tell us early on WhatsApp so we can plan around it.
- Not everything in yet? Either we wait and ship it all together, or we ship what's ready and the rest goes next time. You choose.
What's included, and what's extra
Covered by the freight rate:
- Receiving your parcels in Guangzhou and storing them for up to 45 days.
- Combining parcels from different shops into one shipment.
- The air or sea leg, Singapore customs clearance, and delivery to your address, islandwide.
- A weight check, if you want both the air and the sea price before you choose.
Added on the invoice:
- Import tax: 9% of the value of your goods, never of the freight. See import tax on goods from China.
- Fees that apply only in the cases below.
| Fee | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Extra-long (over 140 cm, or 70 cm+ on two sides) or extra-heavy (one parcel over 40 kg) | S$60.00 once per shipment | Air and Sea by kg |
| Delivery to a 09xxxx postcode | S$35.00 | All |
| Wrong Normal / Sensitive declaration | S$10.00 per parcel resent | All |
| Return a parcel to the seller in China | S$5.00 + China courier cost | On request |
Optional, on request: a wooden frame for fragile items (about S$40–80 per m³, confirmed once the goods arrive), and a cover premium of 10% of the declared goods value.
Not part of the service: buying the items for you, carrying bulky items up when they don't fit your lift, unpacking, assembly, and taking away packaging. One shipment goes to one address. The rules for bulky deliveries are in Delivery conditions, and what can't travel at all is in prohibited items.
Questions people ask
Can I use Taobao's own consolidated shipping instead?
Yes, Taobao has its own options. A forwarder lets you put Taobao, JD, 1688, Pinduoduo and other sellers in the same shipment, ship bulky items by sea, and chat with us in Singapore on WhatsApp. Compare and pick what suits your order.
Which phone number do I put on the Taobao address?
Our warehouse number, which comes with the address. With your own number, the China courier can't reach the warehouse and the parcel stalls.
Taobao shows my name as p***** on the label. Is that a problem?
No. That's Taobao's privacy setting. It's why your PT code goes at the end of the address line: the warehouse reads it from there.
My seller says the warehouse address is invalid. What do I do?
The address is correct. Send us the seller's contact on WhatsApp and we'll sort it out with them.
How long does Taobao shipping to Singapore take?
About 4–5 working days by air and 2–4 weeks by sea, counted from dispatch at our warehouse. Add the time your sellers take to deliver within China.
Can I ship furniture bought on Taobao?
Yes, usually by Sea LCL, charged by volume. It's delivered to your door when it fits your lift as packed. See Delivery conditions.
Is it cheaper to ship Taobao parcels one by one or all together?
Together, almost always. Each shipment pays its own first kg (S$13.00 by air, S$8.00 by sea). Three parcels of 1, 2 and 2 kg cost S$56.60 by air one by one, and S$44.00 as one 5 kg shipment. By sea it's S$29.00 against S$18.00.
How long can my Taobao parcels stay at your warehouse?
45 days, free, counted from the day each parcel arrives. We can't keep parcels longer than that, so send your order list before the first one runs out. If an order will take longer, tell us early on WhatsApp.
Why is my chargeable weight higher than the weight on the courier's screenshot?
The China courier's figure is theirs. We charge the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight (L × W × H in cm ÷ 5,000), each rounded up to a whole kg. A 9.5 kg parcel in a 47 × 30 × 70 cm box has a volumetric weight of 19.74 kg, so by air it's charged as 20 kg: S$176.00. The final figure is what we weigh and measure at our warehouse.
Can I send some Taobao items by air and the rest by sea?
Yes. Send two order lists, one for air and one for sea, each with its own tracking numbers. Small things you need soon can fly, and bulky items or liquids can take the sea shipment. See air freight for the per-kg table.