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Upcoming Change from U.S. Customs: Refunds Moving to Electronic Payment Only Through ACE Portal

  • Writer: IFF, inc.
    IFF, inc.
  • 8 hours ago
  • 2 min read
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that beginning February 6, 2026, all Customs refunds will be issued electronically. After this date, CBP will no longer issue refund checks unless a waiver has been formally approved.

This change applies to:

  • Importers

  • Customs brokers and filers

  • Sureties and service providers

  • Foreign-trade zone operators and facility operators

  • Carriers

  • Any parties designated on CBP Form 4811

This policy is part of the federal government’s transition away from paper checks to electronic payments to help eliminate fraud, improper payments, and reduce paper check costs.

 

What this means for you

If you receive refunds from CBP — such as duty refunds, drawback refunds, or other Customs disbursements — those funds will only be paid via electronic transfer (ACH).

To receive refunds going forward, importers must have:

  1. An active ACE Portal account, and

  2. ACH bank information saved in the portal for electronic refunds

Without these in place, CBP will not be able to issue your refund.

Because of this, we strongly encourage all importers to set up an ACE portal account as soon as possible.

 

How to Get Set Up

Apply for an ACE Portal account (Importers):https://ace-accounts.cbp.gov/s/importer-form

 

 

 

To avoid delays in receiving refunds on and after February 6, 2026:

  • Create your ACE Portal account now

  • Add your ACH banking information for refunds

  • Confirm your company contacts and addresses are up to date

Our team is available to assist if you need help with setup or have questions about how this change may impact your account.

 

Please find the below links to the federal register notice and CSMS message.

 

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