Address checks
Some US stores check that the billing address you type matches the address your bank has on file. When the check can't confirm your address, the store's system may decline the payment.
Guide
A US store may decline an international card because of its billing-address rules, fraud checks, or a decline by your bank. Ask your bank which side declined it, then check the store's accepted payment and shipping options; if none of these work, a buy-for-me service can place the order for you.
Below: the possible causes, what to try in order, what not to do, and when a buy-for-me service is the right answer.
Causes
Some US stores check that the billing address you type matches the address your bank has on file. When the check can't confirm your address, the store's system may decline the payment.
A card from another country, an address abroad, or a different country for your card and your delivery address can raise a store's fraud score. Some stores decline automatically instead of asking.
Some stores' checkout forms have no option for a billing address outside the US.
Your own bank may block online or international payments by default, or flag a large foreign purchase.
Do it yourself
Make sure online and international payments are switched on, and ask whether the payment was declined by the bank or by the store. If the bank declined it, they can often approve it and you can try again.
Some US stores show different payment and shipping options once you set your country, often with a country or currency selector at the top or bottom of the page.
If the store's checkout offers PayPal, paying through PayPal may work where the store's own card form doesn't. If the store doesn't offer PayPal, this step doesn't apply.
If your card is in your wallet, the payment may go through differently. It still uses your card, so if your bank is the problem, this won't fix it.
Some US stores sell their own digital gift cards on their website. If you can buy one, you may be able to use it to pay for your order. Buy only from the store itself, never from resale sites, and read the gift card terms first: some can't be bought with a foreign card, and some can't be used for orders shipped outside the US.
The same product is often sold by more than one US store, and some are more used to international customers.
The second hurdle
A payment that goes through doesn't mean the store will ship to you. Many US stores ship inside the US only, and some refuse orders sent to package forwarders. Check the store's shipping options before you pay. If it doesn't ship to your country, see how to buy from US stores that don't ship to your country.
When to hand it over
A buy-for-me service (also called a personal shopper) is like a friend in the US who places the order for you. You pay the service, not the store. It can be the right choice when:
With us
Big Apple Buddy is a personal shopping service based in New York. We buy from US stores for you, check the item, pack it, and ship it to your door in over 75 countries.
Browse products from popular US stores in our catalog, with no VPN, and check out straight away. For eligible items not in our catalog, send us a link for a quote.
You pay Big Apple Buddy at our checkout by card, PayPal, wire transfer or Wise.
We buy the item from the US store ourselves. Each store decides whether to accept an order. If a store cancels, we tell you right away, offer another store if there is one, and you decide, including a full refund.
We check what arrived, repack it, prepare the customs paperwork, and ship it with FedEx or UPS, with tracking.
Costs
We charge a service fee for handling everything for you. Our service fee, separate from the item price, shipping and any taxes, is $30 for the first item when the order's total product cost is under $200, or $50 at $200 or more, plus $15 for each additional item. You see the item price, shipping and our fee before you pay. Customs duties and import taxes are set by your country; see our customs duties and import taxes FAQ. Our pricing page has the full schedule.
If the store accepts your card and ships to forwarders, and you are happy to manage it yourself, a forwarder will usually cost less. The fee pays for us doing the work.
A US store may decline an international card because of its billing-address rules, fraud checks, or a decline by your bank. Some checkouts only accept US billing addresses. Ask your bank which side declined it, then check the store's accepted payment and shipping options.
Ask your bank to allow international online payments, then check what the store's checkout offers: an international checkout, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay, or a gift card sold by the store itself. If none of these work, a buy-for-me service such as Big Apple Buddy can place the order and you pay the service instead.
It can. If the store's checkout offers PayPal, paying through PayPal may work where the store's own card form doesn't. It doesn't help if the store doesn't offer PayPal, if your bank is blocking the payment, or if the store doesn't ship to your country.
No, not unless it is really your card's billing address. Entering a false billing address breaks card and store rules, and the order can still be cancelled. Use the honest options instead: the store's own payment options, a gift card from the store, or a buy-for-me service.
Often, yes. You pay Big Apple Buddy by card, PayPal, wire transfer or Wise, and we place eligible orders with the US store ourselves, like a friend in the US buying it for you. Each store decides whether to accept an order.
It depends on the service. Big Apple Buddy charges a service fee for handling everything for you. Our service fee, separate from the item price, shipping and any taxes, is $30 for the first item when the order's total product cost is under $200, or $50 at $200 or more, plus $15 for each additional item. If the store accepts your card and ships to forwarders, a forwarder will usually cost less.
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