How it works, in five steps
- 1Find the item.
Search BopoBuy in English, or paste a Taobao, Tmall, 1688 or Weidian link — links and share codes copied from the Taobao app work too (see the link converter).
- 2Pay for the item.
You pay the item price and the seller’s shipping inside China. There is no buying commission; card payments carry a 3.7% + US$0.30 processing fee and wallet payments are free (all fees).
- 3We buy it and check it.
We order from the seller, usually within one business day. The item reaches our warehouse in 4–8 days; we photograph it (3–7 photos, free) and store it free for 90 days.
- 4Ship it to the UK.
Select the items to combine, choose your UK address and one of the lines below, and pay international shipping by weight.
- 5Track it.
The tracking number appears on your parcel. The delivery times below count from when the parcel leaves our warehouse.
Taobao shipping cost to the UK today
Live prices from our shipping calculator for a parcel to a UK address, shown in your currency with the CNY price. The final price uses the real weight and size after packing.
| Parcel weight | Cheapest line | Fastest line |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 kg | $13.74 ¥81.40 UK-RoyalMail-P · 10-17 days · tax included | $13.74 ¥81.40 UK-RoyalMail-P · 10-17 days |
| 1 kg | $21.53 ¥127.60 UK-RoyalMail-P · 10-17 days · tax included | $21.53 ¥127.60 UK-RoyalMail-P · 10-17 days |
| 2 kg | $34.52 ¥204.60 UK-RoyalMail-P · 10-17 days · tax included | $34.52 ¥204.60 UK-RoyalMail-P · 10-17 days |
| 5 kg | $73.49 ¥435.60 UK-RoyalMail-P · 10-17 days · tax included | $73.49 ¥435.60 UK-RoyalMail-P · 10-17 days |
Prices as of 2026-09-24 (UTC). They change with carrier rates — the shipping calculator always has the current ones.
Every line to the UK for a 1 kg parcel
| Line | Typical days | Price | Duties |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK-RoyalMail-P | 10-17 | $21.53 ¥127.60 | Tax included |
| EUR-P | 8-17 | $22.46 ¥133.10 | Tax included |
| UK-RM-F | 10-17 | $23.00 ¥136.30 | Tax included |
| EUB | 9-25 | $24.47 ¥145.00 | Paid on arrival, if due |
| EUR-F-Y | 8-17 | $25.99 ¥154.00 | Tax included |
| EUR-MG-Y | 8-18 | $28.06 ¥166.30 | Tax included |
| eEms | 10-20 | $38.89 ¥230.50 | Paid on arrival, if due |
| CD-AIR | 15-30 | $42.01 ¥249.00 | Paid on arrival, if due |
| EMS-60 | 7-18 | $42.05 ¥249.20 | Paid on arrival, if due |
How long does it take?
Add up three parts: 4–8 days for the seller’s parcel to reach our warehouse, the time you choose to keep items in free storage while you shop, and the delivery time of the line you pick — between 7 and 30 days for the UK today. Faster lines cost more; the table above puts the cheapest and the fastest side by side.
VAT and import duty
5 of the lines to the UK are marked tax included: duties and taxes, including import VAT, are collected together with the shipping fee when you pay for the parcel, so nothing is due on delivery. On the other lines, customs in the UK decides whether anything is due and you pay it to the carrier on arrival — BopoBuy does not collect it and cannot predict it.
Every parcel carries a declared value that you review before paying for shipping; keep it realistic, because parcels with values that are clearly too low can be held. More in customs & taxes and on GOV.UK.
What can’t be shipped
Our lines cannot carry liquids, powders and pastes, pure batteries, weapons and knives, medicines, most food, or counterfeit and trademark-infringing goods. Items with built-in batteries or magnets need specific lines — tick those properties in the shipping calculator to see which lines accept them. The full list is on the prohibited items page.
How to pay less for shipping
- Combine items. Everything you buy is stored free for 90 days, so items from different sellers can go in one parcel.
- Lose the boxes. Ask us to remove the sellers’ packaging, and choose vacuum packing for clothes — international shipping is charged on the greater of real and volumetric weight.
- Compare lines. The cheapest line is often several days slower than the fastest; the tables above show both.
- Use your coupons. New accounts get 18 shipping coupons worth ¥3,000 in total — see the welcome pack.
Questions
Can I buy from Taobao and ship to the UK?
Yes — through a shopping agent. Taobao sellers ship within China, so BopoBuy orders the item for you, receives it in our China warehouse, photographs it and ships your parcel to the UK on the line you choose.
How much is shipping from Taobao to the UK?
It depends on the weight and the line. Right now the cheapest line for a 1 kg parcel is UK-RoyalMail-P at $21.53 (Â¥127.60), 10-17 days. The table on this page shows today's prices for other weights.
How long does Taobao shipping to the UK take?
Items take 4–8 days to reach our warehouse from the seller. After you ship, the line you choose takes between 7 and 30 days.
Do I pay import duty or VAT?
Not on lines marked tax included: duties and taxes are collected with the shipping fee, so nothing is due on delivery. On the other lines, customs in the UK decides whether anything is due and you pay it on arrival.
Is there a fee for buying?
There is no buying commission on Taobao, Tmall, 1688 and Weidian orders. Card payments carry a 3.7% + US$0.30 processing fee; paying from your BopoBuy wallet balance is free.