What's new

Here are the latest updates and improvements Zonos has made.

Checkout performance update 

We've made backend enhancements to improve checkout speed and system stability for Checkout merchants. With this update, checkout loading times should be 400–500 milliseconds faster on your site.

Manually create orders with payment in Dashboard 

You can now manually create orders in the Dashboard and choose whether to collect payment at the time of order.

If payment is collected, the order will follow the standard Zonos Checkout process, where Zonos acts as the payment processor and issues a payout to you.

To use this feature:

1. Log in to the Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Orders → Create order.
3. Select Create order with payment.

For more details, read our documentation.

Last four digits of credit card now visible on order page 

Orders processed through Zonos Checkout using a credit card now display the last four digits of the card number. You can find this information in the Properties section on the right side of the Order page, making it easier to reference payment details when reviewing orders.

Audit log notes 

Notes enable Admin users to add comments to audit logs, providing context for changes made. A note needs to be shorter than 100 characters. Multiple notes can be added to an audit log, but notes cannot be edited or deleted.

Audit log 

The Audit log enables admin users to track changes made in Dashboard. You can filter by Event, Date, and User to view the change history, including the original field value, the updated value, and any removed information. Each entry provides complete visibility into what was changed, who made the update, and when it occurred.

To use this feature, log into Dashboard and go to Settings -> Audit log.

Zonos for Shopify pre-fills shopper tax IDs during label creation 

Certain destination countries require tax IDs from the shopper in order for their shipment to clear customs. When needed, Shopify collects these tax IDs from the shopper during checkout. Zonos for Shopify now records the shopper's tax ID on the order and pre-fills it during Dashboard label creation to automatically include it on the shipping label.

Supported countries include:

• Brazil
• Mexico
• South Korea

If you print labels from a system other then Dashboard, the shopper tax ID most likely will not be included. Check with your label printing software to ensure they receive the shopper tax ID from Shopify.

Carrier restrictions now in Zonos Restrict 

Zonos Restrict now includes carrier-specific restrictions on goods in addition to its existing country-level restrictions. Restrictions and prohibitions from major carriers, including UPS, FedEx, and DHL, have been added to enhance compliance capabilities.

Restrict is available via both API and Dashboard. Curious about country-level restrictions? Explore them using our trade restrictions lookup tool—no account required.

Tag Zonos orders in Shopify Admin 

If you are managing orders in Shopify Admin and want to easily identify which ones Zonos calculated duties and taxes for, the Zonos Duty and Tax app now includes a tagging feature. Orders calculated by Zonos are tagged as Zonos_DDU (duties and taxes unpaid) or Zonos_DDP (prepaid duties and taxes), allowing you to filter and manage these orders effortlessly.

This feature is disabled by default and needs to be enabled to start using it.

Shopper tax ID support 

Certain destination countries require tax IDs from the shopper in order for their shipment to clear customs. There are now two methods to include this ID with a shipment.

• Collect during checkout: Zonos Checkout supports collecting these tax IDs from the shopper. When collected at checkout, Zonos will automatically pre-fill this field during label creation. The tax ID will also be visible on the order page under the ship-to information.
• Manual entry: Users can now manually input recipient tax IDs when creating a label in Dashboard.

Coming soon: Later this week, Zonos for Shopify will support automatically pre-filling shopper tax IDs during label creation. For now, tax IDs collected during checkout can be viewed in Shopify and manually entered into the label creation page in Dashboard.

Comprehensive invoice reporting 

We’ve launched a new Reports page and introduced four new CSV reports to enhance reconciliation, analysis, and transparency. All reports in the new Reports page include a date range selection for added flexibility.

These reports are only available to non-Checkout users. Checkout merchants can use their Payout reports for similar information.

Coming soon: Two additional reports, Landed Cost breakdown and Orders, will soon be added to Reports. These reports can be used for a variety of purposes, such as tax filing, verifying orders, and analyzing charges. For detailed use cases and a list of included fields, visit our documentation.

Retail price support 

To support Shopify’s “retail/compare-at price” functionality, we’ve updated Catalog to include a new editable field, "Retail price". Retail prices are often displayed to shoppers with a strikethrough (e.g., €50.00) to showcase discounts and promotions.

This feature is currently only meaningful to our beta merchants using Inclusive Pricing. Zonos only adjusts prices on your website when Inclusive Pricing is enabled.

The new "Retail price" field is:

• Automatically synced: (Shopify only) Zonos automatically syncs Shopify's compare-at price with the "Retail price" field in Catalog through the Catalog sync feature.
• Editable: Users can change the "Retail price" for marketing purposes. To edit, type the new value into the "Retail price" field and save your changes.
• Available via CSV: A column for “Retail price" is now available in the Catalog CSV template.
• Country-specific: If you have set country-specific prices through Inclusive Pricing, you'll see country-specific retail prices as well.

Additionally, the Catalog edit item page now shows country-specific inclusive prices directly inline, rather than within a dialog. Both the "Retail price" and country-specific "Retail price" are visible at a glance.

Custom script support in Checkout 

Zonos Checkout now supports custom scripts, offering new ways to integrate essential tools directly into Checkout to meet your business needs.

A common use of this new functionality is adding Google Analytics scripts for merchants using an older integration of Checkout (the version that redirects once "Checkout" is clicked). This enables better tracking of shopper behavior and provides valuable insights into checkout performance.

Upgraded invoice reporting 

We added new fields to our invoice reporting to provide greater transparency into charges and easier reconciliation. We also updated the UI to improve navigation and allow you to access your reports faster.

Key changes:

• Additional fields: The Invoice Detail report now includes a detailed breakdown of all line items charged on an order. Each charge is listed on its own row (as it was before), meaning each order will likely have multiple associated rows.
  • New fields: Charge type (itemized duty, tax, fee, or credit), credit memos, tracking number, customer details (name and address), account name, invoice ID, invoice date (date the invoice was created), invoice due date, landed cost ID, and Zonos order UUID.
• Improved navigation: Invoices and Payouts are now directly accessible from the Home menu, making it quicker to find and export reports.
• Consistent design: The design of the Invoices page now matches that of Payouts for a more cohesive experience.

Coming soon: We will soon add a second report, called the Invoice Summary report. This will give you a high-level view of charges for each order. All order details will be condensed into a single row, so that each order will have only one row. This will allow you to reconcile more easily when expecting all charges for a single order one on row.

Search by item name in Catalog 

You can now search your Catalog for a specific product name, in addition to filtering by SKU and product ID.

The product name search supports partial matches (e.g., searching "tea" will return "tea kettle set"). SKU and Product ID searches still require exact matches.

This enhancement makes it easier to find products in your Catalog.

Payout memo; Domestic Checkout updates 

Payout memo in CSV export

A new "memo" field has been added to both the payout detail and payout summary CSV downloads. This field provides explanations for specific line items, such as corrections or adjustments, giving you more clarity and transparency in your payout reporting.

US-domestic Checkout enhancements

Updates to Checkout for US domestic orders improve clarity and align the display with domestic shipping expectations:

• All shipping methods are always visible and expanded. The "non-prepaid" designation is no longer shown, as prepaid duties are not relevant for domestic orders.
• "Duties, taxes, and fees" is replaced with "Taxes and fees".
• The "nothing due at the door" text is removed, as it’s unnecessary for domestic orders.

These changes streamline the checkout experience for domestic orders, ensuring accurate and relevant information is displayed.

Updated location for user display preferences 

User display preferences—where you manage preferred units of measure, currency, and light/dark mode—have a new home.

To access preferences:

1. Click on your user name in the bottom-left corner when logged in.
2. Select Manage account → Preferences.

These user preferences are no longer located within the Dashboard settings menu.

Magento and BigCommerce Duty and Tax apps: Order complete update 

Order completion for Magento and BigCommerce Duty and Tax apps is now powered by our GraphQL API.

• No merchant-side app updates are required.
• Maintains compatibility for merchants using legacy plugin integrations

This update ensures a smooth transition to GraphQL-powered capabilities, enhancing efficiency and keeping your operations up to date.

This update was rolled back for a few hours on 11/27, but is live again.

Classify on the fly customizations 

Users can now request adjustments to Classify on the fly, including:

• Confidence score threshold modifications: If classification confidence is low due to insufficient product details, the fallback HS code can be used instead. Adjusting this threshold ensures classifications made on the fly during checkout meet your accuracy needs.
• Meta description adjustments: Store meta descriptions offer critical context about store content, improving item classification accuracy.

Contact Zonos Support to adjust your confidence score threshold or add/modify the meta description for your store.

New currency selection for refunds 

Checkout only

Merchants now have more flexibility when processing refunds by choosing between USD or the currency paid at checkout.

Key features:

• Toggle currency: When refunding an order, toggle between USD and the currency paid at checkout at the top of the refund screen to view and enter values in your preferred currency.
• Consistent refunds: Refunds are always issued in the currency paid at checkout (no matter the currency used to enter the refund), ensuring alignment with the original transaction.
• Accurate conversion: If refund amounts are entered in USD instead of the currency paid at checkout, Zonos will convert them using the exchange rate from the time the order was placed.

Test credentials in Dashboard 

Users can now view and create test credentials in Dashboard.

To view your test credential:

1. Go to Dashboard -> Settings -> Integration.
2. Toggle Test mode on.

Any credentials created while in test mode (by clicking Create GraphQL API key) will be test credentials.

HS code source on order page 

To improve transparency and user confidence, the source of HS codes used during calculations is now displayed on the order page. Hover over the HS code to view its source. Possible sources include:

• Zonos Classify: HS code generated by Zonos' classification engine.
• User Provided: HS code supplied by the user.
• Zonos Fallback HS Code: Fallback HS code applied by Zonos when one is not provided by the user or Classify.
• Hybrid: Catalog or user-provided HS code corrected or completed by Classify.

This information is also available via API, for those integrated with our API.

Consolidated Catalog and Customs settings 

We have consolidated product-related settings to a single Dashboard page, found in Settings -> Catalog. This includes default customs information, previously set in Customs.

Catalog settings now include:

• Item key preference
• Fallback country of origin
• Fallback customs description
• Fallback HS code
• Fallback HS code country (if specific to a country)

This update simplifies navigation by centralizing all product-related settings in one place.

Upgraded payout reports 

We have upgraded our payout reports based on customer feedback. These now:

• Include additional fields
• Download two CSVs: Summary and Details, rather than a single XLSX download
• Support a date range export for both reports
• List the amount that Zonos keeps (duties, taxes, and fees) as "Withheld" rather than "Zonos fees". This should reduce confusion, since these costs are not all fees that go to Zonos—they also include costs that Zonos collects to pay on your behalf.

The following fields have been added to the reports:

These changes allow our new payout reports to replace the reconciliation report and make it easier to close your books.

Learn how to use the new payout reports

Our Product Manager, Josh Beitler, explains how to use the new reports.

Streamlined cartonization setup 

Streamlining your cartonization setup is now easier than ever:

• Bulk upload packaging options: No need to add your shipping boxes one by one anymore. Instead, upload packaging options via CSV using the new Import button on the Cartonization page (and this new template).
• Package weight support: Include package/box weight (packageWeight) in cartonization calculations to ensure accurate rates by accounting for both item and packaging weights.
• New graphic: Enjoy a refreshed empty state graphic on the Cartonization page.

These enhancements simplify cartonization setup and improve rate accuracy.

Retry import for failed orders 

If an order fails to import into your ecommerce platform, a "Retry Import" banner will appear, prompting you to reattempt the import. Selecting "Retry Import" opens a new tab with your success URL, starting a new import attempt.

• If successful: The order number will display correctly in your ecommerce platform.
• If unsuccessful: Try again. If it fails twice, please contact support at support@zonos.com.

Note: This feature is available for most Zonos Checkout merchants. However, integrations that don’t use checkoutSettings successUrl or externalSuccessPageURL do not have access to this feature.

Order notification emails 

We issued a fix for order notification emails. These emails let you know when a new international order is placed on your store (not to be confused with an order confirmation email, which is sent to the shopper). Users can control which emails get these notifications in Dashboard -> Settings -> Checkout settings.

Pop-up for back-to-back orders 

To help prevent accidental duplicate orders, Checkout now displays a pop-up message if a shopper returns to place another order within 6 hours of a previous one.

• The pop-up reminds shoppers of their recent order, including the order number.
• Shoppers are asked if they want to proceed with placing a new order or return to the merchant's website.

This feature reduces duplicate orders from shoppers who may have missed that their initial order was successful.

Updated timeframe: This feature was originally used when a shopper returns to place another order within 10 minutes. On 10/28/2024, this timeframe was updated to 6 hours.

Classify on the fly enhancements 

Zonos now delivers more accurate HS code classifications during landed cost calculations by leveraging additional input fields. With this update, Classify on the fly now uses item description, meta description, categories, material, and country of origin when available, in addition to the item name.

• Item description, material, and country of origin can be sourced from Catalog or passed via plugin or API.
• Categories provided through your platform or API enhance classification accuracy, with the ability to add categories directly to Catalog via Dashboard coming soon.
• Store meta descriptions, added by Zonos, provide essential context about a store's content, enhancing the accuracy of Classify results.

New default currency settings for Dashboard 

Merchants can now select a default currency display (USD or foreign currency) for order details and quotes, configurable in Preferences.

• This selection is specific to the user, not the store.
• Users can still toggle between currencies on the Order Details and Quote Details pages. When toggled, all values on the pages change to the new currency, ensuring consistency.
• Settings do not affect the Order List page. This list always shows in the currency of the quote. Settings to configure the currency of the Order List page are in development.

This update improves clarity and accuracy in currency conversion for all orders and quotes.

Order Details page enhancements 

We released several small enhancements to the Order Details page:

• When you expand a section, the subtotal for that section grays out, making it more clear which numbers roll into the total.
• The Zonos order number has moved up in the right sidebar to be more visually prominent.
• The API response has moved to the bottom of the sidebar, within a toggle shared with the customer information. This is now faster to open.
• The organization ID and order ID have been removed from the UI, as they are used less often. They are still easily accessible within the API details.
• This release also fixed a bug affecting Shopify users, where only the currency symbol changed, not the amounts.

Updated flow for landed cost quotes in Dashboard 

The UI to get a landed cost quote has been upgraded to match the design and functionality of newer releases, such as Rate and Create orders.

• Streamlined editing: You can now edit quotes directly, without needing to start over.
• Recreate quotes: You can now re-create past quotes instantly from the quote page with a single click: Recreate quote.
• Country-specific HS codes: Classifications made during the quote process are now applied at the country level, ensuring more precise classifications.

Additionally, we introduced a new For resale badge to clearly indicate when a quote or order is marked for resale, removing the confusion around resale behavior, e.g., no remittance and different duty/tax rates.

Custom service level codes now available 

Users can now assign a custom service level code to shipping service levels they've set up. For plugin integrations, this custom code will be sent to the ecommerce platform.

This feature offers greater flexibility and control, making it easier to map service levels within your shipping integrations.

New Zonos order ID format 

Starting Monday, Zonos order IDs will switch to a new format for enhanced security and scalability. The new format, (e.g., 909-01226N0640J7Q) will replace the current store ID + order ID format, (e.g., 909-5767689).

What to know:

• The new format will apply to all order-related references, including URLs on thank you pages, e.g., ?orderId=909-01226N0640J7Q.
• The new format may be sent from Zonos in either uppercase or lowercase.

Please inform your team and adjust any workflows or systems that reference Zonos order numbers.

Simplified team roles 

We've simplified team roles to two options:

• Member: Can fulfill orders, manage Catalog, and access Zonos products. Cannot view the Billing, Reports, or Settings sections.
• Admin: Includes "Member" permissions, plus complete access to the Billing, Reports, and Settings sections.

As part of this transition, existing users with "Viewer" and "Manage Orders" permissions have been migrated to the new "Member" role, and users with "Manage Shipping Settings" and "Billing" have been migrated to the "Admin" role.

This release also includes a refreshed design. Read how to manage your team settings here.

Streamlined PayPal experience in Checkout 

The PayPal experience in Checkout has been simplified to reduce shopper confusion and increase conversion with:

• Streamlined design for a clearer payment flow
• Improved clarity around PayPal as a payment option

Enhanced DDU/DDP display at Checkout 

Checkout now prioritizes shipping options with prepaid duties and taxes. When non-prepaid options are selected, messaging is much clearer to set proper expectations.

• Non-prepaid options are collapsed by default if prepaid methods are available.
• Shoppers can expand to view non-prepaid options with duties and taxes due at delivery.
• When a non-prepaid method is selected, the summary clearly shows that duties and taxes will be due at delivery. It also includes an estimated value to expect to pay at delivery.
• If only non-prepaid options are available, they will be shown by default, without the collapse.

This update enhances transparency and simplifies the shipping selection process, making it easier for shoppers to understand their choices.

Promo code refresh 

The Promo Codes page is now called Discounts.

With this update, comes:

• A refreshed look
• The same functionality with which you are familiar

No action is needed—your existing promo codes have been re-created for you. View them here.

Automatic upgrade for Checkout users 

We are starting to upgrade all existing Checkout installs with:

• Modernized design
• Custom messaging capability
• Easier branding customizations
• Global address support with validation and autocomplete

This upgrade is being completed at no cost to existing merchants and requires no additional effort on their part. View our migration guide.

Create an order in Dashboard 

Users can now create orders directly in Dashboard and generate labels with guaranteed duties, taxes, and fees. Zonos does not collect payment from the end consumer; this can be done via an alternative method, such as a draft order in your ecommerce platform, or a phone order. Zonos will bill you for the duties, taxes, and fees on the order and pay them to customs on your behalf.

To create an order in Dashboard, go to Orders and click Create order in the top right corner.

Inclusive pricing enhancements 

New customization options are now available for Inclusive Pricing, giving merchants more control over their inclusive product prices.

• Choose what to include: Choose to include any combination of duties, taxes, and fees in the product price. Components not included will be calculated at checkout as part of shipping.
• Rounding options: Zonos can now round inclusive product prices to appeal to regional shopper preferences (e.g., ending in .99 or .00) to encourage purchases.
• Retail price alignment: Zonos supports “compare at” pricing by adjusting inclusive prices proportionally to maintain consistency between the retail and base prices displayed.

These enhancements improve pricing clarity and flexibility, helping to create a smoother shopping experience.

New shipping setup 

Shipping settings are now divided into Rates and Locations.

• Set up Rates: Select a carrier to connect your own account, add flat rates, or upload a rate sheet.
• Set up Locations: Configure your fulfillment centers and shipping zones.
• Flat rates are now created at the service level, not the zone level.
• Signatures and letterheads are now managed with the Labels settings page.
• Zonos automatically generates commercial invoices in cases where FedEx or UPS Worldwide Economy does not, e.g., South Africa, Iceland.

Split shipments and updated fulfillment flow 

Split shipments are now easily managed within Zonos Dashboard. Partially fulfill orders by creating a label for specific products, then create additional labels for the rest of the products.

Additionally, we've updated the fulfillment experience with several other features:

• Modern, consolidated interface
• Future shipping date selection
• Updated rate display when the shipping service level is changed during fulfillment

Editing item prices during fulfillment is no longer available.

Enchanced order search 

We’ve enhanced the order search on the Orders page with expanded capabilities, including fuzzy searching. Now, even if you misspell a name or mistype a number, you’ll still see close matches.

The following fields are now supported in the order search:

• First name
• Last name
• Email
• Country
• Platform number
• Zonos order number
• GraphQL order ID

Additionally, Shopify orders on the Orders list page now show in the currency in which the order was placed. Merchants using Checkout see all values in USD.

Improved Order Details page 

We’ve redesigned the Order Details page to support split shipments and streamline fulfillment processes:

• Split shipment support: Each active shipment within the order is now clearly displayed, making it easier to manage and track each part of the order individually.
• Updated order statuses: New statuses of "Open," "Fulfilled," and "Partially Shipped" provide a more accurate reflection of an order's progress.
• Updated design: The new layout allows for easier navigation and improved visibility of shipment details.
• API log: View the order details directly from the API.

Test mode 

We've introduced Test mode for merchants using our new Checkout. Key features include:

• Test cart: Easily generate test carts pre-populated with international addresses. To create a test cart, go to the Dashboard Orders page, toggle to Test mode, then click New cart. This allows you to test shipment rates, landed cost calculations, and custom messaging.
• Simulated payments: Place test orders using Stripe credit cards to simulate both successful and rejected payments, helping ensure everything works before going live.