How much does iWishBag charge for handling? 2.4%, explained.

By Raunk Bohra · Last updated 27 April 2026 · 6 min read

The short answer: 2.4% of your purchase subtotal, with a small minimum that depends on where you're shopping from.

When this fee applies

The 2.4% above is for ship-only quotes, also called "buy and ship" or "exclude customs and local taxes." This is the mode where you pay us to source the product and arrange shipping, but Nepal customs duty and local taxes are settled directly with the courier on delivery.

If your quote is a normal full-service quote (we handle customs and pre-pay taxes for you), handling works differently. That fee gets folded into the all-in price and there isn't a separate line for it. We're working on bringing full-service handling under the same per-country structure, but it's a bigger change. For now, full-service quotes are still calculated the way they were before this update.

Three worked examples

Buying a $200 product from Amazon:
2.4% × $200 = $4.80 handling. The $2.40 floor doesn't apply.

Buying a ₹1,500 saree from Mumbai:
2.4% × ₹1,500 = ₹36, which is below the ₹150 floor. So the handling line shows ₹150. The floor protects us on tiny orders without becoming a tax on bigger ones.

Buying a ¥35,000 figurine from Akihabara:
2.4% × ¥35,000 = ¥840 (about $5.80). Above the ¥600 floor, so the percentage wins.

In all three cases, the number you see in your quote breakdown matches the math here. We don't round up.

What this fee actually pays for

Some of you have asked, so here it is in plain language:

• A human reviewing every quote, usually within a few hours

• Sourcing help when a product is sold out or has variants we need to confirm with you

• Insurance and reconciliation if something goes missing in transit

• Customer support across the order lifecycle

• The infrastructure that lets you see your order status update in real time

It's not free for us to do this. It's also not the line item we're trying to make money on. We make our margin on the international shipping rates we negotiate, and on a small FX spread when we convert your NPR payment to USD/JPY/INR/etc. to pay the merchant. The handling fee covers the operational cost of the human in the loop.

FAQ

Does this fee change based on order size?

No. The percentage is flat at 2.4% regardless of subtotal. The floor only matters for very small orders.

What if I'm a returning customer or a member?

A Pro tier with a reduced rate is on our roadmap but not live yet. For now the rate applies to everyone equally.

Can I see this fee before I commit to the order?

Yes. Every quote shows handling as a separate line in the breakdown, with the percentage we applied. If something looks off, point it out and we'll show our math.

What if I'm shopping from a country that isn't in the table?

We fall back to global handling slabs (the older system) for now. If you regularly buy from a country we haven't configured yet, message us and we'll add it.

Is this the cheapest handling fee out there?

Probably not. Pandabuy and Superbuy run 0% on Chinese sites if you're willing to handle the Nepal-import leg yourself. Buyee runs sales. We're not chasing "cheapest." We're chasing "most predictable."

Can I see exactly which version of the fee my quote used?

Yes. Look for "Handling (2.4%)" in your quote breakdown. The percent is shown right next to the amount.

A small note on transparency

Most package-forwarding services don't publish their effective handling fee as a single number. You have to derive it yourself from a tangle of weight surcharges, "convenience" fees, and consolidation charges. That pattern works because customers rarely do the math.

We picked 2.4% partly because it's a fair number, and partly because we wanted to stop hiding behind that pattern. If you ever see a quote where the handling line doesn't match what's published here, that's a bug. Tell us and we'll fix it.

Want a quote on something you're thinking of buying? Paste any product URL into iwishBag's order page and we'll send a breakdown within a few hours, handling line and all.