iHerb vs. Vitacost: A Recent Comparison

[ChumpChange]

Many years ago, I frequently ordered products from iHerb and had them delivered to me in Thailand. At the time, they offered excellent value, charging just $10 for shipping with up to 3.5 pounds of products. However, iHerb eventually stopped shipping to Thailand, stating too many lost packages as the reason.

 

When iHerb discontinued delivery to Thailand, I switched to Vitacost. Vitacost offered a similar fixed shipping rate, around $12–$13 for small packages weighing a few pounds. I continued ordering from Vitacost for a while, even after iHerb resumed shipping to Thailand. But by then, iHerb’s shipping fees had increased significantly, so sticking with Vitacost seemed like the better option.

 

But then a few weeks ago, I discovered that iHerb no longer charges shipping fees to Thailand for orders of at least $45. Even for smaller orders, their shipping fees are now minimal, often just a few dollars. This is because iHerb now warehouses their products in South Korea and ships them regionally from there. Orders from iHerb are delivered to Thailand via Flash Express, also significantly improving delivery speed.

 

For example, my last order from Vitacost took three weeks to arrive in Thailand. In contrast, orders from iHerb now arrive within a week due to their proximity in South Korea. Additionally, iHerb simplifies the VAT process by including a small fee at checkout, which eliminates the need to pay VAT upon delivery.

 

With Vitacost, I had to pay a 63 Baht VAT fee when my package arrived. Since I wasn’t available to pay the delivery person, the package was sent back to the post office and redelivered the next day, an extra hassle iHerb effectively avoids.

 

Another advantage of iHerb is their pricing and brand availability. While I primarily ordered Vitacost’s house-brand products because they were more affordable, they also often lacked in having high enough potency on some products. By contrast, iHerb offers lower prices and well-known brands like NOW Foods. This means I can order higher-quality products with better potencies for the same price I used to spend on Vitacost’s house brand.

 

For instance, on my last iHerb order this week, I managed to get three comparable items for the same price it usually cost me to get only two similar items from Vitacost. That shows you how much higher some of the prices can be on Vitacost. 

 

Given the faster delivery, lower shipping costs, VAT prepayment, better product selection, and more competitive pricing, iHerb has now just become the far better choice for me compared to Vitacost on deliveries of vitamins and health supplements to Thailand. 

[Paul52]

9 hours ago, ChumpChange said:

Many years ago, I frequently ordered products from iHerb and had them delivered to me in Thailand.

iHerb are good, but I do find it annoying that they’ll only let you order three items per shipment.  This might possibly be a Flash Express restriction.  When they shipped by Thai Post there was a weight restriction but no limit on the number of items.  I preferred the Thai Post shipping option.  Shame it got cancelled.  I now have to do multiple orders instead of one order which often works out more expensive for shipping.

[donmuang37]

I use iHerb because they are drop dead reliable and very convenient. I think the 3 item limit is because they've worked an agreement with Thai Customs.  Works for me! 

[GammaGlobulin]

4 hours ago, donmuang37 said:

I use iHerb because they are drop dead reliable and very convenient. I think the 3 item limit is because they've worked an agreement with Thai Customs.  Works for me! 

 

After reading, for years, good reviews concerning iHerb, here on TV....

I will be giving this company a try....maybe next month.

 

I will order no more than 3 items.

 

And....now...am I here.....

Hoping for the best.

 

I no longer am willing to trust "local" online retailers, such as.....

You know the...Usual Suspects....

Right?

 

a.  I will do my best to always buy from Amazon USA for stuff.

b. I will try iHerb for the very few supplements that I might need.

 

 

 

[ericbj]

I have been using iHerb for many years and have found them fast and reliable.

 

One factor that further cemented my loyalty to them was when, some years ago, I heard a nutritionist say that iHerb have the products independently analysed before they will offer them for sale.

 

Not for effectiveness.  That would be highly challenging.  But to ensure that the quantities of active ingredients correspond with the claims of the manufacturer.

 

The informant said they were the only supplier he knew of that did this; that products that failed to meet the manufacturers specs were rejected; and that a few products contained zero quantity of the claimed active ingredients.

[ChumpChange]

On 1/13/2025 at 1:26 PM, Paul52 said:

iHerb are good, but I do find it annoying that they’ll only let you order three items per shipment.  This might possibly be a Flash Express restriction.  When they shipped by Thai Post there was a weight restriction but no limit on the number of items.  I preferred the Thai Post shipping option.  Shame it got cancelled.  I now have to do multiple orders instead of one order which often works out more expensive for shipping.

 

It might have cost you a bit more in shipping, but likely less overall. If the order value exceeds $45, you’ll also need to pay import duties, which could be significantly higher than the extra shipping cost. To clarify, I’m not talking about VAT, which you’ll have to pay regardless. I’m referring to additional import duties that are applied if the package’s value exceeds 1,500 Baht. Possibly in the range of an additional 25% in duties. 

[ChumpChange]

On 1/14/2025 at 2:03 AM, ericbj said:

I heard a nutritionist say that iHerb have the products independently analysed before they will offer them for sale.

Yes, I believe that's correct. They also have the following notice on their website on every product, together with an expiry date for the product so that you know how long the product will be good for before you buy it:

 

100% authentic

Products available at iHerb are sourced directly from brands or authorized distributors in the United States. They are stored and shipped directly from our climate-controlled, GMP-certified warehouses. iHerb does not allow 3rd-party resellers on its web site or mobile apps.

[UWEB]

3 hours ago, ChumpChange said:

 

It might have cost you a bit more in shipping, but likely less overall. If the order value exceeds $45, you’ll also need to pay import duties, which could be significantly higher than the extra shipping cost. To clarify, I’m not talking about VAT, which you’ll have to pay regardless. I’m referring to additional import duties that are applied if the package’s value exceeds 1,500 Baht. Possibly in the range of an additional 25% in duties. 

That's outdated Information, you have to pay Import duties on all Goods now.

[UWEB]

On 1/13/2025 at 1:26 PM, Paul52 said:

iHerb are good, but I do find it annoying that they’ll only let you order three items per shipment.  This might possibly be a Flash Express restriction.  When they shipped by Thai Post there was a weight restriction but no limit on the number of items.  I preferred the Thai Post shipping option.  Shame it got cancelled.  I now have to do multiple orders instead of one order which often works out more expensive for shipping.

I've talked to IHerb and they confirmed that these a restrictions from Flash. They have chosen Flash as they are the only Delivery Service in Thailand who are providing DDP Service.

[save the frogs]

On 1/12/2025 at 3:32 PM, ChumpChange said:

This is because iHerb now warehouses their products in South Korea and ships them regionally from there.

maybe from Hong Kong even, but not sure. 

 

[CallumWK]

2 hours ago, UWEB said:

That's outdated Information, you have to pay Import duties on all Goods now.

 

Can you elaborate on the import duties please? Are they included in the order total?

[UWEB]

10 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

Can you elaborate on the import duties please? Are they included in the order total?

Yes, DDP Deliveries includes all like costs of Shipment, VAT and possible Import Duties. That's the reason why Flash was chosen to deliver direct to your home. However, you can order max 3 pieces only regardless of value or weight. If you like to order more you have to place another Order.

[CallumWK]

36 minutes ago, UWEB said:

Yes, DDP Deliveries includes all like costs of Shipment, VAT and possible Import Duties. That's the reason why Flash was chosen to deliver direct to your home. However, you can order max 3 pieces only regardless of value or weight. If you like to order more you have to place another Order.

 

Thanks I found that out in the mean time.

Maximum 3 pieces is a setback of course. Wanted to order Centrum Silver adult vitamin, and when I entered the order for 3 pcs, there is a message that an additional discount applies with 4pcs, only that you can't order 4pcs lol.

BTW, found them cheaper on Shopee.

570 baht for 90 tablets on Shopee vs 512 baht (after 20% discount first order + fees) for 80 tablets on iHerb

 

 

[SS1]

I've been very annoyed with the new VAT/duty prepayment on iHerb. Previously, they used to include a "local post plus" service which gave the recipient the responsibility of paying their tax. However, during the past 10 years I was never taxed on a single package. So in practice, the tax pre-payment is now just a direct extra cost on top making ordering from iHerb a lot more expensive than what it was before. 

 

The "free shipping" is also a total gimmick. When you get free shipping, a similar amount is just added as "tax & duties" instead. On top of this, Flash Express doesn't accept certain products like Melatonin, so ordering them is no longer an option, and they have low maximum quantity/weight limits. 

 

I have found that for some items (not all though), shopping on Lazada/Shopee is actually cheaper these days. 

[save the frogs]

1 hour ago, SS1 said:

shopping on Lazada/Shopee is actually cheaper these days. 

are there any physical stores that have a good supply of western brand supplements in thailand? 

 

[SS1]

16 hours ago, save the frogs said:

are there any physical stores that have a good supply of western brand supplements in thailand? 

 

I'm not sure, but I have seen some stalls in shopping malls stocking e.g. most of the "NOW Foods" supplements. I'd expect the prices to be higher than online though. 

[ChumpChange]

On 1/15/2025 at 8:26 AM, UWEB said:

That's outdated Information, you have to pay Import duties on all Goods now.

Ive placed 3 different orders with iHerb recently. In all cases, I was only charged VAT of less than 100 Baht each time, and it was also indicated on the iHerb website at checkout that it was a charge for VAT. No mention at all of any import duties.

[ChumpChange]

On 1/15/2025 at 4:21 PM, save the frogs said:

are there any physical stores that have a good supply of western brand supplements in thailand? 

 

In general, I would avoid it. Considering that the median temperature in Thailand is usually over 30°C, this exceeds the recommended storage temperature for most vitamins. If you check the labels on most vitamin and health supplement bottles, you’ll often find warnings about proper storage temperatures.

 

Moreover, supplements may spend long periods in non-air-conditioned warehouses before reaching stores, where they can be exposed to even higher temperatures than those outdoors. Even in retail shops, supplements might be subjected to extreme heat after hours when air conditioning is turned off.

 

For these reasons, I order all my vitamins and health supplements from overseas and transfer them to the fridge as soon as they arrive.

[CallumWK]

How do promotions on Iherb work?

Currently at the top of the page it states 20% discount on multivitamin, but no code is displayed.

Adding an item to the cart also no discount is applied

[ChumpChange]

On 1/21/2025 at 3:59 PM, CallumWK said:

How do promotions on Iherb work?

Currently at the top of the page it states 20% discount on multivitamin, but no code is displayed.

Adding an item to the cart also no discount is applied

Can search for discount codes on RetailMeNot. 

[ChumpChange]

On 1/21/2025 at 3:59 PM, CallumWK said:

How do promotions on Iherb work?

Currently at the top of the page it states 20% discount on multivitamin, but no code is displayed.

Adding an item to the cart also no discount is applied

I believe the code is 25JANHB. Try that.