Catawiki fees for gemstones: what you really pay above the hammer price
The buyer protection fee, seller-set shipping, Swiss VAT, duty rules for loose stones and carrier charges, with two worked examples for a Swiss buyer at €1,000 and €5,000.
On Catawiki, a gemstone costs the winning bid plus a buyer protection fee of 9% and €3, plus the shipping charge the seller has set. A buyer in Switzerland also pays Swiss VAT at 8.1%, which Catawiki says it collects at checkout whatever the final bid; loose stones should normally enter Switzerland duty-free, but the carrier may still bill handling fees. On our worked assumptions, a €1,000 winning bid becomes about €1,206 before any carrier fees.
What does Catawiki charge buyers on top of the winning bid?
The main addition is the buyer protection fee. Catawiki's help centre sets it at 9% of the final bid plus a fixed €3 (a €100 bid carries a €12 fee), VAT included where applicable. Shipping is not part of the calculation. Its Buyer Terms, valid from 15 September 2026, describe the 9% and the €3 as the usual level and say the fixed part can differ by object type or estimated price, so the object page has the final word.
Bids are binding, payment is due within 3 days of the auction closing, and the fee remains payable even if an order is cancelled for non-payment.
Who sets the shipping cost for a gemstone?
The seller does. Catawiki says sellers must set shipping costs for all supported countries when they list an object, and that the cost is shown at checkout alongside the final bid and the buyer protection fee. According to Catawiki, the charge generally covers the carrier's fee, packaging and in-transit protection, and it is paid through Catawiki together with the bid. If the charge looks high, Catawiki suggests asking the seller what it covers. Where the stone ships from also matters, because it decides which import rules below apply.
Do Swiss buyers pay import VAT on Catawiki gemstones?
Yes, but at checkout rather than at the door. Since 1 January 2025, the Swiss VAT Act (Art. 20a) has treated an electronic platform that brings buyer and seller together as the supplier of the goods, according to the Federal Tax Administration (ESTV). Catawiki's help centre says that for a buyer located in Switzerland it collects import tax at checkout on a final bid of any value, whether the seller is private or professional and wherever the seller is based, and passes it to the tax authority. Catawiki also warns that carrier handling charges or duties can still arise when the parcel enters the country, and that these sit outside the Catawiki payment unless stated otherwise.
When VAT is collected at the border instead
Where an online auction or seller does not collect Swiss VAT, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) charges 8.1% on the assessment basis: the price paid plus all costs to the Swiss destination and any import duties. Foreign currency is converted at the previous trading day's selling rate. Tax amounts up to CHF 5 are not levied, which at 8.1% corresponds to a basis of about CHF 62. Carriers add their own clearance fees, over which BAZG has no influence. Swiss Post, for example, publishes a fee of CHF 13 for parcels from the EU (CHF 16 from other countries), plus 3% of the goods value including shipping and duties, capped at CHF 70, all excluding VAT.
Is there customs duty on loose gemstones?
In the World Customs Organization's Harmonized System, loose diamonds fall under heading 7102 and other precious and semi-precious stones under 7103, both in chapter 71. BAZG states that Switzerland abolished industrial tariffs on goods in chapters 25 to 97 on 1 January 2024, and SECO confirms that VAT remains. Loose stones should therefore normally enter duty-free; for a binding answer on a specific item, check the Tares customs tariff. Buyers in the EU, by contrast, pay customs fees on Catawiki purchases only when the seller ships from outside the EU or a special tax territory, according to Catawiki.
Worked examples: a Swiss buyer at €1,000 and €5,000
Assumptions, for illustration only:
- Buyer located in Switzerland; seller ships from the EU.
- Buyer protection fee at the standard 9% + €3.
- Seller-set shipping of €30.
- Swiss VAT collected by Catawiki at 8.1% on bid plus shipping. Catawiki does not publish the Swiss calculation basis; we follow the structure of its own Italian example, which adds shipping to the bid.
- No customs duty (chapter 71); carrier handling fees not included.
- Exchange rate assumed at €1 = CHF 0.93. Check the rate on the day.
Example 1: €1,000 winning bid
- Buyer protection fee: 9% × €1,000 = €90, plus €3 = €93.
- Shipping: €30.
- VAT: 8.1% × (€1,000 + €30) = 8.1% × €1,030 = €83.43.
- Total at checkout: €1,000 + €93 + €30 + €83.43 = €1,206.43, or about CHF 1,121.98 at the assumed rate.
- Cost above the hammer price: €206.43, or 20.6%.
Example 2: €5,000 winning bid
- Buyer protection fee: 9% × €5,000 = €450, plus €3 = €453.
- Shipping: €30.
- VAT: 8.1% × €5,030 = €407.43.
- Total at checkout: €5,000 + €453 + €30 + €407.43 = €5,890.43, or about CHF 5,478.10.
- Cost above the hammer price: €890.43, or 17.8%.
If the same €5,030 were instead taxed at the border, the basis would be €5,030 × 0.93 = CHF 4,677.90 and the VAT 8.1% × CHF 4,677.90 = CHF 378.91. On Swiss Post's tariff the clearance fee would be CHF 13 + 3% × CHF 4,677.90 = CHF 153.34, capped at CHF 70 plus VAT.
A useful rule of thumb follows from the same assumptions: total = 1.171 × bid + €3 + 1.081 × shipping. Turned around, a buyer with a €2,000 budget and €30 shipping should cap the bid at about €1,677.
Set your maximum bid from the total you are prepared to pay, never from the hammer price.
Auction or fixed price: which costs more?
Neither is cheaper by default. An auction can close below what a dealer would ask, and Catawiki offers real safeguards: payment is held and released to the seller up to 3 days after delivery, its experts review lots before sale, and its gemstone guidelines require a full certificate from an approved laboratory. The trade-off is that the final total is unknown until the lot closes, the fee and VAT sit on top of the bid, and a bid cannot be taken back.
A fixed-price purchase works the other way round: you know the full cost before you commit and can ask questions without a closing clock, but you give up the chance of a bargain. Either way, run through our checklist for buying gemstones at online auctions and verify the lab report before money changes hands.
If you prefer a known total, our gemstone collection lists every stone at a fixed price with its laboratory, report number and treatment status; the background is set out on our certification and treatments page. You can request a quotation or ask a question on WhatsApp from any product page, or contact us directly.
This article describes published fees and tax rules and applies them to hypothetical examples with stated assumptions. Fees, rates and exchange rates change, and your own charges may differ. It is general information, not investment, tax or legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Catawiki buyer protection fee?
Catawiki's help centre sets it at 9% of the final bid plus a fixed €3, VAT included where applicable. Its Buyer Terms say the fixed part can vary by object type or estimated price, so check the object page.
Is shipping included in the Catawiki fee?
No. Catawiki calculates the fee on the final bid only; shipping is set by the seller and added separately at checkout.
Do I pay Swiss import VAT on a Catawiki gemstone?
Catawiki says it collects import tax at checkout for buyers located in Switzerland on a final bid of any value. The Swiss VAT rate on imported goods is 8.1%, according to BAZG; carrier handling fees may still be billed on arrival.
Is there customs duty on loose gemstones imported into Switzerland?
Loose gemstones are classified in chapter 71, and BAZG says industrial tariffs on chapters 25 to 97 were abolished on 1 January 2024, so duty should normally be zero. VAT still applies; check Tares for a binding classification.
