Overview of Descartes e-Customs™ pricing

A clear overview of customs software costs and our pricing to support your decision-making. See how the right solution can save time, reduce risk, and ensure compliance.

Cost considerations when choosing a customs management solution

When choosing a customs management solution, it's important to consider key cost factors. These include infrastructure, available modules, user licenses, and other expenses. Understanding these elements will help you select the most effective and affordable option for your business.

Fixed Setup Costs

Like any digital platform, a customs and regulatory compliance solution typically involves upfront costs. These may include software setup, integration with your existing systems, and consultancy fees to maximize the platform’s effectiveness.

Base Platform Fee

Most digital platforms, including customs and regulatory compliance solutions, involve initial fees. These may cover software setup, integration with existing systems, and consultancy to ensure optimal use of the platform.

Modules

Advanced customs and compliance platforms, such as Descartes e-Customs, are built to grow with your business. You don’t need all features immediately; additional capabilities can be added as your operations and processes expand.

Volumes of Declarations/Messages

Costs may depend on the number of declarations or messages processed through the system. It’s important to confirm if volume-based fees or extra charges for peak periods apply to avoid unexpected expenses.

Training

A key to successful platform adoption is ensuring users fully understand its capabilities. Descartes e-Customs offers built-in, self-service training modules.

Users

User licensing typically impacts the cost of a customs and compliance solution. Pricing may be based on the total number of individual user logins or the number of concurrent users accessing the system simultaneously. Descartes e-Customs uses a concurrent user model to provide flexibility during shifts and seasonal peaks.

Support and Maintenance Fees

Support and updates may involve extra costs. These are often included in standard subscriptions, while premium plans can offer extended hours for an additional fee.

How is Descartes e-Customs priced?

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution; our modules are designed to suit businesses of all sizes and complexities. Your subscription cost depends on your specific needs, which can be grouped into three main categories:

1. The modules you need.
2. Your committed monthly declaration volume.
3. The number of concurrent users accessing the system.

We’ll first outline the key pricing elements to clarify cost drivers, then detail Descartes e-Customs pricing options to tailor the solution to your business.

Core Capabilities and Enhanced Options

Core Module

The Core module is the essential foundation for accessing the software and running additional modules, but it’s far from basic. It includes everything needed for customs clearance operations.

With Core, you gain access to:

• Imports – Works with all import declaration types.
• Exports – Offers all export message types.
• New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) – Start or finish your transit movements under Authorised Consignor and/or Authorised Consignee using Simplified Procedures or under the Normal Procedure.

Duty Management
Duty Management modules offer ways to suspend or reduce duty payments. The right choice depends on your needs, and a customs advisor can guide you.

Modules in this category include:

• Customs Warehouse Management – Manage bonded and free circulation stock with smart stock selection, receipts, removals, declarations, and document creation. Integrate seamlessly with your existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Warehouse Management System (WMS).
• Excise Warehouse Management – Similar to customs warehouse management but focused on excise duty suspended stock.
• Descartes Customs Inward Processing Relief (IPR) – Streamlines online management of IPR authorizations through an intuitive user interface. (Outward Processing Relief (OPR) also available on request)

The Descartes Volumes Model

Committed Volumes + Overages: Committed volumes provide predictable monthly costs with competitive pricing. Overages prevent hard limits when you exceed volumes, but frequent overages may mean it’s better to increase your commitment. Line items on a declaration (up to 99) don’t consume extra volume.

Volumes Shared Across Modules: Messaging volumes are generally pooled across modules, so you only need to ensure your total volume covers all operations. Exceptions include Customs Warehousing Removals and Non-GB Import Control System (ICS) Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) messages, which require separate counts.

Users – Concurrent Max Usage: User limits are based on concurrent usage (how many users are logged in simultaneously), offering flexibility for shift work. Users are added to the core module and can access all other modules.

How does Descartes customs filing pricing work?

Descartes offers a true SaaS platform with no server or hosting fees and no virtual private network (VPN) requirements. Users benefit from 24/7 customs expertise support, extensive self-paced training, and online help.

The platform also features a Standard API for smooth integration with existing systems, focusing on customs workflows designed for efficient, accurate, and straightforward compliance.

Base Platform

• Starting from €200 per month
• Set-up fee of €800 + VAT
• Includes the Core module
• Base user/volume package

Optional Extras

Additional Users

• €66 monthly per user.
• Based on concurrent usage to allow for flexibility in shifts.
• Users shared across all modules.

Modules

• €170 - €1050 per month
• Duty Management

Volume

• Tiered pricing structure with discounts available for committed volumes.
• Volumes shared across message types and modules, except for customs warehousing.

Professional Services

• Tailored to meet the needs of more complex projects.
• Integrated support
• Project management
• Support with transferring existing data.

Request a custom price for your volumes

See a price designed to fit your unique needs. Request your personalised quote today.

Customs Declarations Calculator

Try our online calculator by answering just a few questions we will be able to calculate the percentage range of your potential savings from your current declaration price.

Total number of declarations per month?
50 100 200 350 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000+

Total number of transits per month?
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 50% 75% 100%

Average additional lines per declaration?
0 5 10 20 30 40 50 65 75 85 99

% of declarations with additional lines?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Current price per declaration?

Current price per additional line?

Current price per transit?

Your savings could be

Like to know more about your potential cost savings?

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*The online Return on Investment (ROI) calculator provided on this website is intended solely for informational and illustrative purposes. It is designed to offer a general estimation of potential savings based on the inputs provided by the user. However, please be aware of the following: By using the online ROI calculator, you acknowledge and accept the limitations of the tool and agree to use its results for informational purposes only. You also understand that the calculator is not a substitute for professional advice. The operators of this website disclaim any liability for decisions made based on the calculator's results.