Sign Up
- How can I sign up with US Unlocked?
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All you need to do is click on 'Sign Up' and submit your personal data. It will take you only a minute. Our membership is free.
- Is signing up with US Unlocked free?
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Yes! There is absolutely no cost involved in signing up with US Unlocked. As soon as you have your US Unlocked account set up, you can start using all of our services, benefit from excellent shipping rates, personal shopping and apply for the US Unlocked Card.
How It Works
- How do I get a US shipping address?
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You will get a US shipping address as soon as you have registered the details of the order(s) you are about to place.
- Login to US Unlocked and go to https://www.usunlocked.com/ship_it.php
- Enter the details of your order(s) by following the steps. You can add items from as many webstores as you like.
- Submit the registration and you will see the US shipping address on the screen
- Use this shipping address when checking out for the order(s) you just registered.
Please, repeat this process every time you would like to ship through US Unlocked. The USU# on the second address line of the shipping address is how we identify, process and clear the order through customs.
- How does your service work?
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- Start shopping at the webstore of your choice.
- When you are ready to check out, register your shipment on the Ship It page on our website.
- After submitting the details of your shipment, you are provided with the US shipping address for this order, which you use during checkout at the webstore.
- When we receive your goods at our warehouse, we determine the international shipping cost.
- After your payment we ship your goods to you.
If you need a US billing address/credit card for this webstore, you can also use our Personal Shopping service. This service makes shopping even easier, because we then shop and ship for you!
Shipping
- How are the actual global shipping cost determined?
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Actual shipping cost are determined either by weight or by volumetric weight, whichever one is greater.
Volumetric weight is width x length x height (inches)/166.
Once we have determined the actual shipping cost we charge you with these cost. After receipt of your payment, your shipment is sent out in the next two business days.
- What shipping address will I use?
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After completing the shipping order you will be issued a single use shipping address. You will need to copy and paste the entire address into the check out page of the website that you are shopping at.
- What can I ship through US Unlocked?
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Please check our terms and conditions for a list of items that are prohibited. In short we do not ship any flammable items (like perfume) and food items. If you are unsure, please contact us.
- If a website does ship overseas, am I obliged to use US Unlocked for shipping?
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Absolutely not! Do check that website's shipping rates. You will find that US Unlocked rates will be lower in most cases, unless the store ships for free.
- How soon will I receive my package?
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It will take approximately 5 business days for your shipment to arrive at your doorstep from the moment your parcel leaves our warehouse. We ship out twice a week.
- How do I track my package?
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The email you receive when notified of your shipment being underway contains a tracking number as well as the link where you can trace your parcel.
- What carriers are used for my shipments?
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We use the airlines to bulk ship our shipments. Local carriers take over in the country of destination.
- To what countries do you ship?
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We ship worldwide! For the list of countries, please look on the Rates page.
- I want to register a shipment, how does it work?
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Login to your account and go to the Ship It page. Here you submit all the details of your order. You can register from as many stores as you like.
After submitting you are provided a unique US shipping address for the shipments that you just registered. Use this address when checking out at those webstores.
We will hold all incoming packages until the entire shipment is complete. We then consolidate the shipment and bring down the weight as much as we can.
After your payment of the actual shipping cost, we ship out your shipment.
- Do you require a signature on delivery?
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Yes. Please, make sure you are home when your shipment is delivered. There may be a surcharge for multiple delivery attempts.
- Do you consolidate shipments and how does it work?
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We consolidate all the shipments you have registered with us and thus carry the same unique single use shipping address. This means that we hold the order until it is complete. We then reduce the volumetric weight as much as possible by placing different orders in the same box where possible.
If you do not wish your shipment to be consolidated, simply register each shipment separately. This way the different shipments carry a different unique single use shipping address and are therefore handled as single shipments.
- Do you offer insurance?
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Yes, If you wish you can insure your shipment. These are the cost: $8 + 1% of the insured value. Please, let us know if you want your shipment insured at the time of registering so we can make arrangements. Without insurance, parcels are standard insured up until $100.
- My shipping address is stored at US website that I frequently shop at. Is it ok to have the same address be used every time, since it auto-fills?
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No. You will have to edit your shipping address with your single use shipping address for that specific order at these websites every time you shop there. The single use shipping address contains a unique reference number that refers only to that specific shipping order. Any goods that are sent with 'old' or re-used shipping addresses cannot be recognized and there fore not be handled.
- Is my credit card data secure when I make my payment?
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Yes. When you are asked to pay the shipping cost in order to obtain your single use shipping address, you will be linked to Paypal. Your credit card data are not stored anywhere on the US Unlocked website. Paypal is well renowned for their security.
- Do I need a Paypal account to be able to pay the shipping cost?
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If you have a Paypal account you can use it, but you do not need one. When you are linked to to Paypal to make your payment, you can click on the option to pay with a credit card.
- When will you receive my parcel?
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That depends on the shipping method you chose at the website you shopped at.
- I am in a hurry and do not want you to hold my other shipments for consolidation. Is this possible?
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If you do not wish your shipment to be consolidated, simply register each shipment separately. This way the different shipments carry a different unique single use shipping address and are therefore handled as single shipments.
- What is volumetric weight?
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Volumetric weight in simple terms is the space the parcel occupies in the airplane when being shipped internationally. The volumetric weight in lbs. is calculated:
H x W x L (inches)/166
If the volumetric weight is greater than the actual weight on the scale, the shipping cost will be based on the volumetric weight.
- Do I have to pay import duties and VAT?
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Every imported product is subject to import fees. These are levied by your country's government and the responsibility of the receiver. Our rates do NOT include import fees.
Since FGX (our preferred shipper) pre-declares all shipments through customs to ensure smooth and swift custom clearance, they sometimes ask the consignee to pay the import fees upfront.
Shopping
- Where do I shop?
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US Unlocked has selected a broad variety of the best US websites in Where To Shop. You can search by category. For trends and deals check our Deals page Of course, you are free to shop on any website outside those listed on the US Unlocked website.
- What about compatibility to Europe’s codes, regions or voltage?
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Anything that needs to be plugged in or played by a plug-in device might be subject to differences regarding codes, voltages and regions compared to your own country. You can check out this links to get some more information on this:
- You need to do some research before you buy, or else you will end up with a product that does not work.
- Is US Unlocked a store?
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No, US Unlocked is not a store. We simply provide to you the tools you need to shop online in America as well as the forwarding service to have your goods shipped to you.
- What is a billing address?
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A billing address is the registered address of your credit card and where you receive your credit card statements.
Many websites in the USA require a US billing address and have advanced address verification software in place.
Submitting an incorrect US billing address with a foreign credit card will most likely result in cancellation of your order.
US Unlocked provides two solutions for this inconvenience:
- Personal Shopping service, or
- the US Unlocked Card
- Where can I shop?
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You can shop everywhere! The websites on the Where To Shop page help you to find your way around, but you are free to purchase from any website that you like. If you think US Unlocked users would like a certain website too, let us know!
- Can I shop at the Apple store?
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It is very likely you will not be able to order from Apple.com due to their strict rules for only selling within the US.
Personal Shopping
- How does your Personal Shopping service work?
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We offer Personal Shopping service to all our users. Just log in and choose the Personal Shopping tab from the start menu. Fill in as much details as possible on the form. After you submit your order we will email you a quote with a link to Paypal for paying the quoted amount. After we receive your payment we will buy, receive and ship the products for you.
- What is the extra cost of Personal Shopping?
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US Unlocked charges 10% of the total cost of the purchase(s).
US Unlocked Card
- What is the US Unlocked Card?
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The US Unlocked Card is a prepaid debit card. You will be able to spend only the amount of money that you loaded on the card. You will be able to use it online wherever Discover cards are accepted.
- Why do I need this card?
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To apply for the US Unlocked Card is optional. It provides you with the US billing address that most US websites require to be able to accept your order. Once you have loaded your card you can start shopping on all these websites that do not accept foreign credit cards. Examples are:Macy's, Gap and Victoria's Secret. If you feel you do not need this card now, you can always choose to apply for it later. US Unlocked also provides Personal Shopping service.
- Is it an actual card?
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It is a virtual card, meaning you will not have the actual plastic in your hands, but you will use the number, expiration date and billing address provided to you for online payments.
- Are there any costs to the US Unlocked Card?
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The creation cost of the card is $10 in total. There is a monthly maintenance fee of $4.50. If you have no balance on the card, no maintenance fee is incurred.
Loading fees are (load amount + $2.50)*5% + $1.50 transaction cost.
- How do I load my US Unlocked Card?
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On US Unlocked Card page submit the amount you wish to load on your card. Make sure your ID verification status is Accepted. It takes up to 7 business days for the amount to be put on your card.
Submit your payment of the desired load and you will have the money on your card within 5 business days.
Make sure always to load an extra $6 to cover maintenance and transaction costs.
- How will I use the US Unlocked Card?
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When asked for your credit card information, you will choose Discover as the type of card. You will fill in the billing address of the card, which is the US billing address provided to you and card number of your US Unlocked Card. You can do so by copy/pasting it from the US Unlocked website. Then, fill in the expiration date and security number of your card. You can find all data on the US Unlocked Card page on the website.
- Is the US Unlocked Card a credit card?
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No, it is a debit card. You can only spend the amount of money that you have put on the card. If a website asks for your credit card information you can use your US Unlocked Card information, even though it is a debit card.
- I want to apply for a US Unlocked Card. How does it work?
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Simply make your $10 payment and we will provide you with your card details within 1-2 business days. You will also receive two emails from NxPay asking you to activate your two accounts*. When you do so, you will be able to check your balance and manage your account.
* one account has your own address
* the second account is your card account and holds your US billing address. This is where you can check your balance.
Although both accounts are linked in our system they need to be activated nevertheless.
Before your first load we ask you to upload:
1) a copy of a valid ID
2) a copy of a recent utility bill
Once we approved your documentation you will receive the ID verification status of Accepted and you are ready to load money onto your card.
- What is NxPay?
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NxPay is the platform to which the US Unlocked Card belongs. The US Unlocked Card is a Discover prepaid debit card. NxPay is the authorized issuer of these cards. When applying for a US Unlocked Card, an NxPay account is created for you. Through Manage Account in US Unlocked Card page you are able to manage your NxPay account.
- Am I obliged to apply for the US Unlocked Card?
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Absolutely not! The decision is yours. If you find that a US website where you want to shop only accepts cards with a US billing address, you can still choose to apply for the US Unlocked Card. You will find, though, that most US websites require a US billing address.
- How do I know whether a US website requires a US billing address?
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This is usually stated in the terms on the store's website. If you are unsure, you can always contact their customer service.
- How much are the loading fees?
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The loading fees are (load amount + $2.50)*5%.
- After I loaded my card, when can I start paying with it?
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The transaction takes about a week. As soon as we have received your load amount, we notify you by email. At that point the new balance will show in your NxPay account.
- What if I need to make an online payment, but I do not have the money on my US Unlocked Card?
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If it is urgent, you can always opt to use our Personal Shopping service.
Because this is a prepaid debit card, you can only spend the money that you have on the card. To view your balance, go to Manage Accounts on US Unlocked Card page. You can also load your card on that page. Transaction time for any load is about a week. If you make online payments in the US on a frequent basis, it is wise to load the card frequently and with time to make sure you always have a balance on your card.
- Is it safe to have my US Unlocked Card data on the web?
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Yes, it is safe. But, it is important to never pass your login data or card data to anyone. The pages on which your US Unlocked Card data are being displayed are secured and encrypted. If you do notice a suspicious transaction when viewing your account, immediately notify support@nxpay.com
- Why do you want a copy of my ID?
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In this day and age of potential identity theft, it is in your best interest that we check the identity of anyone who applies for a US Unlocked Card. The same safety measurements are in place when applying for any credit or debit card. We also check and cross check all addresses when you are loading your card. For more information: https://www.usunlocked.com/rules_card_loading.php
- I am trying to pay with my US Unlocked Card, but somehow the card does not get accepted. What should I do?
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- make sure you use a vpn connection
- check for entering the card details exactly as they appear on the US Unlocked Card page
- check if you have enough balance on you card to make the purchase
If you are doing all of the above, contacting the site's customer service might help. They can run the card over the phone. If you continue to experience issues contact support@nxpay.com. They can check on the server what happened when the store was seeking authorization.
NOTE: When a store seeks authorization for the payment, the amount is locked in during the authorization time. That means that that amount is temporarily unavailable for any other purchases.
Refer a friend
- How does it work?
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After you have logged in, you will see an option on the homepage to refer a friend. Just submit your friend’s email address. You will receive an email with a Promo Code to thank you for your referral. The next time you order a shipment with US Unlocked, enter the Promo Code to get your special discount on the shipping cost. Your friend will also receive an email, inviting him or her to register with US Unlocked. It will also have the Promo Code that can be used to receive a discount on his or hers first shipment.
Returns
- Do you offer a return service?
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At this time, US Unlocked does not offer a return service. If you do need to make a return you will have to do so on your own behalf.
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