If you’re looking to buy vitamins, supplements or other natural health products, iHerb.com could be the perfect choice. The company is based in California in the US, but ships orders to over 185 countries worldwide - including Malaysia¹.
If you’re new to iHerb, read on. We’ve put together a handy guide covering everything you need to know about buying from iHerb in Malaysia. This includes shipping, how to find the right products, payment methods and much more.
We’ll even throw in a money-saving tip when paying for your iHerb purchases in Malaysian Ringgit - the Wise multi-currency account.
So, let’s get started.
It’s understandable to be a little cautious when buying from a website or company based in another country. The good news is that iHerb is a legitimate LLC which has been trading since 1996².
It claims to have over 11 million active customers and employ 4,000 workers worldwide². iHerb’s fulfilment centres are Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) registered³.
If you’re still unsure, you can always check out iHerb Malaysia reviews on sites like TrustPilot. It can be useful to find out about previous customer experiences before placing an order.
Ready to go online shopping at iHerb? Here’s how to get started:
- Go to iHerb.com
- Adjust your site preferences at the top of the page - change your shipping destination to Malaysia. You can also choose your preferred language and currency.
- Create an iHerb account, or sign in if you already have one
- Search the site for the product(s) you’re looking for
- Select your quantity and click ‘add to cart’.
- When you’re ready, complete the checkout process. You’ll need to choose a shipping method, enter your delivery and payment details, and check that you’re happy with the total cost.
- Place your order and wait for it to arrive.
You can track your iHerb order as it wings its way to you. Both carriers that iHerb uses for Malaysia shipping offer full tracking services⁴. You should receive tracking information in your confirmation email.
iHerb Malaysia accepts the following payment methods⁵:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express (AMEX)
- JCB
- UnionPay
- Maestro
- Touch ’n Go eWallet.
iHerb ships to Malaysia using one of its delivery partners, which include DHL Express and SkyNet (Rincos)⁴. Let’s take a quick look at how long shipping to Malaysia typically takes, and how much it costs.
The shipping time depends on the carrier used, and you’ll be given an estimated delivery date during checkout. Here’s the average shipping time for each provider that iHerb uses for shipping to Malaysia:
| Carrier | Delivery time | Order limits⁴ |
|---|---|---|
| SkyNet (Rincos) | 13-20 days - West Malaysia 15-25 days - East Malaysia⁷ | Max weight - 4.5kg Max order value - $115 USD |
| DHL Express | 2-7 business days⁸ | Max weight: 68kg |
The cost of shipping your order to Malaysia will depend on a number of factors. For example, the delivery destination and the order value and weight.
The shipping method and carrier will also affect the total cost. SkyNet is the standard carrier for lower weight and lower value items. But if your order exceeds these thresholds, or you want faster shipping, DHL Express is available. However, this typically comes with a much higher shipping fee⁹.
At the moment, iHerb Malaysia has free shipping available on orders over RM170⁴.
In addition to the purchase price and shipping fee, there are a couple of other costs you need to be aware of when shopping at iHerb Malaysia. These are customs charges, and currency conversion.
When you’re buying something from abroad, there’s always the chance that customs duties or import taxes will be due. This is the case with some iHerb orders.
The retailer doesn’t include any of these charges in its prices or shipping fees, so you’ll be responsible for paying them as the customer. If any customs charges are due, you’ll be billed directly by the carrier¹⁰.
Orders with a value of over $122 USD (RM500) may be subject to a Goods & Services Tax of 6%¹⁰. You can find out more about customs and import costs for Malaysia here.
If you buy from iHerb Malaysia, you can pay in MYR so no currency conversion will be needed.
But if there’s something you need that isn’t available on the iHerb Malaysia site, you might try shopping on another international site such as iHerb US. If so, just remember that if you pay in any currency other than USD, a currency conversion may be needed⁶.
This will usually be carried out by your bank or credit card provider, who will choose the exchange rate and may even charge additional fees.
If the rate is poorer than the mid-market exchange rate (the one you see on Google or currency sites like XE.com), this could make your purchase more expensive.
Luckily, there is a way around this - using the Wise multi-currency account.
Open a Wise multi-currency account and you can get the Wise international debit card. With this powerful card, you can shop on iHerb or other websites all over the world in a choice of currencies.
The beauty of this is that no currency conversion will need to be carried out by your card provider.
Wise only ever offers the mid-market exchange rate. So, you’ll be able to load up your Wise account with any 50+ available currencies, taking advantage of the fairest exchange rates around.
Then, you can shop to your heart’s content on iHerb.com in USD or any other available currency, just like a local.
Your new Wise card could save you a bundle, especially if you shop at iHerb a lot.
Sources used for this article:
Sources checked on 15.06.2022.
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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