Selling on Ricardo from abroad

Selling on Ricardo from abroad – overview

Private individuals from abroad cannot sell on Ricardo. Foreign business members can apply to sell items on Ricardo. This comes with a few hurdles. Below you’ll find the key information to overcome them and start selling successfully on Ricardo.

How do I get started on Ricardo?

1. Open a business account on Ricardo.
2. Enter the activation code you received by post.
3. Inform our customer service about the account activation.
4. Ricardo will complete the activation of your user account together with you.

Customer service needs the following documents to activate your account:

• Copy of an official ID (identity card or passport)
• Copy of the commercial register extract or business licence (if available)
• Information about the products you want to sell (if you don’t have an online shop)
• If you plan to sell branded products, original artworks, gold, etc., please provide proof of authenticity (e.g. invoices, delivery notes).

Please also tell us:

• Do you run a physical shop or an online shop?
• Are you already active on other platforms (e.g. your eBay username)?

DAC 7 – Reporting obligation for platform sales

DAC 7 is a European Union directive on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation. It requires operators of digital platforms to collect certain sales data and report it annually to the competent tax authorities. The aim is to increase the transparency of income generated through platform sales and to enable proper verification of existing tax obligations. For sales made on the Ricardo platform since 2023, the SMG Group is required to comply with these legal requirements. DAC 7 does not introduce a new tax and does not automatically result in additional tax liabilities.

What does this mean for you as a seller on Ricardo?

If you are resident in the EU, your transaction data will be reported annually to the tax authorities if, within a calendar year, you reach at least one of the following thresholds:

• Sales value: your total consideration for sales on Ricardo reaches or exceeds EUR 2,000 (or the equivalent in CHF) after deducting fees, commissions and taxes.
• Number of transactions: 30 or more sales transactions (cancelled transactions are excluded).

The consideration includes the full amount you receive for sales, including shipping costs and taxes such as VAT. Amounts retained by Ricardo (e.g. fees), as well as cancellations, returns and deleted orders, are not included.

Reporting process

As Ricardo AG has no registered office in Germany, SMG Swiss Marketplace Group GmbH (Berlin, Germany) reports the relevant data to the German Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) on behalf of Ricardo AG. If you are resident in another EU Member State, the German tax authorities will forward your information to the competent authority in your country of residence.

Information that is reported

For private sellers (including sole proprietors):

• First and last name, main address, date of birth (if no tax ID/TIN is provided)
• Tax Identification Number (TIN) and VAT ID (if applicable)
• Total amount credited or paid to you per quarter, net of fees, refunds and taxes collected by Ricardo
• Total number of transactions
• Bank account number and account holder’s name

For legal entities:

• Company name, main address, business registration number
• Tax Identification Number (TIN) and VAT ID (if applicable)
• Total amount credited or paid to you per quarter, net of fees, refunds and taxes collected by Ricardo
• Total number of transactions
• Bank account number and account holder’s name

What should I consider when setting the sales price?

On Ricardo, sales prices are shown in Swiss francs (CHF). Please note that the smallest payable amount is CHF 0.05.

We therefore recommend including all costs associated with delivery to Switzerland in your sales price. This requires working with a shipping partner (recommendation: DPD) who invoices customs, VAT and handling fees to you (the seller), not the buyer.

How are customs duties, VAT and clearance fees calculated?*

Shipments from abroad to Switzerland are subject to customs duties, VAT and a forwarding agent’s handling fee. The de minimis threshold determines whether customs and VAT are due. Charges are only payable if the respective amount is CHF 5.00 or more.

1. Customs duties: calculated based on the product and weight. You can check the customs tariffs here.
2. VAT: calculated on the goods value (including transport costs and any customs/handling fees). The VAT rate is 7.7% or 2.5% depending on the product. Import without VAT applies up to:
   • shipments with a total value up to CHF 65 (at a 7.7% VAT rate)
   • shipments with a total value up to CHF 200 (at a 2.5% VAT rate)
3. Forwarder handling fee: varies by shipping partner.

* All information without guarantee, as of 01.03.2015

Which criteria must your shipping partner meet for delivery to Switzerland?

Important: Your partner should meet the following criteria:

• Swiss VAT, customs duties and forwarding fees are invoiced to you (the seller), not to the buyer.
• A professional and simple returns process is ensured — including for Swiss buyers.

This is the only way to ensure professional delivery to Switzerland and high customer satisfaction.

Ricardo’s shipping partner recommendation for professional delivery*
As a foreign merchant, you can rely on DPD for shipping and customs procedures. DPD offers the option that the sender covers all customs and VAT charges (offer: DPD classic with DDP). This allows full price transparency and you can include all fees in the sales price or shipping costs without unexpected charges for Swiss buyers. DPD is also a competent partner for your returns management. Get advice if needed.

Contact DPD

Other options: For regular shipments to Switzerland, we recommend bulk transport with individual shipping within Switzerland.

* All information without guarantee

What should I consider for returns management?

Unlike in the EU, there is no 14-day right of return in Switzerland. Nevertheless, a clear returns policy is an important trust factor, especially for foreign sellers. Please define the returns handling together with your logistics partner.

What should I consider when setting payment methods?

Important: The sales price must be shown in Swiss francs (CHF). Transactions in euros or other currencies are not possible on Ricardo.

Offer the buyer a CHF payment option. With the “bank/post transfer” method you can provide a foreign bank account in CHF. We recommend that the seller bears the transaction fees. If that’s not possible, please disclose any fees in the listing description.

You can also define your own payment methods under “as described”. Note that some methods (e.g. PayPal) are not yet as widespread in Switzerland as in other countries.

What should I pay special attention to in the listing description?

In addition to an accurate product description, foreign sellers should also include information on customs duties, VAT and returns. This creates trust and reduces purchase barriers.

Note: Unlike on eBay, it’s not permitted on Ricardo to provide contact details or an imprint.

Example in the listing description:

Shipping & Service
* Fast shipping with DPD
* No additional fees for you (customs, VAT, etc.)
* 2-year warranty
* In case of a claim, free pick-up by DPD