Consolidate Your Orders: Why Four Small Parcels Cost More Than One Big One
By George · updated 2026-09-30 · worked examples checked against the Bahamas Tariff Act (schedule version 2026-2027)
One way to lower Bahamian import costs needs no paperwork and no concession: send fewer, larger shipments. It works because the customs processing fee has a minimum, and the minimum is charged per entry.
How it works
Every entry pays 1% of its value as a processing fee, with a $10 minimum. Below $1,000 the minimum always applies, so a $50 entry and a $900 entry both pay $10. Split an order into four parcels and you pay it four times.
Duty and VAT don't change, because they're percentages and it makes no difference how the goods are divided up. Only the fixed fee is repeated, so what you save by consolidating is the extra minimums plus the VAT on them.
The numbers
20% duty goods (clothing, shoes, toys), $200 in total:
- Four separate $50 entries: $108 in total import charges
- One $200 entry: $75
- Saving: $33, or 16.5% of the order value
Duty-free goods, $100 in total:
- Four separate $25 entries: $54
- One $100 entry: $21
- Saving: $33, or 33% of the order value
The saving is the same in dollars both times, but much larger as a percentage on the duty-free goods. The lower the duty rate, the more consolidation matters, because the fixed fee is a bigger share of a smaller bill.
How to do it
The practical way is a Florida forwarder that offers consolidation. You have everything shipped to your Florida address as you buy it, the forwarder holds the parcels, and you release them as one shipment when you choose.
- Pick a schedule and keep to it. Monthly suits most regular shoppers, and every three months works for predictable things like diapers or pet food.
- Group by when you need things, not by store. The only reason to break up a consolidation is needing something now.
- Check storage limits. Most forwarders store parcels free for a while and charge after that. Holding parcels past that point can cost more than you save.
- Keep the invoices together. Clearing a consolidated entry yourself on Click2Clear is straightforward, but every item still needs its value and tariff code.
When it doesn't help
- Entries over $1,000. Above that the minimum no longer applies and the fee is a flat 1% either way, so combining two $2,000 entries saves nothing on fees.
- Freight billed by volume. If your forwarder charges by volume, boxing bulky items together may not lower the freight, and duty and VAT both apply to freight.
- Storage fees that are higher than the saving.
- Anything you need this week.
Related: the processing fee in detail and why VAT is charged on more than the price. To compare a split order with a combined one, run both through the calculator.