Finding Your US Shipping Address
This article describes how you can save hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars by ordering from US websites and having your orders shipped to a border KinekPoint that acts as your US Shipping Address. We notify you when it gets there, and securely store it until you pick it up.
UPDATE: Check out our new iPhone app! Find, ship to, and track packages at our many US Border Shipping Addresses!
First Off, What is a Border KinekPoint?
Our Border KinekPoints specialize in receiving packages for Canadian cross border shoppers and act as their US shipping address. Once your package arrives we notify you and then store it securely until you come to pick it up. All of our locations are just a few minutes’ drive past the border and are located at almost every major border crossing in Canada. In order to ship to one of our locations, you simply need to sign-up for a free account at Kinek.com and choose a location to ship to.
How Do Border KinekPoints Save Me Money?
- Many companies do not ship to Canada. This often means you have to buy the item for upwards of 40-50% more in Canada, and sometimes it isn’t even sold locally!
- Even when companies DO ship to Canada, their shipping charges are often far too expensive. By using a border KinekPoint as your US shipping address, you can get your package at the border without paying those expensive fees.
- Brokerage fees. These are those nasty fees that are charged in order to process your item at customs. These often aren’t factored in during the checkout process and you are made to pay them when the item arrives at your doorstep. By using a US border KinekPoint as your US border shipping address, you don’t spend a dime on these fees.
OK, So How Much Does It Cost to Use a KinekPoint?
This is the best part, even though shipping to one of our US Border KinekPoints can save you hundreds, or thousands of dollars, we don’t charge anything to sign-up for the service. The only fee your EVER pay is when you pick-up a package. For the vast majority of our locations, we only charge $5 for packages under 10lbs. Don’t let that 10lbs fool you though, most of our locations will accept packages of any size or weight! We just charge more depending on how large/heavy your item is, and all this information can be found on each KinekPoint’s profile page over at Kinek.com. More on that later. though.
How Long Do I Have to Pick-up My Package?
You have 30 days from the delivery date to pick-up your package. However, we understand that in sometimes you can’t make it down that soon, so if you contact your KinekPoint, they are usually more than happy to accommodate the package for longer. Just keep in mind there will be an additional storage fee for that item depending on how large it is. We are more than happy to act as your US Shipping Address, but only have so much space 
Finding a Border KinekPoint to Use as Your US Shipping Address
Kinek has border KinekPoints in the following US cities:
Houlton, Maine
Derby Line, Vermont
Champlain, NY (on the way to Plattsburg)
Wellesley Island, NY (only 35 minutes from Kingston, ON)
Niagara Falls, NY
Marine City, MI
Sault Ste Marie, MI
Babb, Montana
Pembina, ND (South of Winnipeg)
Oroville, WA (South of Kelowna and Osoyoos)
Blaine, WA (Serving Vancouver and surrounding area)
How Do I Ship to a Border KinekPoint?:
- Sign-up for a free Kinek account at www.Kinek.com
- Complete your profile page. (You must do this before choosing a KinekPoint to use as your US shipping address.)
- Click on, the icon that says “Choose a KinekPoint”
- You will be given a few different options to located a KinekPoint. Click on the link next to the sentence that reads “Canadians, looking for a US shipping address along the US border? Click here”.
- Choose a KinekPoint. (The map will now display that area, the map will display any KinekPoint locations with markers on the map. It will also list the locations to the left of the map. Click on either the marker, or the name of the location to view their KinekPoint profile page)
- Click on the “Show Pricing Details” link to read over the size/weight limits, receiving fee, hours of operation, accepted payment methods, and additional info section for that KinekPoint.
- Save that KinekPoint. Click on the green Save KinekPoint buttton. This will set this location as your default KinekPoint. You can change to another one at any time.
That’s It! Your new Kinek US Shipping Address will now be displayed in your profile page along with your Kinek#. You simply use that address when ordering online. Your package will arrive at our location and we’ll notify you right away. ALWAYS be sure to include your Kinek number when ordering, this ensures we can keep track of your package and notify you when it arrives.
Once you receive your notifications, you can then cross the border at a time of your convenience and pick up your package.
Want a more detailed list of Kinek’s locations? Here they are!
To make it easy, we’ll break down their locations by the Canadian cities they serve. We have also provide links to their Kinek pages.
Montreal:
- Champlain, New York
- www.kinek.com/border (Bay Brokerage will accept packages of any size or weight!)
- Swanton, Vermont
- www.kinek.com/border (Business America Services can accept any size or weight!)
Sherbrooke:
- Derby Line, Vermont
Ottawa region, Brockville:
- Ogdensburg, New York (only 45 minutes from Ottawa)
- wwww.kinek.com/border (KinekPoint is called N.A.C. Logistics and can receive orders of any size or weight
Alberta:
- Babb, Montana (new location)
- wwww.kinek.com/border (Border Tire & Kinek PickUp can accept any size and weight)
- Massena, New York
- www.kinek.com/border (Our location is called Triple A Building Supply and can accept packages of any size or weight in Massena, NY for Canadian cross border shoppers). They’re also open 7-days a week.
Kingston, Belleville, Gananoque, Napanee:
- Wellesley Island, New York
- www.kinek.com/buildingsupply (Wellesley Island Building Supply is open 7 days a week and will accept packages of any size or weight!)
Greater Toronto Area:
- Buffalo, New York (Storage Central)
- Buffalo, New York (Peace Bridge crossing)
- Niagara Falls, New York (Rainbow Bridge crossing) (www.kinek.com/lewiston)
- Marine City, Michigan (www.kinek.com/FBpackage)
- Detroit, Michigan (www.kinek.com/computingexpress)
- Port Huron, Michigan (www.kinek.com/BB)
Sault Ste. Marie:
- Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Winnipeg:
- Pembina, North Dakota
Kelowna/Osoyoos, British Columbia:
- Oroville, Washington
- www.kinek.com/appleway (open 7 days a week!)
Vancouver and Surrounding Region:
- Blaine, Washington
- www.kinek.com/border (open 6 days a week and can accept any size or weight!)
New Brunswick/Nova Scotia/PEI:
- Calais, Maine
- www.kinek.com/ace (open 7 days a week)
- Houlton, Maine
- Houlton Power Sports
Simply go to www.kinek.com and search the name of the border city you are interested in. This will display the Kinek Points they have in that city (sometimes you need to pan around the map to find one) and you can then sign-up to use that location as your US shipping address.
If you can’t find a Kinek Point in your border town, don’t worry, we also have a feature that allows you to recommend a location.
WE FREQUENTLY ORDER MERCHANDISE FROM US, PLEASE TELL US THE COST TO PICK
UP THE PARCELS AND ANY OTHER FEE OR THE WAY TO GO.
Hi Roland, thank you for your question. There are no sign-up or membership fees to use our KinekPoints as your mailing address on the US border. The only fee you need to pay is when you pick up your package. Those fees vary depending on which KinekPoint you would like to use, but they are typically $5 for packages under 10lbs.
In order to see the fees for a particular location, simply go to http://www.kinek.com and search for a border location by typing in the name of the US border city you would like to order items too. You can do this by using the search function on our website.
Let us know if you have any other questions along the way!
we order frequently from us , i want to know how to proceed and also the fee charge for each
parcel,etc etc etc etc.
yours truly ROLAND.
PLEASE GIVE ME THE WAY TO USE YOUR SERVICE AND ALL GOES TO IT.
Hi Roland,
To use one of our border KinekPoints as your US mailing address you simply need to sign up for a free Kinek account at http://www.kinek.com, choose a KinekPoint to ship to, and then use that address when you order online. The location will then act as your personal US package receiving address and notify you when your packages arrive.
Let us know if you have any other questions at KinekSupport@kinek.com
James
How about Europe?
Rolnd and those interested – This service does not forward the mail to your home address. You will have to pick it up from them in your choice of the closest place in the US to you.
Regards – Sandy
I am wondering where the location of the Detroit Kinek Point is and how from the Windsor border.
Thank you
Hi John,
Our Detroit KinekPoint is just a few minutes past the bridge.
James
KinekSupport
Once you pick up your package and cross over at the border how do you state the amount of the package when you have been away less than 24 hrs. so you don’t have to pay duty fees?
I live in Alberta, Canada.
A Border KinekPoint would be great as it is quite far to the BC and/or Winnipeg Points.
There are many items that would be ordered, but shipping costs from retail stores/on-line stores are outrageous.
The following border locations would be very convenient for Alberta shoppers:
Coutts, Alberta/Sweetgrass Montana (most popular and very busy; open 24 hours)
and/or
Del Bonita, Alberta/Del Bonita, Montana
Hi Shannon!
We’re happy to announce our first Border KinekPoint for Alberta in Sunburst, Montana! The article above has been updated with all their information and how to sign up!
Cheers,
James
Hi James ,
I don’t see the Sunburst location as a Point of pick up for Alberta/Montana border .
Could you tell me which ones are the options available, Great Falls is the only one that I can see .
Thanks,
Gustavo
Hi Gustavo,
There is no longer a Sunburst location but in the next couple of weeks I would check back on our blog for the possibility of a new location in the area. Stay tuned!
I live in Calgary, and was going to ask the same question. Even though Coutts/Sweetgrass is quite a drive (2 hours), it’s the closest location for anyone in my area. I hope you are seriously considering this.
Thanks in advance!
Pamela
Hi Pamela,
I would look out for announcement about a location in this area in the next couple of weeks.
Hi Shannon,
We now have a new KinekPoint in Babb, Montana. Cheers!
live in calgary, canada, alberta. what is the best location for pick up for me? do you have any recommendations on a transportation company to pick up and delivery to my location as I may not always want to do the drive to pick it up.
K
Hi Kare,
We’ve just opened up a new border KinekPoint on the Alberta/US border to receive your packages and act as your US shipping address. We’ve updated the article with the new information.
-James
KinekSupport
Shannon,
There is no LEGAL way of not paying duty. If the item is made in the United States, then Free Trade kicks in, and all you have to pay is the GST and PST (no PST if you live in AB). By picking up the item in person in the United States you don’t have to worry about any brokerage fee that you might have to pay when the mailman (Fedex, UPS) drops off your parcel. Anyone who ever purchased items outside of Canada might noticed that the brokerage fee is sometime (well nearly always) more than the duty fee.
One thing you want to make sure you do BEFORE picking up your items. Print out an invoice of the items you’re picking up before leaving home; this way you can show the boarder guard the cost of the item.
Off the record, if the item is under $100, 99% of the time the board guard will let you go. But with that being said, you should add the GST/HST/PST whatever sales tax you might have in your province into the cost of your item, don’t forget to add gas money and the amount of time it will take for you to drive to the post office and back and see if the saving is worth it.
Here is an example of the savings I occurred. My A/C died on my Honda, and Honda wanted $2,500 for the parts alone. I order the parts on-line but they would only deliver in the United States only; with the service of these post office, I purchased my parts for under $350; so I saved over $2,100 by having a United States post office. Please note that I do not use KinekPoint; but they do offer a very special service for us Canadians. Use it wisely, and you can benefit from their service.
Your service sounds like a great idea , the only problem is many companies will ship ONLY to the address connected to the credit card. Any ideas?
Hi Bob! Thanks for your question about credit card addresses. To get around this problem you simply need to call your credit card company and have them add your border KinekPoint address as your “alternate address on file”. This takes just a few minutes and will allow all future payments to go through no problem
once I pick up my package I still havet o pay the canadian Custom charges right?
how much for a package that weights 35lbs?
thanks
Sam
Hi Sam,
Yes, you will need to pay any taxes or duty that are applicable when you return to Canada. We do not collect or administer these fees. Instead, you declare your purchases at the border crossing on the return trip. If you are out of the country for more than 24 hours, you will be exempt from a certain amount of tax depending on how long you were in the United States for. For the full information on those personal exemptions, check out our Duty and Taxes section up top.
Give us a shout if you have any more questions at KinekSupport at Kinek dot com.
James
KinekSupport
if I was to buy a car on ebay could I get it shipped here and
then drive it to canada.
what cost
Hi Dave,
Thanks for your question about buying a car in the US and bringing it into Canada. Many of our locations can handle the storage of cars. Some can even assist you with the paperwork. Give us a shout at KinekSupport @ kinek.com and we’ll get you set up.
James
KinekSupport
I don’t have a valid passport, can I have someone pick it up on my behalf…Thanks
Alexandra, thanks for the question! I’ve sent you an email detailing our pick up requirements. Give us a shout if you have any other questions.
James
KinekSupport
thinking of purchasing a ski-doo from the us and shipping to pembina, is there a duty fee if sled is made in canada? thanks
Hi Harry,
If an item is made in Canada, United States, or Mexico there is no duty. We hope you love your Ski-doo!
So if a car part is made in one of the three (CAN, US, MEX) countries, when i pick up my package i only pay a fee for pick up to Kinek? Do i also pay GST/PST/HST? – or is that the duty i’m free of? Thanks
That’s correct Matty. If it’s made in one of those three countries you for sure will not be hit with duty fee’s. When you declare your items at the border you will be asked to pay the PST of the province you are entering back into. There are exemptions if you stay in the U.S. longer than 24 hours but most people who use our service just cross to pick up their packages. If you have any further questions feel free to ask!
do you have service in Niagara falls
Hi Mike,
We do have a location in Lewiston, NY (Niagara Falls area) and another one in Buffalo, NY. If you have any more questions feel free to give us a shout!
I am planning on shipping a stove and a microwave to your location in Lewiston, NY. Will this be accepted ?
Hi Andrew,
The location in Lewiston has a limited of 70 lbs items. However, you can call them ahead of time to check if they can make an exception for your item. If they cannot accomodate we do have a location in Buffalo that accepts items of any size and weight.
I am planning on buying new tires & rims online and was thinking of getting them shipped to your Blaine location. Do I have to pay state taxes on checkout since I am shipping to a US address? And then pay Canadian taxes when I take it across the border?
Hi Devon,
Thanks for the question. In most situations you do not need to pay state taxes at checkout as you are from Canada. When you cross the border with the tires, you do need to declare them and pay Canadian taxes on them. However, even after paying tax on them, they will likely still be much cheaper.
Hope this helps!
James @ KinekSupport
If I sign up for Kinek would I be able to use that address for services like Netflix and iTunes?
Hi Tom,
No, our shipping addresses cannot be used as a billing address. They can only be used to ship packages to.
How long will you hold on to packages for? Is there any extra fees after a particular point in time?
Hi Nick,
Our KinekPoints hold packages for up to 30 days. Some KinekPoints do charge storage fee’s after 15 days but those are all displayed on their Kinek profiles. There are no hidden fees to the consumer whatsoever.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask!
What is the closest Kinek Point to Toronto Ontario, that will accept any size package?
Thanks
Hi Michele,
Our closest border KinekPoints to Toronto are typically those in Niagara Falls and Buffalo. We also have others in Port Huron and Detroit. We also have some to the east near Kingston.
James
I would like to have 4 offroad tires shipped to your location.
Do you a fixed price for tires?
Any oversize fees (33×12.5.15 tires)
Or do you charge by weight and if so how would i calcalute total cost?
Thanks
Nick
Hi Nick,
The price will depend on the border KinekPoint you ship your package to. Some of our locations will accept tires at a flat rate and others charge by the weight of the items. To view the prices you can check out each location at http://www.kinek.com. Their profile pages will list accepted package sizes, weight, and their hours of operation. We get tons of tires from companies like TireRack.com.
James
KinekSupport
Quick question, I’m ordering US products online from Canada. The question is in regards for the billing information. Since I live in Canada, most sites requires a US address for billing and since kinek doesn’t allow shipping and billing to be use the same. How or what can I do/use for my billing address?
Hi Gerby,
Actually most US sites do not require a US billing address, only some do. This is something that you would need to work out with the retailer. I know for instance NikeID does require a US Billing address but if you make the order over the phone with them, they will take a Canadian credit card.
Do you hold shipments that are larger?, ie: heavy equipment
Some of our locations can accept pallets as they have use of a forklift. You can view this information on their Kinek profile when signed up.
I’ve logged to my account but I can’t see the info about the heavy stuff.
Hi Galaga,
You will notice the pricing in their weight categories on your KinekPoints profile. Simply log in and navigate to “View Hours & Pricing”.
Do you have a Kinek Point in Alabama? This really sounds like something that could help out the carriers and logistics companies we service
Unfortunately, we only have a few locations in Alabama at this time. This is not for our border service, but for Americans who simply not home during the day to receive packages, and want a place to safely ship their packages to.
I’m from ontario, and i want to buy a pair of shoes ranging around 1000$, or just 400$ how much would i be charged and do i need a passport to cross the border to get my stuff ??
Hi chantel,
Yes, you do need a passport to cross the border now, and our per package fee is determined by the weight of the package and which KinekPoint you send it to, not by the price of the item. On average a pair of shoes would cost $5 for a pick-up fee.