The real value is buying what you want, satisfied with the total including duties, shipping and delivery time — routing cashback is just a bonus on top

Q: What should I do if trouble occurs in overseas shopping (item does not arrive, is damaged, or is counterfeit)?

First, stay calm and keep evidence—order history, tracking number, your exchanges with the site, photos showing the item's condition—and contact the support (inquiry desk) of the site you bought from as the first step. If it does not arrive, check the delivery status with the tracking number, and also whether it is held at customs or there is an address error. If a damaged item, an obvious counterfeit, or an item different from the description arrives, negotiate according to the site's return/refund policy. If the site does not respond or you cannot reach them, consulting your credit card company may let you discuss a "chargeback (cancellation of payment)" for fraudulent, undelivered, or significantly-different-from-description transactions (applicability depends on the card company and situation). Also, for cross-border transaction trouble, you may be able to use consultation desks such as the "Cross-border Consumer Center (CCJ)" under the Consumer Affairs Agency. In any case, saving the order screen, emails, and tracking information helps resolution. The best way to avoid trouble is to judge whether it is a trustworthy genuine site before ordering and to confirm return and support conditions. Not jumping at a too-cheap site lured by the appeal of rewards is, in the end, the best defense.

Q: How long does overseas-shopping delivery take? What should I watch for when in a hurry?

Delivery time changes greatly by shipping method, country of origin, and customs status, so it cannot be stated uniformly. Generally, express types like EMS and international courier (DHL, FedEx, etc.) tend to arrive relatively quickly, while cheaper shipping methods (SAL, ePacket, sea mail, etc.) tend to take longer. Furthermore, customs inspection and busy seasons (after big sales, year-end and New Year, etc.) can cause delays. When in a hurry, or when "needed by when" is set such as a birthday or anniversary gift, confirm each site's arrival estimate per shipping method before ordering, and ordering early with margin is safer. On sites where you can choose the shipping method, choose by looking at the balance of cost and speed. After shipping, you can check the delivery status with the tracking number. Note that the specific number of days to arrival changes by site, shipping method, and timing, so it cannot be stated definitively here. Always confirm on each site's latest shipping guidance before ordering. Rather than ordering with a tight delivery time for the routing reward, prioritizing a method and timing that will definitely make it in time is, in the end, the knack to not failing.

Deep dives Published：2026-05-30 Updated：2026-06-21 17 min read

The cardinal rule of cross-border shopping — buying what you want, satisfied with the all-in total including duties, shipping and delivery time, is the real goal

Overseas shopping sites like iHerb, Qoo10, international brand flagships, SSENSE and Revolve tend to offer higher point-site routing cashback than domestic shops, and stacking site-native coupons with credit-card rewards makes a triple-take possible. From a pure cashback angle, cross-border shopping is one of the most efficient categories.

But the mechanics of cross-border shopping are fundamentally different from domestic. On top of the list price, you face customs duties, import consumption tax and international shipping. Delivery takes days to weeks, returns are costly and laborious, and there are category-specific risks — counterfeit goods, exchange-rate fluctuation and English-only customer support — that you simply don't encounter domestically. "It looks cheap!" can easily become "the all-in total is actually more expensive than domestic" — a trap unique to international shopping.

That's why the first principle of cross-border shopping is: buy what you want, satisfied with the all-in total including duties, shipping and delivery time. Routing cashback is an add-on bonus on top of that purchase. This article walks through the unique characteristics that set cross-border shopping apart from domestic, while laying out how to claim routing cashback smartly. See also the supplements & health guide, cosmetics & skincare guide and fashion shopping guide.

Three routes for buying from overseas — the route you choose changes your total and your risk

Cross-border shopping breaks down into roughly three purchase routes. Each has different duty, shipping and handling mechanics, so what you want to buy determines which route to use.

Route	Overview	Main use cases & traits
Direct shipping from overseas site (iHerb, Qoo10, etc.)	Order from an overseas site; delivered home via international shipping	Supplements, cosmetics, branded goods, etc. Duties and shipping calculated yourself. The most common form of personal importation
Via forwarding service (forwarding warehouse, Buyma intermediary, etc.)	Goods delivered to a US/EU forwarding warehouse, then forwarded to Japan	For sites that don't ship to Japan. Forwarding fee + international shipping charged separately
Japan-enabled cross-border EC (Qoo10 JP, ASOS, etc.)	Overseas-origin service selling in Japanese and yen to Japan	Platform handles duties and shipping. Easy, but the price may already include all fees

Point-site routing offers are most numerous and tend to have the highest cashback rates for the "direct shipping from overseas site" type. Some forwarding services also have offers. Japan-enabled cross-border EC may or may not have routing offers — check Pointnavi each time.

Understanding customs duties, consumption tax and personal importation

When you personally import goods over a certain value, customs duties and import consumption tax apply. Not knowing this can lead to unexpected charges at delivery.

Duty threshold for personal imports: When an individual imports from overseas, the dutiable value (approximately 60% of the purchase price) below a certain threshold may be exempt. However, this threshold and the calculation method vary by item category, country of origin and how the goods are declared. Check the official Japan Customs website for accurate information. We don't state specific numbers here — they change with time and policy revisions.
Duty rates vary by item category: Food, supplements, clothing, bags, cosmetics, electronics — each category carries a different tariff rate. iHerb supplements are often unlikely to attract duties, while European-brand bags may incur tariffs. Build a habit of checking the customs website or each retailer's duty guidance before buying.
International shipping is charged separately: Overseas shipping fees are almost never included in the item price. Shipping can significantly change your total, so always confirm before ordering. Sites like iHerb offer free shipping above a minimum order value — consolidating purchases to hit that threshold can eliminate shipping costs.
DDP vs. DDU: DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means the seller covers duties, so no extra charge at delivery. DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) means you pay customs duties and consumption tax separately on arrival. Always confirm which applies before ordering.

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All-in total formula: (item price) + (international shipping) + (estimated customs duties & import consumption tax) = total. Only if this total is lower than the equivalent domestic price can you truly call it a good deal. For duty and tax calculations, refer to the official Japan Customs website and individual retailer guidance. We avoid stating specific rates or values here because they are subject to change.

The most important thing around customs duty and consumption tax is the habit of "estimating the 'total cost until receipt' yourself before ordering, and comparing it with buying the same thing domestically." Overseas shopping tends to focus on the cheapness of the base price, but what you actually pay is the sum of "item price + international shipping + customs duty and import consumption tax (+ in some cases forwarding fees or exchange fees)." Especially with DDU shipping, customs duty and consumption tax are billed by the delivery company on arrival, so costs not visible at order time press on you later, tending toward "more expensive than I thought." Before ordering, confirm the site's shipping display, shipping condition (DDP/DDU), and whether tax applies, and look up items you are unsure about on the customs office's official information or each site's guidance, to prevent surprises on receipt. Note that the customs rate, taxable threshold, and calculation method change by item, country of origin, declaration content, and system revision, so specific figures cannot be stated here definitively. For accurate rates and tax-free thresholds, always confirm on the customs office's official site (customs.go.jp) or each shopping site's latest guidance. Only after confirming it is cheaper than domestic in total should you add the routing reward as a "bonus"—not breaking this order is the biggest knack for not losing out in overseas-shopping point-earning.

Cross-border-specific risks you won't face in domestic shopping — and how to handle them

Cross-border shopping isn't just "great deals" — there are risks that simply don't arise with domestic shopping. Know them and you can avoid most of them.

Long delivery times: EMS and international express usually take 1–2 weeks, but budget international shipping can exceed a month. For anything time-sensitive, always confirm the estimated delivery time and choose your shipping method accordingly.
Difficult returns: Returning to an overseas site almost always means paying international return shipping yourself. Return postage can exceed the item price. Be especially careful with size, colour or quality uncertainties.
Size-chart differences: European, American and Asian size labelling differs from Japan's. For clothing and shoes, always check the size chart before ordering. Since you can't try items on, lean heavily on customer reviews for fit guidance.
Counterfeits and quality issues: On marketplace-style overseas sites, seller quality varies enormously. Check ratings, review counts and seller history. If anything feels off, buy from the brand's official site or an authorised retailer instead.
Exchange-rate fluctuation: When paying in a foreign currency, the rate at the time of charge can differ from the rate when you ordered. A weakening yen can make the total higher than expected. Factor in the foreign-transaction fee on your card too.
English (or foreign-language) support: Many sites handle inquiries and complaints only in English or the local language. iHerb offers Japanese support, but overseas brand flagships often don't. Confirm the support language before you order.
Card security: When entering card details on an unfamiliar overseas site, verify security carefully. Using a 3D-Secure-enabled card or a single-use virtual card provides extra peace of mind.

Among these risks, what is especially tied to money and safety is "fake sites and counterfeits" and "the handling of card and personal information." There are cases of being led from search results, ads, or social media links to a fake site that looks just like a brand's official one (extremely cheap prices, unnatural Japanese, an unfamiliar domain, etc.). Before ordering, confirm whether the site's URL is the genuine official domain, whether communication is encrypted (https), and whether operator information and contact details are clearly stated, and be wary of "too cheap" and "a URL slightly different from the official one." For brand items, buying from the manufacturer's official site or an authorized dealer is most reliable, rather than marketplace-type listings. For entering card information, using a card that supports 3-D Secure (identity authentication) or a disposable virtual card whose number changes each use makes it easier to limit damage in case of trouble. Also, keep the personal information you register on overseas sites (address, name, contact) to the minimum necessary, and enter it only after judging whether the site is trustworthy. If you feel even slightly suspicious, do not rush to order lured by the appeal of the reward—pause and confirm the genuine route. Buying safely and genuinely takes priority over cheapness or rewards.

Cross-border shopping cashback — practical steps from total estimate to routing and payment

① Decide what you want and your budget; estimate the all-in totalAdd item price + international shipping + an estimated duty/import-tax figure to get the all-in total. Compare against domestic prices first to confirm it's genuinely worthwhile.
② Confirm the purchase route and whether forwarding is neededCheck whether the site ships directly to Japan, or whether a forwarding service is needed. Confirm DDP vs. DDU shipping terms. See the overseas shopping guide for foreign residents.
③ Check routing offers on a point site, then access the shop via that routeJust before buying, check the routing rate for your target site on Pointnavi. If multiple point sites are available, compare and go via the highest. After routing, proceed straight to checkout — don't re-add items to cart.
④ Stack site-native coupons and salesCombine iHerb's first-order discount, Qoo10 Mega Wari, or an overseas-brand newsletter coupon with your routing. Also check the Rakuten Rebates overseas shopping guide.
⑤ Pay with a high-cashback card that handles foreign currencies wellA card with low foreign-transaction fees keeps exchange costs down while earning payment points. See the economic zone comparison guide.
⑥ Confirm delivery, pay any duties (DDU), and consolidate your pointsFor DDU shipments, be prepared to pay duties on arrival. Once points are confirmed, consolidate them into your main reward ecosystem. Expiry-prevention guide.

Common cross-border shopping mistakes and how to avoid them

Judging by the list price alone — duties and shipping pushed the total higher: Make it a habit to calculate the all-in total (including estimated duties and international shipping) before ordering. Use free-shipping thresholds or consolidate orders to spread shipping costs.
Wrong size, but return shipping was too expensive to bother: For clothing and shoes, always verify the size chart and fit comments in reviews. If in doubt, contact support before ordering, or confirm the returns policy first.
Delivery took over a month and missed a gift deadline: Choose EMS or a premium international carrier (DHL, FedEx, etc.) for anything time-sensitive. Budget SAL and ePacket services can be very slow. Confirm the estimated arrival window before ordering.
Received a counterfeit or substandard item: On marketplace-style sites, always check seller ratings, review count and track record. For branded goods, the safest option is always the brand's official website or an authorised dealer.
Forgot to route — earned zero cashback: Make "route via the point site before adding to cart" an iron rule. Bookmarking a product page and returning to buy later is the most common way routing gets forgotten. What to do when routing cashback doesn't arrive.
Exchange-rate movement made it more expensive than expected: In periods of yen weakness, the real cost of foreign-currency charges rises. Choose a card with low foreign-transaction fees, and mentally account for the gap between the rate at order time and the rate at billing.
Couldn't resolve a problem because support was English-only: Prioritise sites with Japanese support (like iHerb), or use a translation tool like DeepL. Checking the available support channels before ordering saves stress later.

The root common to these failures is "looking at the cheapness of the base price or the size of the routing reward first, and ordering with the total, delivery time, and risks confirmed afterward (or not at all)." Overseas shopping always comes with unique elements absent from domestic shopping: "customs duty, international shipping, long delivery times, the difficulty of returns, counterfeits, exchange fluctuation, and English support." Always reverse the order: first work out the total with "item price + international shipping + estimated customs duty and consumption tax" and compare with domestic, and confirm delivery time, return conditions, the site's trustworthiness, and card security. On top of that, add the triple stack of routing reward, site coupon, and reward payment only to purchases you are satisfied with in total. In this order, you avoid failures you cannot recover with points, such as "I thought it was cheap but it was pricier in total," "a counterfeit arrived," and "I could not return it and lost out." The routing reward is merely a "bonus" that makes something you decided to "buy anyway"—after understanding customs, shipping, delivery time, and risks—more advantageous. Finishing the total-cost satisfaction and safety check first is the major premise for continuing overseas-shopping point-earning safely for a long time. Since rates, taxable thresholds, and each site's conditions change, confirm specific figures on customs official and each site's latest guidance each time.

Mini glossary — key terms for cross-border shopping cashback

Knowing the vocabulary around customs duties and shipping terms lets you evaluate the all-in total accurately and avoid category-specific risks. Duty rates and duty-free thresholds change with item type and policy revisions — always check the official customs website for the latest information.

Term	Meaning	Things to watch
Personal importation	An individual ordering goods from an overseas site and having them shipped directly	Confirm duty threshold with customs
Customs duty & import consumption tax	Taxes levied once the dutiable value exceeds a set threshold; rates differ by item category	May be charged at the time of delivery
DDP／DDU	Duties paid by the seller (DDP) vs. duties paid by the recipient on arrival (DDU)	Always confirm the site's shipping terms
Forwarding service	A service that receives goods at an overseas warehouse and ships them on to Japan	Forwarding fee + international shipping on top
Triple-take	Stacking routing cashback + site coupon + credit-card rewards simultaneously	Check whether each reward can be combined
Exchange-rate fluctuation	The rate at billing differing from the rate when you placed a foreign-currency order	Factor in the foreign-transaction fee for the real rate

Duty rates and duty-free thresholds change with item type and policy revisions. For accurate information, check the official Japan Customs website (customs.go.jp) and individual retailer guidance. Browse routing offers on Pointnavi; for supplements see the supplements & health guide, for cosmetics see the cosmetics & skincare guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is cross-border shopping actually cheaper than buying domestically?

The list price often looks cheaper, but what matters is the all-in comparison: list price + international shipping + duties and import tax. iHerb supplements and overseas cosmetics often come out cheaper even all-in, while European branded goods may attract duties that close the gap. Always calculate the total before deciding.

How much are the customs duties? How do I find out?

Duty rates vary by item category, country of origin and how goods are declared. Below a certain dutiable value, personal imports may be duty-free — but the threshold can change. For accurate information, look up the item's tariff code on the Japan Customs website (customs.go.jp) or check the retailer's duty policy. We don't quote specific rates here because they go out of date.

How do I earn cashback through iHerb?

Before buying, check for an iHerb routing offer on a point site (Pointnavi, etc.) and access iHerb through that site before you purchase. iHerb's own first-order discount coupon can usually be combined with routing cashback, but the rules change, so check the latest offer page. Pairing with a cashback credit card gives you a triple-take. See the supplements & health cashback guide.

When would I use a package-forwarding service?

Forwarding services are for overseas sites that don't ship to Japan. Goods are delivered to a US or EU forwarding warehouse, then shipped on to Japan in bulk. Forwarding fees plus international shipping are charged separately, making it most cost-effective for high-value items or when consolidating multiple purchases. Some forwarding services themselves have point-site routing offers.

What should I do if I need to return a cross-border purchase?

Return policies vary by site. In most cases you bear the international return shipping cost yourself, which can exceed the item value. Before ordering, always check the return policy (time limit, conditions, who pays return shipping). For sized items in particular, study the size chart and review comments carefully — you can't try things on before buying.

Does Rakuten Rebates cover overseas shopping?

Rakuten Rebates does include overseas shopping sites among its partner stores, sometimes covering iHerb and Japanese-facing versions of overseas brand sites. However, partner stores and cashback rates change over time — check the Rakuten Rebates usage guide and the current partner-store list before buying. Cashback is paid in Rakuten Points, making it especially convenient for Rakuten ecosystem users.

I'm worried about entering my credit card details on an overseas site

When entering card details on an unfamiliar overseas site, verify security carefully. Practical measures include using a card with 3D Secure (cardholder authentication) and using a single-use virtual card whose number changes with each transaction. Also check that the site URL is the genuine official domain and that the connection is encrypted. Avoid suspicious sites and sellers with implausibly low prices — for branded goods, the safest route is always the brand's official site or an authorised retailer. Choosing a card with low foreign-transaction fees lets you earn payment rewards while keeping exchange costs down. See the economic zone comparison guide for card selection tips.

Can routing cashback still make a purchase worthwhile even after duties and shipping?

It can — but the order of evaluation matters. First, calculate the all-in total: item price + international shipping + an estimated duty/import-tax figure, and check whether it is lower than the equivalent domestic price. Only once you are satisfied with that total should you layer on point-site routing, site-native coupons and a cashback card for a triple-take. Buying something that is more expensive all-in than the domestic equivalent, just because "there's cashback", puts the cart before the horse. Routing cashback is always an add-on bonus on top of a purchase you are already happy with on total-price terms. iHerb supplements and overseas cosmetics often come out cheaper even all-in, while European branded goods may attract duties that close the gap — always compare on a total-price basis.

What should I do if trouble occurs in overseas shopping (item does not arrive, is damaged, or is counterfeit)?

First, stay calm and keep evidence—order history, tracking number, your exchanges with the site, photos showing the item's condition—and contact the support (inquiry desk) of the site you bought from as the first step. If it does not arrive, check the delivery status with the tracking number, and also whether it is held at customs or there is an address error. If a damaged item, an obvious counterfeit, or an item different from the description arrives, negotiate according to the site's return/refund policy. If the site does not respond or you cannot reach them, consulting your credit card company may let you discuss a "chargeback (cancellation of payment)" for fraudulent, undelivered, or significantly-different-from-description transactions (applicability depends on the card company and situation). Also, for cross-border transaction trouble, you may be able to use consultation desks such as the "Cross-border Consumer Center (CCJ)" under the Consumer Affairs Agency. In any case, saving the order screen, emails, and tracking information helps resolution. The best way to avoid trouble is to judge whether it is a trustworthy genuine site before ordering and to confirm return and support conditions. Not jumping at a too-cheap site lured by the appeal of rewards is, in the end, the best defense.

How long does overseas-shopping delivery take? What should I watch for when in a hurry?

Delivery time changes greatly by shipping method, country of origin, and customs status, so it cannot be stated uniformly. Generally, express types like EMS and international courier (DHL, FedEx, etc.) tend to arrive relatively quickly, while cheaper shipping methods (SAL, ePacket, sea mail, etc.) tend to take longer. Furthermore, customs inspection and busy seasons (after big sales, year-end and New Year, etc.) can cause delays. When in a hurry, or when "needed by when" is set such as a birthday or anniversary gift, confirm each site's arrival estimate per shipping method before ordering, and ordering early with margin is safer. On sites where you can choose the shipping method, choose by looking at the balance of cost and speed. After shipping, you can check the delivery status with the tracking number. Note that the specific number of days to arrival changes by site, shipping method, and timing, so it cannot be stated definitively here. Always confirm on each site's latest shipping guidance before ordering. Rather than ordering with a tight delivery time for the routing reward, prioritizing a method and timing that will definitely make it in time is, in the end, the knack to not failing.

Compare routing cashback for overseas shopping sites → Read the supplements & health cashback guide

This article was written from publicly available information on each point site as of 2026-06-21. Cashback rates, campaign terms, and redemption rules can change without notice — always check each site's official page for the latest. This site uses each point site's referral program, but going through a referral link never changes the rate you receive.