Once you have created your Verified Account, you can:
Ship parcels under $2,500 USD to the U.S. via Japan Post
Under new U.S. requirements, postal shipments valued under $2,500 USD (excluding documents and personal gifts valued under $100 USD) must have customs duties prepaid before they can be imported into the United States. Your Verified Account covers that requirement. Here's how it works:
You create your Japan Post label through Zonos, using a supported platform, the Zonos Dashboard, or the Zonos API.
Zonos creates a Declaration ID, links it to your tracking number, and prints it on the label. The Declaration ID tells the postal clerk that duties will be paid.
Japan Post bills postage to your Later Pay Number, as usual.
After your parcels are inducted into the postal stream, Zonos charges your card on file for the duties and postal clearance fee, then remits the duties to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
As of July 1, 2026, many countries in the EU require shipments to be sent with duties prepaid. Starting October 1, 2026 (JST), your Verified Account is no longer limited to U.S.-bound parcels. You can also use it to ship duty-prepaid to:
Select EU destinations: Denmark, France (including Monaco), Andorra, French overseas departments (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique), Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Slovakia, Italy, Finland, Luxembourg, Estonia, and Malta
Shipping duty-prepaid means duties are settled before the parcel reaches your customer, so they are not asked to pay on delivery. Whether a shipment qualifies for DDP depends on the destination and the shipment's value. See EU country readiness for each destination's rules.
Have a third-party IOSS number?
IOSS only applies to EU shipments with goods valued at €150 or less. Above €150, whether a shipment can be sent duty-prepaid (DDP) depends on the destination country, and some countries also set a maximum goods value. See EU country readiness for each destination's rules.
If you have your own IOSS number, or you ship through a marketplace that has one, Zonos supports third-party (non-Zonos) IOSS numbers. You can pass your IOSS number through the Zonos API, or in Ship&co (coming soon). Third-party IOSS numbers aren't supported for labels printed in the Zonos Dashboard.
An IOSS number isn't required. Any EU shipment valued at €150 or less without a third-party IOSS number uses Zonos' IOSS number. If you use your own IOSS number, Zonos won't charge you the VAT, since you (or your marketplace) will be remitting it. If Zonos' IOSS number is used, Zonos charges you the VAT and remits it to the EU country.
If you have your own IOSS number but don't pass it, the shipment defaults to Zonos' IOSS number. Zonos charges you the VAT and remits it, and you (or your marketplace) will also remit VAT for that shipment, so you end up paying it twice. That's why, if you have your own IOSS number, you should always pass it.
You create EU labels with the same Verified Account you use for U.S. shipments. Zonos invoices you for the duties and postal clearance fee after your parcels are inducted into the postal stream, just as it does for your U.S. shipments. If a shipment uses Zonos' IOSS number, the invoice also includes the taxes (VAT).
Use Item Quoter to calculate U.S. duties and get HTS codes (free)
Your Verified Account includes free access to Item Quoter in the Zonos Dashboard. Use it to calculate U.S. duties and get HTS codes for your products before you ship, so you can build duty costs into your product or shipping prices ahead of time.
What you can do with your Verified Account
What you can do with your Verified Account
Once you have created your Verified Account, you can:
Ship parcels under $2,500 USD to the U.S. via Japan Post
Under new U.S. requirements, postal shipments valued under $2,500 USD (excluding documents and personal gifts valued under $100 USD) must have customs duties prepaid before they can be imported into the United States. Your Verified Account covers that requirement. Here's how it works:
How to create Japan Post labels with a Verified Account
Choose the option that fits your workflow:
Ship duty-prepaid to select EU destinations
As of July 1, 2026, many countries in the EU require shipments to be sent with duties prepaid. Starting October 1, 2026 (JST), your Verified Account is no longer limited to U.S.-bound parcels. You can also use it to ship duty-prepaid to:
Shipping duty-prepaid means duties are settled before the parcel reaches your customer, so they are not asked to pay on delivery. Whether a shipment qualifies for DDP depends on the destination and the shipment's value. See EU country readiness for each destination's rules.
IOSS only applies to EU shipments with goods valued at €150 or less. Above €150, whether a shipment can be sent duty-prepaid (DDP) depends on the destination country, and some countries also set a maximum goods value. See EU country readiness for each destination's rules.
If you have your own IOSS number, or you ship through a marketplace that has one, Zonos supports third-party (non-Zonos) IOSS numbers. You can pass your IOSS number through the Zonos API, or in Ship&co (coming soon). Third-party IOSS numbers aren't supported for labels printed in the Zonos Dashboard.
An IOSS number isn't required. Any EU shipment valued at €150 or less without a third-party IOSS number uses Zonos' IOSS number. If you use your own IOSS number, Zonos won't charge you the VAT, since you (or your marketplace) will be remitting it. If Zonos' IOSS number is used, Zonos charges you the VAT and remits it to the EU country.
If you have your own IOSS number but don't pass it, the shipment defaults to Zonos' IOSS number. Zonos charges you the VAT and remits it, and you (or your marketplace) will also remit VAT for that shipment, so you end up paying it twice. That's why, if you have your own IOSS number, you should always pass it.
How it works
You create EU labels with the same Verified Account you use for U.S. shipments. Zonos invoices you for the duties and postal clearance fee after your parcels are inducted into the postal stream, just as it does for your U.S. shipments. If a shipment uses Zonos' IOSS number, the invoice also includes the taxes (VAT).
Use Item Quoter to calculate U.S. duties and get HTS codes (free)
Your Verified Account includes free access to Item Quoter in the Zonos Dashboard. Use it to calculate U.S. duties and get HTS codes for your products before you ship, so you can build duty costs into your product or shipping prices ahead of time.
How to calculate duties
Best practices for accurate results
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