Swiss Customs: Duty Calculator

What does that shopping trip to Germany, France, Italy or Austria actually cost? Grenzhelfer works it out before you reach the border.

THE VALUE ALLOWANCE, CALCULATED PROPERLY
Every traveller gets 150 francs per day, children and infants included. One franc over and VAT applies to the whole of the goods that count, not just the excess. Grenzhelfer shows you that jump before it happens.

QUANTITY ALLOWANCES BY CATEGORY
Meat, butter and oil count per person per day. Alcohol and tobacco count only for travellers aged 17 and over. Duty is charged only on the amount over the limit, not on everything. For alcohol the strength matters; for tobacco, the category you declare.

CAR SHARING: ONE BASKET FOR EVERYONE IN THE CAR
The host sets the shopping country and the number of travellers, then shares a code. Everyone in the car types it in and adds their items to the same basket, so all passengers' value allowances count together. The phones connect directly to each other, so Wi-Fi has to be switched on, but no network and no signal are needed.

QUICK ENTRY
Type the amount on the number pad or scan the barcode. Product data comes from Open Food Facts.

FOREIGN VAT REFUND
Tag each item with its receipt and Grenzhelfer tells you which one reaches the minimum threshold. That threshold applies per till receipt, not per visit. A refund does not change the Swiss calculation.

RATE IN FRANCS
Euro amounts are converted to francs automatically. If the rate is too old the app warns you, and you can set it by hand.

WORKS WITHOUT A SIGNAL
The calculation runs offline, in the shop and in the car park.

GRENZHELFER PLUS
Hosting a car share, scanning receipts, the unlimited trip archive, the widget and the Live Activity are part of Grenzhelfer Plus, the paid upgrade. Joining a car share is free.

IMPORTANT
Grenzhelfer is a planning aid, not an official tool. All amounts are guide values without guarantee; only the FOCBS is binding. The actual declaration and payment happen in the official app of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, or at the customs desk. Grenzhelfer is an independent product with no connection to the Swiss Confederation.