Common calculator errors and how to interpret them
The five error messages you are most likely to see in the calculator, what they mean, and how to fix them.
Common calculator errors and how to interpret them
The calculator on /calculator validates every input before running the engine. When a run fails, the error message points at the specific field or rule that caused the failure. Below are the five failures most customers hit and the exact fix for each.
Every error message includes an error code you can quote if you open a support ticket. Codes are stable; the message text may improve.
How to interpret and fix common errors
unknown_hs_code: the HS code you entered does not exist in the destination country's tariff schedule. Confirm you have the right number of digits (10 for US HTSUS, 10 for UK CDS, 8 for EU CN, 6 for HS-6 global). Refined lookups live at /hts-code-lookup.invalid_currency: the currency code is not in ISO 4217. Type the three-letter code (USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, MXN). Fantasy codes and legacy pre-euro currencies are rejected.origin_destination_same: the origin and destination are the same country. The calculator refuses to compute a landed cost when there is no cross-border movement. Correct one of the fields.quantity_out_of_range: quantity is negative or exceeds the sanity cap (one billion units). Correct the number. If the shipment really is above the cap, use bulk upload or the API.duty_lookup_stale: the destination country's rate schedule has not refreshed within its expected window and the engine refuses to serve a stale rate. Retry in 30 minutes; if it persists, contact support so we can trigger an ingest.overlay_computation_failed: a Chapter 99 overlay (Section 232, 301, 122) or an AD/CVD case failed to compute. Usually indicates a recent regulatory change that the engine has not yet ingested. Contact support with the entry details.internal_engine_error: catch-all for engine crashes. Retries do not help. Contact support with the error code; the trace is captured in Sentry for our on-call engineer.
If none of the codes match, the message text is authoritative.
When to open a ticket
For duty_lookup_stale and overlay_computation_failed, opening a ticket is the right move once you have retried. For unknown_hs_code, invalid_currency, origin_destination_same, and quantity_out_of_range, fix the input and re-run; no ticket needed.
Free-tier users cannot open tickets. Email operator support at info@growyourbrand.io as a fallback.
Frequently asked questions
Do errors count against my monthly line-item budget
No. Only successful runs count. A failed calculation is not billed.
Can I see the error trace
Not client-side. The trace is captured in Sentry with your workspace ID and the error code. Support can pull it if you open a ticket.
Why is quantity capped at one billion
Sanity check. Legitimate shipments never exceed the cap; anything above is almost always a typo.
What if the same error keeps hitting me
Open a support ticket. Persistent errors on a specific lane usually indicate a data-ingest gap on our end that we can fix quickly.
Related
Calculator
Filling the shipment form
Every field in the calculator shipment form, what it accepts, and how to fill it fast when you are running the same lane repeatedly.
Troubleshooting
HS code not found in the calculator
The calculator rejected your HS code. Here is why, how to check it against the current tariff schedule, and how the semantic lookup fallback works.
Troubleshooting
Upload failures and OCR fallback
Your CBP 7501 or other entry document failed to upload or parsed with low confidence. Here is how the deterministic parser and OCR fallback interact.
Still stuck
Paid tiers can open a ticket from the in-app support inbox. Free users can email operator support at info@growyourbrand.io.
Open a ticket