Pricing

One formula,
in the same order, everywhere.

Every landed cost on this site, in the quote console, on the invoice and in the order book is computed from one formula in one order. If those figures ever disagree, something has broken — which is why a fixture order is checked by four implementations before any release.

The one number to protect

Fixture order SB-4471 is computed independently by the document generator, the browser console, the operations console and the customer dashboard, and must return CHF 2 886.41 in all four. The order book returns CHF 2 885.91: the 50 centimes are deliberate, because the workbook estimates chargeable weight from item dimensions before packing while the others measure the cartons after.

The order of operations

Seven lines,
always the same seven.

Read top to bottom. Each line is computed from the one above it, which is why the order matters as much as the rates: a service fee charged on the gross rather than the net would quietly overcharge every order on the site.

Goods, Swiss retailThe price on the Swiss retailer's own page, including 8.1% Swiss VAT.
Less Swiss VAT (8.1%)Reclaimed on export and credited back to you. This is a reduction, not a discount we grant.
= Net declared valueThe figure that appears on the commercial invoice and that duty is assessed against.
+ Service fee10 / 8 / 6 / 5% by band on the net value, minimum CHF 20.
+ HandlingOnly what you selected: inspection, photo report, consolidation, gift wrap, priority purchase, certificate of origin.
+ FreightBase charge plus chargeable kilos at the destination rate, with the long-haul taper applied.
+ DutyThe destination rate, on the CIF or FOB basis that destination uses.
+ Destination taxVAT, GST, consumption tax or the local equivalent, at the published rate.
= Total landed, DDPDelivered, duties paid. Nothing is collected from you on arrival.

The service fee

Banded, on the net
value, minimum CHF 20.

The fee is charged on the net declared value — the Swiss retail price after the 8.1% VAT has been taken off — not on the gross. On a small order the CHF 20 minimum dominates; above roughly CHF 250 the band rate does. On most orders over CHF 1 500 the VAT we reclaim and credit back to you is larger than the fee itself.

Up to CHF 50010% of net goods value, minimum CHF 20
CHF 500 – 2 0008% of net goods value
CHF 2 000 – 5 0006% of net goods value
Above CHF 5 0005% of net goods value
What it coversSourcing, purchase with a Swiss card, receipt and inspection at Crissier, export clearance, the commercial invoice and the VAT reclaim. Freight, duty and destination tax are passed through at cost.

What is not margin

Freight and duty
are passed through.

Air freight is charged on the greater of actual and volumetric weight, which is why a wheel of cheese and a wristwatch of the same value ship at very different prices. We quote the carrier rate we pay, with the base charge and per-kilo rate shown separately on the destination file. Duty and destination tax are the published rates, applied on the CIF or FOB basis that destination uses.

Chargeable weightThe greater of actual weight and volume ÷ 5 000. Excess cardboard is removed before the parcel is weighed, which frequently moves an order into a lower band.
Duty basisCIF where the destination taxes goods plus freight and insurance; FOB where it taxes the goods alone. The basis is shown on every country file and is what the quote uses.
CurrencyQuoted and invoiced in CHF. The foreign-currency figure next to the total is indicative, at the rate on the day of quotation.
If the price movesWe re-check the rate on the morning of purchase. If it falls, the difference is refunded. If it rises on an order already paid, we absorb it.

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