YOU may be able to find them but you can't buy them.

That is one of the problems that some online shoppers here face whenever they try to buy from stores in the US.

Over 60 per cent of US merchants do not accept foreign credit cards. The majority also do not ship outside the country.

Even if shoppers here can order and pay for the goods, it may not be worth their while if they buy in small quantities, due to high delivery charges.

But thanks to a collaboration between Singapore Press Holdings' online portal ST701 and comGateway, consumers here now have more choices when they shop online.

For a start, the ST701-comGateway spree service (http://shops.st701.com/spree) allows shoppers in Singapore to buy from the US.

Online spreeing is a collective shopping method in which groups of consumers come together to make bulk purchases from similar merchants.

SHARE COSTS

This allows those who buy cheaper items such as T-shirts, vitamins, small leather goods and other fashion items to combine their purchases so that they share shipping charges, thus lowering the cost per item.

The ST701-comGateway spree service will make purchases on behalf of Singapore customers, and then ship the merchandise out of the US.

As it has worked out partnerships with reputable banks and credit card companies, it also provides a secure payment gateway for consumers here to make online payments.

In addition, the spree service allows shoppers to conduct spree transactions online and have their orders delivered to their doorstep.

Ms Elsie Chua, SPH's Executive Vice President (CATS Classified), said: 'There are many product lines in the US that are not available locally - brands such as Target, Old Navy, Victoria's Secret and others.

'Empowering our customers with more choices has always been one of our main preoccupations, so developing an online spree service is thus a natural step forward.'

Mr Danny Lim, comGateway's founder and executive chairman, added: 'Our long term plan is to enhance the scope of the service to allow users to shop from anywhere and ship to any location worldwide.'