Kakobuy fees and the rate you pay
What the help centre says you pay, where it says it, and the three places where its numbers do not line up.
The fee formula, as three articles write it
Kakobuy charges no agent service fee. Help 63 states it as a promise (“Apart from the item cost and shipping fee, kakobuy require no handling fees”) and gives the total as item cost plus international shipping plus customs charges. Item cost means the product price plus the seller’s domestic shipping to the warehouse.
Help 74 writes the same total differently: commodity cost plus international freight plus packaging fee plus optional value-added services. Help 6, for forwarding, uses international freight plus “warehouse fee” plus extras, then lists the second item as “Packing fee: 8 yuan/parcel”.
Two other charges can appear before shipping. If you buy several items from one seller in one order, domestic shipping is charged once, but an overweight order brings a shortfall request (help 75). If the seller changes the price, you pay the difference, usually labelled as a delivery fee (help 83).
Filed by Kakobuy under Types of services › Shopping Agent Service · help 63, help 74, help 6
Three ¥8 references to reconcile
Several dated articles mention a ¥8 charge using different names and conditions:
- help 63: “Customs declaration cost for a parcel is generally RMB 8.00 (Depending on the shipping method)”;
- help 74: “Packaging consumables fee: ¥8”;
- help 6: “Packing fee: 8 yuan/parcel”, inside a formula that calls it a warehouse fee.
No article says whether these are one charge described three ways or separate charges. Kakobuy’s own parcel list (tutorial image 17) shows a single “Including packaging fee” line per parcel, which is historical interface evidence rather than a current fee rule. Do not assume the references are identical or add them as confirmed separate charges; inspect the actual itemised checkout. Do not assume help 63’s “depending on the shipping method” means it is always 8.
Filed by Kakobuy under Types of services › International transit · help 6, help 63, help 74
PayPal: two published rates and an older checkout example
The dated official help pages disagree on PayPal handling. Articles 64 and 99 give 3.5% + US$0.30; article 65 gives 2.9% + US$0.30. An older embedded checkout image is a historical example, not a third current fee:
- help 64, “Recharge method”: “Handling charge for PayPal is currently 3.5%+US$0.3”;
- help 99, “Payment/Deposit Method”: “3.5%+0.3$”;
- help 65, “Paypal”: “currently 2.9%+ US$0.3”, and lower on the same page a checkout image computes the fee as the payable amount times 0.03 plus 0.01.
Help 98, the PayPal checkout article, says only that the fee “is subject to the amount at the time of payment”. Compare the actual checkout charge; neither conflicting article establishes the rate for your payment. Alipay and WeChat carry no handling fee (help 64), with a delay of 1 to 60 minutes; PayPal top-ups usually show at once (help 101). Help 98 adds one practical rule: the delivery address on the PayPal payment page must match the address on the parcel.
Filed by Kakobuy under Types of services (footer link) and Account Assets › Payment Methods · help 64, help 65, help 99, help 98
Which exchange rate you pay
Prices on Kakobuy are set in yuan and shown in your chosen currency; the site offers 12 currencies. Help 64 says PayPal top-ups are converted into US dollars and that “We will adjust the exchange rate immediately based on the latest one published by Bank of China”. Help 65 says the same with “from time to time” instead of “immediately”. Neither says whether a margin is added on top of that rate.
An independent measurement on 8 October 2026 found about an 8.5% all-in spread above its reference rate. This is a historical comparison, not a current rate or proof of the operator’s margin. Compare your actual debit and yuan credit alongside all itemised costs.
Help 99 adds a tip of its own: pay from your balance “to reduce exchange losses”. That tip is not a guarantee that a larger top-up saves money. Compare the actual conversion, processing charges and amount you need, including the refund conditions for any unused balance.
Filed by Kakobuy under Types of services (footer link only) · help 64, help 65, help 99
Paid extras, with the article that prices each one
Value-added services are spread across two leaves (About Order Value-Added Services and About Parcel Value-Added Services) plus insurance under Submit Parcel. Here they are in one list, with prices in yuan as printed on 14 October 2026.
| Service | Price | Turnaround | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority Purchase | 5 yuan per OG order | within 4 buyer-working hours | help 115 |
| Personalized photograph | 2 yuan per photo | within 24 hours | help 114 |
| Pre-packaged (weight before paying) | 18 yuan each time | within 24 hours | help 117 |
| Parcel photo (3 photos) | free, if ticked | within 24 hours | help 118 |
| Vacuum packaging | 20 yuan per parcel | at packing | help 116 |
| Fragile reinforcement | 10 yuan per item | within 24 hours | help 119 |
| Storage extension | 10 yuan per OG order per 30 days | confirmed within 24 hours | help 120 |
| Kako Insurance | per route, shown at checkout | claims per route criteria | help 123 |
The packing screen in the tutorial also sells shoe trees, bubble wrap, moisture bags and corner protection at the waybill stage. Those have no help article; their prices appear only on the screen when you submit.
Getting a top-up back
Help 104 sets three conditions. Money paid by PayPal, card or another online method goes back by the same route, and the handling fee is yours. Money paid by remittance needs a review: card billing address, both sides of the card and identity details, then 2 to 3 days for finance. And you cannot ask for any refund until 2 days after the top-up succeeded.
The processing times are an image inside the article, uploaded in July 2022: PayPal balance about 2 to 3 working days, card via PayPal 3 to 10, Alipay balance 2 to 3, Alipay Chinese bank card 3 to 10, WeChat balance 2 to 3, WeChat Chinese bank card 3 to 10. Order refunds are different: cancelled orders go back to your Kakobuy balance, not to your card (help 87).
Filed by Kakobuy under Account Assets › Payment Methods · help 104, help 87
