Buying cards from abroad: VAT, customs duty and what it really costs

A card purchase from a country outside the EU costs more than the price in the listing. VAT is always added, no matter how small the amount, and it is calculated on the price of the item plus shipping. On top of that, the carrier charges a fee for handling customs clearance. If you only compare the listing price with the price in a shop within the EU, you are comparing two different things.

Quick facts

Within the EU customs and VAT area	No extra charges. The price is the price.
Exceptions within the EU	Some areas, such as Åland and the Canary Islands, are outside the EU VAT area. VAT is added on shipments from there.
Outside the EU	VAT is always added, regardless of the amount.
VAT is calculated on	The price of the item plus shipping, not just the item
Customs duty	Charged regardless of the value of the goods, even on small shipments. Check the current amount with the customs authority in your country.
Carrier's fee	Normally added per shipment, unless the seller has already paid it for you
United Kingdom	Counts as outside the EU

How to work out the real cost

1. Take the price of the item in the foreign currency.
2. Add the shipping. VAT is calculated on that too.
3. Convert to your own currency at the rate that applies at customs clearance, not at the time of purchase.
4. Add any customs duty.
5. Add VAT on the full amount.
6. Add the carrier's customs clearance fee, unless the seller has already paid it for you.
7. Only then compare with the price in a shop within the EU.

Step six is where most people get a surprise. The carrier's fee is usually the same whether the shipment contains one card or twenty, while VAT and any customs duty grow with the value of the goods. That makes small orders disproportionately expensive compared with larger ones.

What happens in practice

The parcel arrives in the EU	The carrier declares it to customs in your country
You get a notification	With an amount to pay before the parcel is released
You pay	VAT, any customs duty and the carrier's fee
The parcel is released	Only after payment
You don't pay	The parcel is returned, and you may end up without both the item and your money

Risks beyond the cost

• Longer delivery time. Customs clearance adds days or weeks.
• Harder to make a complaint. Consumer protection differs outside the EU.
• Returns cost money. Sending an item back across a customs border is expensive and complicated.
• Damage in transit. A longer route means more handling.
• The exchange rate moves between purchase and customs clearance.

When importing still pays off

Importing can be the right choice when the item is not available within the EU at all, when it is a single expensive card where the fee is small relative to the price, or when you combine an order so that a single customs clearance fee covers several items. It rarely pays off for cheap items, since the fixed fees then eat up the whole price difference.

If you buy within the EU, none of these steps apply. The price you see is the price you pay, and the same EU consumer protection applies as when you buy at home.

Common mistakes

• Comparing a listing price from outside the EU directly with one from a shop within the EU.
• Forgetting that VAT is also charged on shipping.
• Ordering several small shipments instead of one.
• Thinking the United Kingdom still counts as the EU.
• Not collecting the parcel, and losing both the item and the money.

Frequently asked questions

• Do I have to pay VAT on small amounts? Yes. The VAT exemption for low-value shipments has been abolished, and VAT is paid from the first cent.
• How much is customs duty on trading cards? It depends on the value of the goods and their customs classification. Duty is charged even on small shipments. Check the current amount with the customs authority in your country.
• Do I avoid fees within the EU? Yes, except from areas that belong to the EU but are outside the EU VAT area, such as Åland and the Canary Islands.
• Can the seller mark the parcel as a gift? Giving false information to customs is not allowed, and the risk is borne by you as the recipient.
• Why was the fee so high on a cheap card? The customs clearance fee doesn't get lower because the item is cheap.

Worked example

Price of the item	The price in the listing
Plus shipping	Included in the basis
Plus any customs duty	Can be charged even on low-value goods
Plus VAT	On the full sum above
Plus customs clearance fee	Fixed fee from the carrier
Total	The figure to compare with the price in a shop within the EU

If you do that calculation before you order, you avoid the surprise when the parcel is released. It is also the only comparison that tells you whether the import actually paid off.

Buying within the EU instead

Within the EU there are no customs borders for private buyers. The price you see is the price you pay, delivery goes straight through without customs clearance, and the same EU consumer protection applies wherever in the union the shop is. That makes an order from a shop within the union much simpler than one from a country outside it.

That is why many collectors in Europe buy within the EU even when a listing price outside it looks lower. Once VAT, customs duty and the customs clearance fee are included, the difference is often gone, and all that remains is a longer delivery time and a harder complaint if something goes wrong.

Read more about how cards should be packed, how to recognise genuine cards and what a card is worth.

Shop: trading cards at Bangerpack, shipped from Sweden within the EU with no customs fees.

Written by those of us who run Bangerpack. Range and prices change continuously. What applies when you read this is shown in the category.