Online shopping addicts in the Philippines usually have two go-to freight forwarders for their precious hauls: My Shopping Box and Johnny Air Cargo.These companies offer the same services: they accept your packages in the US then forward them to you here in the Philippines. But which company offers the better value? Let’s find out through the My Shopping Box versus Johnny Air Cargo ultimate comparison chart!
*Note: The MSB info comes from their website. The JAC info was given to me by their representative, Ms. Analyn, via email.
| SERVICES AND CHARGES | My Shopping Box (MSB) | Johnny Air Cargo (JAC) |
|---|---|---|
| Airfreight Class 1 (Clothes, shoes, toys, books, kitchen appliances, sporting goods, etc.) | $5.99/lb | $5.99/lb (Metro Manila) $6.49/lb (Provincial) |
| Airfreight Class 2 (consumer electronics, costume jewelry and accessories, designer handbags, electrical spare parts, precision instruments) | $8.50/lb | $6.50/lb (Metro Manila) $7.00/lb (Provincial) |
| Sea freight (all allowed products) | $2.50/lb All fragile electrical devices packed below 30 lbs chargeable weight with additional charge of $1.25/lb based on chargeable weight. All items >30 lbs are considered oversized, with extra charge of 30% of the chargeable weight | none |
| Minimum shipping charge | none | 2 lbs |
| Extra fees | none | $50 per laptop $25 per electronic item (tablets, e-readers, mp3 player, phone) $25 per other item worth $500 and above |
| Fixed fees | $25 annual subscription fee | $5 per shipment |
| Consolidation | None. Packages are individually tagged and tracked even if they arrive on the same day | None, unless the packages arrive at their office on the same day |
| Storage | 15 days free of charge, $0.20/lb/day afterwards | None. Items are shipped as soon as they arrive in their office |
| Door-to-door delivery | Included in the shipping fee | Additional charge of $5-$20. Shipping fee only includes pickup at JAC branches. |
| Delivery time for air freight | 10-12 days from their California warehouse to Manila (as per MSB) My previous order timeline: Oct 19: arrival at MSB California warehouse Oct 22: scanned into MSB system, authorized shipment Oct 31: delivery to Manila address | 5 to 7 days from New York office to Manila (as per JAC) My previous order timeline: Jan 2: arrival at JAC New Jersey office, transfer to New York office Jan 7: shipped from JAC NY office Jan 15: arrival in JAC Makati branch for pickup |
| Payment | Online via credit card when you authorize the shipment from their warehouse | Cash or credit card upon pickup at JAC branch. Charges are converted at the airline rate on the day you pick it up + 12% VAT |
| Ongoing promos (as of November 2013) | Free annual subscription when you sign up using Globe GCash American Express Virtual Pay or BDO Credit Card | The JAC website says they offer provincial door-to-door shipping for only $5 extra but Analyn didn't mention this in her email. |
Another thing to remember: the per pound shipping cost refers to chargeable shipping weight. “Chargeable shipping weight” can either be 1) the actual weight of the item or 2) the volumetric weight, whichever is larger. Volumetric weight is calculated using LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT (in inches) of the package ÷ 166. In short, a heavy book will likely be charged according to its actual weight while a stuffed toy will be charged according to the volumetric weight. If there’s a difference between the weight indicated in your package tracking information and the weight calculated by MBS and JAC, that’s because USPS, FedEx, and UPS usually display the actual weight of the package and not the volumetric weight.
Which company is for you? I’ve tried both companies and didn’t have any trouble with either of them, though it was only one shipment per company. Just take the time to calculate at least a rough figure for the shipping cost to prevent any nasty surprises when the bill comes.