Frequently Asked Questions

Our Facilities

Yes! Launched in 2000, ShipitAPO creates a link between APO/FPO/DPO address holders and merchants that do not service APO/FPO/DPO addresses directly. In doing so, ShipitAPO not only brings new shoppers to the Web but also provides new opportunities for APO/FPO/DPO address holders to purchase a wider variety of products than ever before.
To provide our Members with SALES TAX FREE shopping, we have historically maintained two package processing facilities: One on the East coast in Delaware and the second on the West coast in Oregon. Due to USPS Zoning for APO/FPO/DPO rates, beginning in July 2022, we are consolidating to a single location based in Delaware which will provide for cheaper Priority Mail postage for most customers and sales tax free shopping.
Our facilities are open Monday through Friday, from 8:00AM to 4:00PM. We are closed on all Federal holidays. We do not require pre-arranged notification or security code. Should a delivery attempt by UPS, FedEx, USPS, Amazon (or any other delivery company) be made when we are closed, historically what happens is that they bring packages like this to us the next day or the day thereafter. Should you wish to use the shipping carrier's to re-schedule a redelivery process, please select a weekday.

If a package is left at our facility after hours, despite clear written instructions posted on our door, there is NO guarantee this package will still be there when we re-open the next business day. ShipitAPO is not responsible for package left by Amazon (or any other delivery company) after hours.
The staff at our package processing facilities are well accustomed to providing any signature confirmations that a vendor may require. This is nothing that you need to arrange with us.
Yes. You may fax us documents at 1-813-425-6329.
No, there is no personal drop offs or pick ups. We only accept packages from commercial shipping carriers and we only forward packages by commercial carriers.
Our facilities are open Monday through Friday, from 8:00AM to 4:00PM. We are closed on all Federal holidays. Should a delivery attempt by Amazon (or any other delivery company) be made when we are closed, historically what happens is that they should bring packages like this to us the next day or the day thereafter.

If a package is left at our facility after hours, despite clear written instructions posted on our door, there is NO guarantee this package will still be there when we re-open the next business day. ShipitAPO is not responsible for package left by Amazon (or any other delivery company) after hours. We are not responsible for packages left by Amazon delivery when our facilities are closed.

Getting Customer Service

The fastest way to obtain support is to send an email to our Customer Support Team at [email protected]. Please include your ShipitAPO account number and all tracking information about the package in question so our team is able to respond quickly and efficiently.
For support continuity and security purposes, we do not offer live customer support. Please email [email protected].
Unfortunately members cannot unsubscribe from our maling lists. We certainly respect individuals inboxes and as such we keep email broadcasts to a minimum. From time to time there are important notifications we need to send to our members.

If you no longer wish to be a ShipitAPO Member, click here, log in and then choose to Close Account under your Account Settings.

Managing Your ShipitAPO Account

Your ShipitAPO account is managed via the Members Dashboard, which can be accessed by clicking on the My Account menu found at the top of our home page or by clicking this link: http://www.shipitapo.com/login. All account information, billing information, and package management is done within your dashboard.
Registration with ShipitAPO is completely free. The cost to you for a basic membership is the postage, handling fees and optional insurance for each package. Additional services are available for a fee. This Basic Membership offers an a la carte, pay as you go type of service. Our Basic Membership account has no registration fee or annual fee. When you register with ShipitAPO, you automatically become a Basic Member unless you elect to become a Premier Member and select this registration option. Upgrading to Premier Membership is optional and can be done at any time from your Members Dashboard.
A Premier Membership offers a combination of reduced normal handling fee rates; discounted special handling fees and some free optional services. Also, $100.00 of insurance coverage on all packages is included at no additional charge.
ShipitAPO offers this Premier membership for personal use only. Institutional, government, corporate or non-profit Members, using our service for non-personal use, are NOT ELIGIBLE for Premier Membership.
The annual ShipitAPO Premier Membership fee is $75.00. Successful Premier Membership enrollment begins when the Premier Membership account fee is paid in full. The Premier Membership fee is non-refundable.
Any ShipitAPO member who is has registered with the Premier Service will maintain that service until the end of the service year. You can of course, opt not to re-enroll. On your anniversary date, when we attempt to renew your Premier Membership, if you have opted not to re-enroll as a Premier Member prior to your anniversary date, your account will automatically revert to Basic membership, which is free.
Yes! You can have four names on your Authorized Users list. These names can include nickname(s) or maiden name(s) for you or any other person you allow to use your ShipitAPO Account.

For a package to be successfully processed under your ShipitAPO Account the Account Owner name or ANY name found on your list of Authorized Users MUST MATCH the name found on the package, unless it is Pre-Claimed beforehand.

If neither their name or your name is found on the incoming package or in your Member account profile when we attempt to process the package, the package will be held. Additionally, the ShipitAPO Account Holder is responsible for ensuring that these Authorized Users are eligible for APO/FPO/DPO privileges. Your Authorized Users are responsible for using the exact format of your ShipitAPO address. All ShipitAPO services are charged to the holder of the account.

To update your Authorized Users list, once logged into your ShipitAPO Account, look under Account Settings, then for Authorized Users.
All ShipitAPO services are charged to the holder of the account. For this reason, you should only allow trusted people to use your account. Since a ShipitAPO address is free, you may encourage them to register for their own personal ShipitAPO account.
If your APO/FPO/DPO address changes, you may simply log into your ShipitAPO account and update your Package Destination Address. Depending on where you have moved, you may be given a new ShipitAPO address in order for us to provide the lowest shipping rates. This way, you may always stay in the online shopping game no matter where you are assigned.
It is very easy to cancel your ShipitAPO account. Simply log in to your account, click on the Membership & Subscriptions: Manage link and click on the (Close ShipitAPO Account) link found next to your registration date.
Your destination address is the APO/FPO/DPO, Hawaii, Alaska or State Dept. Pouch address that you provide to which all packages will be forwarded on your behalf. However, should we receive a package that cannot be forwarded to your destination address due to United States Postal Service restrictions, we can forward it to an alternate stateside address upon request.
We currently only provide our forwarding services to individuals with APO/FPO/DPO, Alaska, Hawaii and State Dept. Pouch addresses.
Many of our ShipitAPO members request an "Overpack" of their packages. When we overpack, place your package inside another box. The outer box is marked with the United States Postal Service address label and customs forms.
When we process a package on behalf of a ShipitAPO member, we use the original box and apply the U.S. Postal Service address label and customs forms overtop of any original labels. If there are logos or markings on the package, it is likely that they will be visible. We do not modify or open the packages unless authorized by members through an inspection or overpack service request or under extenuating circumstances.
All service requests are requested from within your ShipitAPO Account. Once logged in, from the Dashboard click on: Specific Package Services: Manage. You will need the tracking number of the package for which you are making specific service request.

Specific Package Service Request options include: Changing a package's destination address, changing the mail/postal class, changing insurance coverage, requesting an overpack, selecting Jump the Queue, requesting a 14-day hold, and other packaging services. Options requested will be applied to only the specified package.
Lots of people think of the delivery person at their front door of their home or apartment who has one package in his/her hand. Unfortunately, that's not the case at our warehouses where the delivery person is trying to get hundreds of packages off the truck as quickly as possible. Coupled with this is the fundamental question: Which one of those packages in the pile is yours? If you request that we refuse a package so it's "returned to sender," we will make every effort to do so. If we are successful, you will be charged a Service Fee. If we couldn't refuse the package, you will be notified (via email).
We offer repacking services for packages that are too big or too heavy to be forwarded. However, not all packages CAN be repacked, it depends on the contents of the package. We do not repack TVs or anything that would need to be mechanically or electrically disassembled. A repacking assessment costs $15.00, at which time a repacking quote is provided. Our repacking services start at $45.00 (bike repacking starts at $75.00) and increases from there when the repacking gets complex. Repacking services do not include forwarding services or repack assessment. While we will do our best to repack your items, ShipitAPO makes no guarantee of any kind that a repacked package will arrive at the forwarding destination damage-free and will not provide reimbursement for its repacking fees should any damage occur while in transit to the forwarding destination or anytime thereafter. Accordingly, we recommend that you purchase insurance for any repackaged package prior to it being forwarded. For more information on the fees involved in repacking, please visit: http://www.shipitapo.com/pricing/pricing.php?view=handling#handling
If a package cannot be repacked, then you have several options: You may elect to forward the package to an alternate stateside address, you may elect to have us forward the package back to the vendor or you may elect to abandon the package. Forwarding a package back to the vendor means that you would have to pay the shipping fees in addition to ShipitAPO's normal package processing fees. A complete list of fess can be found here http://www.shipitapo.com/pricing/pricing.php?view=handling#handling. To avoid having to pay the return shipping costs when wanting a package sent back to the vendor, you should try to obtain a CALL TAG from the vendor or pre-paid return shipping lable. Such a CALL TAG is a mechanism whereby the vendor gets the shipping carrier to return to our location and collect the package. You can email us or upload any Pre-paid labels within your ShipitAPO Account. Both CALL TAGs and Pre-Paid labels are way better options than having us arrange the return shipping because ShipitAPO does not have any super sweet shipping contracts; our shipping costs are basically full retail.
There are fees associated with special package services, depending on the complexity of the service. Please visit http://www.shipitapo.com/pricing/pricing.php?view=handling#handling for details of the various fees.
We can forward any package for you to an alternate stateside address or an alternate APO/FPO/DPO address. You may instruct us via the ShipitAPO Members Dashboard. All you need is the tracking number for the package that you'd like to forward. Please visit your ShipitAPO Members Dashboard and click on the "New" tab under the "Service Requests" section on the main dashboard.
When we have a package of yours that is a problem because the United States Postal Service will not forward it, you have several options. First, you may direct us to forward it to an alternate stateside address. Second, you may direct us to simply abandon it. Third, you may direct us to return it to sender so that you may be credited for it. If you’d like to return it to the sender, you will need to first contact the sender and request that they issue: A return merchandize authorization (RMA), which ensures that you are properly credited for a refund. You will let us know if we need to add this RMA number to the box before it is returned. If you do not obtain this RMA number, you may not get your money back from the merchant. A CALL TAG, which requests that the shipping carrier return to our location and pick up the package. If you do not obtain this Call Tag, you will need to pay for return shipping yourself.
When you receive a package that you have decided that you no longer want, you have several options. You may decide to send it back to ShipitAPO with instructions to return it to your vendor. A better option would be for you to return it directly to your vendor.
Lots of people ask for "combining packages," "putting everything into one box," etc., for many different reasons. While we have such a service, it may not meet your personal needs. Please review our pricing structure below.
$10.00 -- Handling fee per incoming package.
$20.00 -- Consolidation Fee.
$10.00 -- Extra box fee (if more that one box is required)
TBD -- Outgoing postage based on weight and dimensions of resulting box(es).
$10.00 -- Handling fee per resulting box(es).
$2.50 -- Issue Resolution Fee per incoming package. This includes 14 days of free storage per package.

Accordingly, how practical/valuable such a service is to you, can only be decided by you. It all depends on what you want consolidated/combined and why.
Should you want us to perform such a consolidation, please contact us first.
Our Overpack Service is where we place the original incoming package inside another box or the package is wrapped with a layer of shipping-quality cardboard and then forwarded. Such overpacking serves to disguise the original package and helps provide better protection during transit. Overpacking is very useful for electronics, especially known name brands such as Apple and HP. This service costs $ per package, in addition to a $2.50 Service Request Fee and our normal forwarding and handling charges. You can request this service from within your ShipitAPO Account.
We offer a service called Jump the Queue. As its name implies, once selected, we will make our best effort in processing the specific package within hours of its delivery, vice our normal turnaround time of under two business days. If we are unable to provide the requested Jump the Queue service, you will not be charged. We make no guarantees, whatsoever, that we will be able to provide Jump the Queue services. The fees for each Specific Package Service will be displayed during the setup of each service requested.

About Your ShipitAPO Packages

We process large volumes of packages daily and have a very small percentage of problem packages. The most common cause of these problems is an incomplete ShipitAPO address on the label. This means that the address is missing an EXACT ShipitAPO owner name and/or missing an EXACT matching ShipitAPO account number. This causes a tremendous amount of investigative work on our part, as we can never simply guess about the owner of a package. The other cause of problems includes us receiving packages that the United States Postal Service will not forward (due to size, weight or content restrictions).
At this time, ShipitAPO does not provide any kind of international shipping or airfreight.
ShipitAPO provides the ability for our members to change the class of mailing service from Priority Mail to Parcel Select to Express Mail (where allowable) and vice versa and allows you to selectively choose the class of mail service on specific packages as desired. However, due to the variability in the Military Mail system, we do not recommend the selection of Express Mail since the U.S. Postal Service typically cannot deliver Express Mail as they promise. Priority Mail offers the best value.
The decision on whether a package is forwarded using Priority Mail or oversized Parcel Post is dictated completely by size. All packages exceeding 108 inches when you add its length to its girth must be mailed as (oversized) Parcel Post. The criteria for each shipping class is set forth by the United States Postal Service.
We process volumes of packages every day and it is our ultimate goal to keep packages moving. We do everything in our power to avoid problem packages. Unfortunately, we do not have storage facilities for keeping the packages that have become problems and we charge a fee to encourage our members to assist us in keeping packages moving.
The U.S. Postal Service is responsible for delivering the packages we forward on your behalf. We see normal delivery times for Priority Mail packages around 7-14 days, but of course the USPS makes no delivery guarantee. Packages mailed out as Parcel Post take longer than Priority Mail packages; oversized Parcel Post packages take even longer, sometimes up to 8 weeks. We have seen identical packages shipped on the same day arrive months apart. There have even been cases where the package was delivered but folks were not notified. It all depends on the U.S. Postal Service and the Military Postal Service Agency. Once a package has left our processing facility, ShipitAPO has no control over it. Your local Postmaster may be able to provide you information on system-wide delays, typical shipping times, etc.
We are so sorry that the U.S. Postal Service and/or the Military Postal Service Agency let us both down by damaging your package. If you had insurance on your package you may file a claim. Please visit our Members Area to download the claim form: http://www.shipitapo.com/info/faq/download/ShipitAPO_Insurance_Claim.pdf. Please be sure to take care to precisely follow the instructions provided. All filed claims must be notarized and received by ShipitAPO within 85-days of the shipment date but no earlier than 45-days if claiming loss; 60-days for packages mailed Parcel Post.
We are so sorry that the U.S. Postal Service and/or the Military Postal Service Agency failed to deliver your package. If you had insurance on your package you may file a claim. Please click on this link to download our claim form: http://www.shipitapo.com/info/faq/download/ShipitAPO_Insurance_Claim.pdf. This form is also available for download from within your ShipitAPO account in the Package Assistance Center section. Please be sure to follow all directions exactly as written. All claims must be notarized and received by ShipitAPO within 85 days of the shipment date but no earlier than 45 days if claiming loss; no earlier than 60 days for packages mailed Parcel Post.
Once we are receipt of a package that can obviously not be forwarded due to United States Postal Service regulations, the package becomes a costly problem both for you and for us. The package is stuck at our facility and our members are also stuck because they own the package already but cannot get it shipped to them. Since we receive huge volumes of packages each day, it is not always possible to refuse delivery of a problem package, but when we are able, it is a big win for our members, even though you will be billed a Service Charge. The package goes directly back to the vendor and you would not be faced with dealing with a "stuck" package, one that cannot be mailed to an APO/FPO/DPO address and one that you would have to pay to have shipped via UPS/FedEx either to mom/dad or back to the merchant. If you know that you have a too large/heavy to mail package coming to us and you do not want us to refuse it, you MUST email us about this BEFORE the package arrives at our facility. Such an email needs to contain your ShipitAPO OneNumber and the tracking number of the package.
Per our Terms of Use, ShipitAPO can open any package, for any reason, at any time. However, it is not our normal operational procedures, except when necessary. If ShipitAPO opens a package it is usually under four circumstances:
  1. There is an emergency with a package, as in it's leaking;
  2. It is a suspicious package;
  3. We need to positively identify the contents;
  4. When we are paid a Package Inspection Fee
ShipitAPO does not deliver your packages; the United States Postal Service does. The service that you receive from us is that we accept your packages from the incoming shipping carrier, process them and tender them to the United States Postal Service. The USPS is the only entity on the planet that can deliver mail or packages to an APO/FPO address. All we do is get our member's packages into their hands. Please review our Terms of Use.

We are not responsible for packages that are not in our possession.
Oversized Parcel Post packages are treated very differently than Priority Mail packages as they are considered a "surface only" package, which means many are transported by ship crossing oceans. As such, oversize Parcel Post package take longer to be arrive. The USPS/MPSA team projects 30 days via Parcel Post as shown here: http://hqdainet.army.mil/mpsa/mail_info.htm
By default, we mail all packages as Priority Mail, unless they exceed the 108 inch size limit; at which time they are mailed via (oversized) Parcel Select. However, from within your account settings, you can choose to have all packages mailed out as Express Mail (if available) , Priority Mail or Parcel Post. We also offer Express Mail (if available) as part of our Specific Package Service. However, due to the variability in the Military Mail system, we do not recommend the selection of Express Mail since the U.S. Postal Service typically cannot deliver Express Mail as they promise. Priority Mail offers the best value.
Per our Terms of Use, ShipitAPO does not accept any packages when any fees are due, unless specific arrangements are made BEFORE a package is delivered. If you do not make these advance arrangements and have confirmed everything with ShipitAPO Customer Service your package will be refused and you will be billed for a Service Fee. Then you would have to make all the arrangements to get it redelivered, have the brokerage/duty fees paid, etc.
As of Apr 28, 2021, packages that are received taped or bound together will be entered as "Problem Packages" so that customer can choose how to forward. To limit our liability, if customer elects to send package "as is", we will not allow insurance coverage to be purchased as our best practice recommendation is to either overpack or split and mail seperately. Stopping the package will allow customers to make informed decisions on these types of packages and be made fully aware of the forwarding costs ahead of time.

About Your Billing

You can pay the fees charged by ShipitAPO by credit card or PayPal®. The credit cards accepted are Visa and MasterCard and American Express. If you are using PayPal, you must maintain a pre-paid account balance which package fees will be deducted from at the time of package processing. We only charge your account when we have a package to process for you.
When you log into your ShipitAPO members area, you may update your billing information. For security reasons, we do not update billing information via email.
ShipitAPO accepts only credit cards based in a United States bank and selected foreign countries.
When using PayPal® to pay for ShipitAPO services, you must add funds to your ShipitAPO account BEFORE we process your package. At the time of processing your package, fees will be deducted from your existing ShipitAPO account balance. As such, you need to send us money via PayPal before we process a package, otherwise there are penalties for having an insufficient ShipitAPO account balance. Use this address when sending us funds: [email protected]. Please include your ShipitAPO OneNumber (your ShipitAPO Account Number) somewhere in the transaction message, preferably in the subject line. Use our online quote tool to estimate how much money to send us. The link to our quote took can be found at the top of this page under the Pricing.
ShipitAPO members can add pre-paid funds via PayPa®l at any time to their ShipitAPO account balance. Any funds available in your ShipitAPO account balance will be used before we charge your credit card. Your credit card will only be used in the event that you do not have enough money in your ShipitAPO account balance at the time of processing your package.
In May 2007, the United States Postal Service completely revamped their model for determining postage and, as a result, we've had to adjust. Please refer to our ShipitAPO website for updates on the details of the changes in the United States Postal Service and how it affects our members.
Our credit/debit card processor does not tell us what is wrong with a transaction, only that the card information provided was declined. The reasons could be any of the following: too many uses as seen by your bank; over the credit limit; fraud; or the bank’s own security profile system not liking something. All we know from our end is that a charge is accepted or denied and yours was denied.
ShipitAPO has no control of what exactly you will see on your credit/debit card statement but ShipitAPO charges should appear as www.shipitapo.com or just wwwshipitapocom.
While we are as disappointed as you are, probably more so, that your package was not delivered, per the ShipitAPO Terms of Use, you cannot hold us liable should the shipping carrier fail to deliver your package. Furthermore, should you dispute the charge on your card, we will contest it. And when we win, we will charge you a $35.00 Chargeback Resolution Fee.
No, our facility are located in states without sales tax.
Dimensional Weight is a pricing structure that takes into account a package's box dimensions as well as the package weight. As e-commerce sales grow, shipping carriers are running out of space on their delivery trucks and they want to make sure retailers are using the smallest box to fill their trucks with as many packages as possible.

While other national carriers apply DIM Weight for all package sizes, the USPS only uses DIM Weight for packages over one cubic foot for Priority mail, Priority Mail Express, and Parcel Select Packages.

Online retailers whose products are light weight and larger in size (i.e. larger plastic toys, sports equipment, pillows, bubble wrap) will likely pay the DIM Weight price instead of the standard, physical weight price. If a package's calculated Dimensional Weight is more than the physical weight, the shipper is required to pay the Dimensional Weight rate.

But how is dimensional weight calculated?
Note: Dimensional weight and it's calculation are function of the US Postal Service and NOT ShipitAPO. But what IS Dimensional Weight?

  1. First, you need to determine if your package is greater than one cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches). To do this, use the formula L x W x H. If the result is under 1,728, your package is UNDER one cubic foot. If the result is over 1728, then your package is OVER one cubic foot and DIM Weight pricingmay apply
  2. Next, weigh your package to find its actual physical weight.
  3. Finally, calculate the DIM Weight by using the USPS Dimensional Weight formula, which is L x W x H/166. (The 166 is known as the DIM Divisor--the USPS uses 166 while other national carriers use 139 as their divisor.) If the result of this calculation yields a higher weight than the actual physical weight of the package, you will pay the DIM Weight price.

Let's look at an example

Supposed you have a package that measures 16" x 12" x 10" and weighs 2 pounds. Use the formula L x W x H to determine if the package is over one cubic foot.

The result is 1,920 cubic inches which is over the 1,728 one cubic foot threshold -- your package will qualify for DIM pricing.

Using the USPS formula 16" L x 12?"W x 10" H/166 we calculate the DIM Weight value to be 11.57, or 12 pounds which is greater than the package actual weight of 2 pounds. Since the DIM Weight of your package is greater than the physical weight, you are required to pay the shipping rate for a 12 pound package. As you can see, using the smallest box size for your products is very beneficial to keep your shipping costs low.

Understanding the USPS

For each package that we forward to the United States Postal Service on your behalf, we are given a USPS Delivery Confirmation number. We send this tracking number to you so that you may be able to obtain information about your package from the USPS. Some APO/FPO locations are hooked into the USPS Delivery Confirmation system, others are not. Further, some APO/FPO locations are hooked in, but do not maintain tracking information. You may contact your local Postmaster for more details.
Currently, the US Postal Service only offers Certified Mail at the US Post Office walk-up window and has not yet authorized this class of mail service to be implemented using the automated shipping software we use.

When it becomes available for use with our software we will offer it as an option.

Due to the complexities of determining the ever-changing service commitments as provided by the USPS, which the USPS structures around "by the times authorized by the local postmaster," we are unable to offer Express Mail postage refunds. We do not recommend the selection of Express Mail since the U.S. Postal Service typically cannot deliver Express Mail as they promise. Priority Mail offers the best value.
Beginning in mid-2013, the United States Postal Service (USPS) in conjunction with the Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA) began resizing military mail processing operations from two coastal locations to one location in Chicago, IL to gain efficiencies in military mail delivery. As a result, nine-digit (ZIP+4) APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Codes are being required. Please contact your local APO/FPO/DPO Postal Staff for further information.
Size/Weight

The USPS has many rules and regulations regarding what can and cannot be mailed. In general, these are the rules, but some zip codes have more strict limitations:
  • No package can exceed 72 inches in any length/dimension. {Length is ALWAYS the longest side of the package}
  • No package can exceed 130 inches in total size. {Total size is calculated by adding length + width + width + height + height}
  • No package can exceed 70 pounds in weight.
  • All packages that exceed 108 inches (total size) but do not exceed 130 inches must be mailed via Oversized Parcel/Ground mail services. These packages can take 6-8 weeks to be delivered. {Most mailable bikes are in this category}
  • Each APO/FPO/DPO zip code has its own set of restrictions, which supersede all general size, weight and content restrictions above. Use this tool to get familiar with your specific zip code restrictions.
To be sure that the item(s) you want can be mailed you, you need to know the exact weight and dimensions of each of the box(es) in which the item(s) ship(s). If you need to contact the merchant to verify package dimensions, weight and/or contents, please do. Once you know this information, you can compare it to the restrictions shown above to determine mailability. Once you know all the info and determine that your items can indeed be forwarded to you, you can use our Quote Tool to obtain the cost and associated mailing class.

We do offer a repacking service, but not all items are repackable into small enough or light enough boxes to be mailed.

If you have questions about which mailing class is right for you, what items can be overpacked, repacked, or consolidated, or are curious about the difference between Priority, Express, and Parcel Post, please check out our FAQs for more information.

Contents

The USPS has strict limitations on contents that can be mailed to you abroad. Specifics about prohibited materials can be found at this link: http://pe.usps.gov/text/pub52/welcome.htm and in more detail at our Prohibited Items FAQ section.

Prohibited materials that we receive regularly include aerosols, batteries, alcohol, flammable materials, solvents and corrosives. It is better for our members to know what is prohibited by the United States Postal Service BEFORE attempting to forward them. If we are unable to forward a package on to your Package Destination Address, oftentimes we are able to forward your packages to another stateside address or work with you to return the package(s) to the vendor. (See Service Requests in our FAQs).

It's especially important to be aware of the US Postal Service regulations around Lithium batteries. As of 15 November 2012, the United States Postal Service, again permits the mailing of items containing lithium batteries.

Insurance

ShipitAPO offers the option of purchasing insurance for packages being forwarded from ShipitAPO to your APO/FPO address. In your account profile, you can change the coverage level as often as you wish. Also, since you can track the packages we process, you can purchase one amount for package A, check the database to confirm it was processed accordingly, then change your account preferences to purchase a different amount of insurance for packages B and C. We encourage you to change your insurance coverage as your needs change, even on a per package basis. A simple example is this--you just ordered a shirt from an on-line store. You do not want extra insurance on a shirt so you set your insurance preferences to no insurance. You log into your ShipitAPO account via our Members Area a couple of days later and see that the shirt has been received and is on it is way to your APO/FPO address. Then you find a great deal on that 30GB hard drive you wanted. You order it, then login to your ShipitAPO account and change your preferences to insure the hard drive for what you paid for it. Simple! You only pay for what you want or need. Your call.

NOTE: ShipitAPO uses a 3rd-party insurance carrier, which provides insurance coverage that may differ from what is provided by the USPS.
The default insurance coverage is the amount of insurance that will be applied to all packages that we forward on your behalf. For basic membership, this defaults to $0.00. For premium membership, this defaults to $100.00. Any ShipitAPO member may adjust the default insurance coverage for his/her account via the ShipitAPO members’ area.
The default insurance for all packages processed for an account may be overridden by specific package insurance coverage or by enabling OneReview within your ShipitAPO Account. This is optional insurance that may be added on a per-package basis via your ShipitAPO account.
Specific package insurance coverage is the amount of insurance that will be applied to a particular package identified by its incoming tracking number. This coverage overrides any default insurance coverage already in place.
The purchase of insurance from ShipitAPO is absolutely not required. However, the United States Postal Service provides no built-in insurance coverage for packages mailed. You may elect to purchase insurance coverage from us at the US Postal Service published rates. You can change this amount at any time even on a per-package basis so that you always have the right amount of coverage on all your packages. It makes a great deal of sense to insure high-end items.
ShipitAPO provides three ways for you to manage insurance, postal class and overpacking and other options for your packages. All are available from within your ShipitAPO account.

First is a global setting, which means that all packages get processed as your settings request but can be changed on a per-package-basis as often as you want. The idea here is that you stagger your incoming packages so you have time to update your ShipitAPO account to reflect the way you want us to process your packages.

Another is a specific package process. You enter a tracking number for a specific package (provided to you by the merchant or shipper) and only that particular package will be processed the way you choose, all others will be processed per your Global Settings. This option is useful for when you have more than one package arriving at your ShipitAPO Address at one time.

The last is via OneReview. With your OneReview All Packages preference set to YES, all packages are stopped for you to review. Upon review you can select a desired processing option for only that particular package, which can include specific insurance, postal class, destination and overpacking.

Please review our insurance restrictions here.

Note that some of these options have additional fees.
You should enable OneReview within your ShipitAPO Account. This will stop ALL your packages, after which you can add the needed insurance to each package.
Our third party insurance company requires that all insurance be applied to packages before they leave our ShipitAPO facility.

Please review our insurance restrictions here.
ShipitAPO does not use the United States Postal Service to insure packages; we use a private third party insurance provider. Your proof of insurance is provided on the email that you receive when your package is processed, but not on the package itself. Rest assured, your package was insured for the full amount that you specified.

Please review our insurance restrictions here.
Per U.S. Postal Service rules, each package can be insured to a maximum of $5000.

Please review our insurance restrictions here.
If you purchased insurance and your package is lost or damaged, you need to file a claim. This means completing and sending us the ShipitAPO Insurance Claim form by the deadline. The deadline is this: ShipitAPO needs to receive a completed claim form no later than 85 days from the date we processed your package. You cannot call us, email us, send us a letter or anything else stating that you need to make a claim or are making a claim, etc. You actually have to complete the claim form and send it to us and we have to receive it before the deadline before any claim can be made. You can download our claim form here.
Once we have received your claim, the adjudication process takes approximately 45 days. Assuming favorable adjudication, reimbursement can be sent via PAYPAL, ZELLE, or PAPER CHECK to the Destination Address on File or as indicated on the claims form.

Letter Mail Forwarding

Per our Terms of Use, ShipitAPO is not a private mailbox. Any letter mail we may receive is incidental to our parcel forwarding service. Should any incidental letter mail be received at your EXACT ShipitAPO address, we will hold such items (e.g. properly addressed letter mail), placing as many items that will fit into a U.S. Postal Service Priorty Mail Flat Rate envelope and then forward such envelopes on a quarterly basis unless you complete a Declination Form or ask for forwarding of such items sooner via our Envelope on Demand service.
You need to complete and return to us the Declination of Service form. This is the method by which you declare and authorize that as your agent we are not to forward your letter mail to you and that you want us to dispose of it. The form and instructions can be found in our Members Dashboard or by clicking here.
Per our Terms of Use, ShipitAPO is not a private mailbox. Any letter mail we may receive is incidental to our parcel forwarding service. We will forward any non-Parcel items (e.g. letter mail) per our Terms of Use. When any letter mail is received at an EXACT ShipitAPO Address, we place it into a United States Postal Service Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope and hold it until forwarding time.
Per our Terms of Use, ShipitAPO is not a private mailbox. Any letter mail we may receive is incidental to our parcel forwarding service. Should we end up forwarding mail on your behalf, for each USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope forwarded, your ShipitAPO account will be charged the appropriate postage and our normal handling fee, no matter how few or how many letter pieces are contained in the envelope when forwarded.
Per our Terms of Use, ShipitAPO is not a private mailbox. Any letter mail we may receive is incidental to our parcel forwarding service. We do not offer a more frequent automatic letter mail forwarding option than quarterly. However, we can forward any held mail "on demand." In order to request "on demand" forwarding, visit the ShipitAPO Members Dashboard and go to Settings > Letter Mail and turn the On-Demand Status to On. You can use this "on demand" service every 3-days since the last time it was checked. A separate and additional service fee may apply.
No. Per our Terms of Use, ShipitAPO is not a private mailbox. So please do not have any letter mail sent to us.

Prohibited Items

This means the shipper determined at least one of the items in the box is considered prohibited or hazardous per United States Department of Transportation regulations. The USPS will not accept packages marked ORM-D when addressed to an APO/FPO address, therefore we cannot mail the package to you. The shipper is responsible for labeling their packages correctly and we have to assume they do.

If you feel the shipper has made a labeling error, please send us your order confirmation and shipping confirmation emails so we can review them. If we determine the shipper did make a mistake and mis-labeled your package, we will mail it to you normally.
Specifics about prohibited materials can be found at this link: http://pe.usps.gov/text/pub52/welcome.htm. Prohibited materials that we receive regularly include aerosols, batteries, alcohol, flammable materials, solvents and corrosives. It is better for our members to know what is prohibited by the United States Postal Service BEFORE attempting to forward them.
No. The rules about transporting prohibited items are issued by the United States Postal Service. To deliberately attempt to forward prohibited items would be a violation of the United States Postal Service rules and we will not knowingly violate the law.
At this point in time, the United States Postal Service prohibits the forwarding of fruits, nuts, candies or vegetables to many APO or FPO addresses. Use our ZIP Code Restrictions tool here to find more -- https://secure.shipitapo.com/usps/restrictions/zip_search.php
Yes, we can forward your prohibited items packages to any stateside address because the USPS rules permit that.
Yes and no. No, if you are thinking these packages can be "handed back" to the shipper. Yes, we can forward them back to the sender. Because these packages have been successfully delivered and we have had them in our possession for at least one day, no shipping carrier will "take them back" via a "refused" or "return to sender" process. Return shipping fees are required. You can however, try to get the merchant to set up a CALL TAG, which is a process whereby the original shipping carrier returns to collect the package for its return. In short, if you want a prohibited items package sent back to the merchant, shipping and handling fees apply. For such a return, it's best to follow the merchant's returned merchandise procedures.
As of 15 November 2012, the United States Postal Service, again permits the mailing of items containing lithium batteries. In summary, these are the new regulations:
  • The lithium batteries must be installed inside the electronic device.
  • No more than two batteries may be mailed per packages.
  • No "bare" batteries are allowed to be mailed, such as packages containing only a "replacement/spare" battery or nonrechargeable lithium batteries such as watch/coin batteries.
While this is great news, we recognize that, unfortunately, not all electronic items ship from the manufacturer/merchant with the battery installed inside the device. Such examples are (some) cell phones, digital cameras, power tools, Bluetooth accessories and some (PC) laptops. When we encounter such packages, they cannot be mailed "as is".

However, we have a service to make them compliant. For a fee, we open the package, install the associated batteries and reseal the package, making the package and its contents compliant with the new USPS rules.

If you plan on sending us a package with an "external" lithium battery in it, please email customer service with the tracking number along with the order/shipping confirmation email, as this will expedite the process.
Yes! We encourage you to email customer service with a link(s) to the item(s) you’d like to purchase so we can review in advance and provide guidance.

ShipitAPO Rewards

You earn one (1) Package Point® / one (1) Parcel Point® for each package we forward on your behalf. Enrollment is automatic.

When you refer a friend to ShipitAPO and they ship a package within 30-days of registration, we will reward you with six (6) Package Points® / Parcel Points®, crediting them to your ShipitAPO account. The more friends you refer to us the more Points you earn. There is no limit.

For every six (6) Package Points® / six (6) Parcel Points® earned, upon redemption, you receive one (1) Handling Fee Credit. For each Handling Fee Credit used, we waive our Handling Fee (based on your ShipitAPO Membership level) for your next package.

No Points are earned when redeemed Points are used when forwarding a package.

All Package Points® / Parcel Points® expire on 31 December of the year earned and cannot be converted to actual currency in any form.

Business/Procurement Accounts are ineligible.

Once logged into your ShipitPO Account, go to Account > Billing & Balances. You curent points total will be displayed within the section titled "ShipitAPO Handling Fee Credits".
Once logged into your ShipitAPO Account, go to Account > Billing & Balances. Points are redeemed for Handling Fee credits. One (1) Handling Fee Credit equals six (6) Package Points® or six (6) Parcel Points® NOTE: No Points are earned when redeemed Points are used when forwarding a package. All Package Points® / Parcel Points® Points expire on 31 December of the year earned and cannot be converted to actual currency in any form. Business/Procurement accounts are ineligible.

About Us

ShipitAPO is the original APO/FPO/DPO forwarding company. We've been at it for more than 20 years. Tax-free shopping while you are living abroad.

 

Our Contacts

302-307-4516 (phone or fax)
All voicemail is returned via email.