COVID-19 travel restrictions disrupted the core traveler-delivery model, and Backpack temporarily shifted business toward cargo shipping before returning to the original model.
SourceMarketplace to get stuff from overseas
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Backpack is a peer-to-peer cross-border shopping marketplace that lets shoppers buy hard-to-find products from overseas stores and have travelers deliver them, with escrow-based payments and a traveler guarantee.
Primary product
Peer-to-peer cross-border shopping and traveler-delivery marketplace for overseas products
Founded
2014
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, United States
Team size
11-50
Industry
Technology, Information and Internet
Sub-industry
Cross-border e-commerce marketplace
Offices
0 jobs at Backpack
Check back later for new openings
Business model
Stage
Seed
Total raised
$225K
Latest round
Seed · Nov 2019
Leadership
Founder / CEO
Founder / CTO (Advisory)
Head of Global Operations
Head-Business Development
Head of Human Resources Operations
Mission-driven and trust-heavy, with a strong emphasis on authentic products, low-friction global commerce, fraud prevention, and customer support.
Pricing
Customers pay the product cost plus a traveler fee and Backpack service/escrow fees; the company’s FAQ says fees average about 17% and generally do not exceed 21%.
Differentiators
Technology
Customers
Competitors
Estimated revenue
$1M-$10M
Estimated monthly visits
21.1K
Traffic estimate as of Jun 2026
COVID-19 travel restrictions disrupted the core traveler-delivery model, and Backpack temporarily shifted business toward cargo shipping before returning to the original model.
SourceBackpack tightened its referral and credit system after fraud abuse, limiting Backpack credit to 50% of payment and requiring verification of phone number, email, and real name; the blog says it reserved the right to manually cancel suspected fraud accounts.
SourceThe company faced competitive pressure from Facebook Marketplace and similar local buying/selling channels, which were cited as substitutes for some customer needs.
SourceSubstack · Mar 2025
Opinion-style piece that argues BackpackBang lost momentum over time, citing declining traffic and product neglect; useful as a secondary signal, not a primary authority.
SignalBase · Aug 2024
Claims a new funding round for Backpack and frames the company as a cross-border shopping platform; this is a lower-confidence third-party report.
The Business Standard · Oct 2023
Explains how Backpack and Air Bringr adapted after pandemic disruptions and discusses competition from Facebook Marketplace and other local channels.