Duty and tax charges for non-Zonos orders

If you print shipping labels outside of Zonos Dashboard, your carrier may bill duties and taxes to Zonos for orders that were not processed by Zonos.

If Zonos is billed for orders that are not found in the Zonos system, you will be invoiced for the order's duties and taxes along with Zonos' standard fee of 2 USD and 10% of the applicable duties, taxes, and fees.

Why this happens and how it affects your invoice 

When duties and taxes are billed to Zonos for orders not processed through Zonos' Landed Cost guarantee, it's typically due to integration issues—especially when tracking numbers aren't properly recorded in the Zonos system. This can lead to misidentified shipments. This and other common causes include:

• Tracking and integration issues: If tracking numbers aren’t properly created or recorded in the Zonos system, we can’t confirm whether the order was processed through Zonos when we’re billed the carrier invoice. Make sure a tracking number is created for every Zonos order to ensure accurate matching.
• Carrier account-level billing: Your carrier account may bill Zonos for duties and taxes on shipments not processed by Zonos, including international orders from platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy that are sent DDP but not processed through Zonos.
• Unauthorized use of Zonos' account numbers: Using Zonos' account numbers or tax IDs for returns or gifts without processing them through Zonos will result in duties and taxes being billed to Zonos, but the tracking numbers won't be recognized in our system.
• Re-sent orders without voiding the first shipment: If an order is turned around and re-sent without voiding the initial shipment and updating the tracking in Zonos' system, it can lead to double billing. Note: if an order is lost in transit after clearing customs, this does not qualify as a re-shipment. Zonos will still receive the duty/tax invoice, and a new order should be placed.
• Incorrect shipping method usage: If a merchant quotes and ships DDU and Zonos receives the duty and tax bill from the carrier.

When this happens, your invoice will include:

• The total duties and taxes billed by the carrier.
• Zonos' standard fee of 2 USD and 10% charge of applicable duties, taxes, and fees. Zonos will apply any available discounts on advancement fees when applicable.

Identifying, resolving, and preventing billing issues 

If you are billed for a shipment that we cannot find in the Zonos system, it may be due to missing tracking data, incorrect billing setups, or shipments not processed through Zonos. To resolve and prevent these issues, follow these steps:

• Check order records: Confirm if the order was processed via Zonos' Landed Cost guarantee.
• Review tracking details: Ensure tracking numbers on the duty and tax invoice match Zonos' tracking numbers.
• Check for external orders: Verify whether the shipment originated from another platform (e.g., Amazon, eBay, or Etsy).
• Confirm shipping methods: Ensure the quoted shipping method matches the actual method used.
• Check for re-shipped, returned, or gifted orders: Shipments like returns or gifts, and especially re-shipped or replacement orders, may still be billed to Zonos if they used our carrier account but weren’t processed through our system. If an order was re-sent, make sure the original shipment was voided and the new tracking number was updated in Zonos to avoid duplicate charges.
• Ensure tracking data syncs with Zonos: Work with your technical team to pass tracking details to Zonos for all Zonos orders.
• Review your carrier account setup: Make sure your carrier accounts are configured correctly to avoid Zonos being billed for shipments not processed through our system.
• Monitor international orders from other sources: Track which orders are processed through Zonos, especially when selling on multiple platforms.
• Educate your team on billing account usage: Zonos billing accounts and tax IDs should only be used on guaranteed Zonos orders.
• Printing labels outside of Dashboard requirements: If your store elects to print labels outside of Dashboard, consistent tracking sync is a requirement of Landed Cost guarantee. Merchants are responsible for ensuring this happens consistently, quickly resolving any syncing issues, and notifying Zonos if there is a problem. Failure to do so may result in removal from the Landed Cost guarantee or a requirement to print labels in Zonos Dashboard. If you're printing LCG labels from another system, follow our Labels outside Dashboard checklist to ensure compliance and prevent issues.

If you believe duties and taxes were billed to Zonos incorrectly or need further clarification, contact our support team for assistance.