What is a Verified Account?
A Verified Account is a free Zonos account that lets business shippers prepay U.S. duties on postal parcels. Zonos collects duties from you and remits them directly to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on your behalf. In practical terms, it gives your post confidence that duties are covered, so they can issue U.S. labels without delay. While there’s no subscription or setup cost for a Verified Account, each shipment includes the actual duties and a small postal clearance or processing fee billed after your post sends shipment data.
How it works at a glance
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You sign up for a Zonos Verified Account and connect it to your post.
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(Optional) You use Dashboard Lite to look up duty rates, so you can price your products/shipping correctly.
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You ship as normal; the shipment is marked as prepaid in the postal data (via a declaration ID).
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After your post sends shipment data, Zonos invoices you for the actual duties and a postal clearance fee, then remits those duties to CBP.
Do you need a Verified Account?
Verified Accounts are available through participating posts that partner with Zonos to offer this service. If your post supports Verified Accounts, you can sign up and connect through their referral link.
You need a Verified Account if you’re a business shipper sending U.S. parcels under USD $800 with your post or if you want to use Zonos’ duty tools alongside your post’s services.
Casual or occasional senders can usually ship at the retail counter without creating a Verified Account.
Get started
The setup will vary slightly depending on your post, but the process is generally the same. It’s quick and only needs to be done once. After that, you ship as you do today.
For post-specific instructions, visit our Australia Post or Canada Post setup instructions.
1. Create your account
If your post provided a referral link, use it so your Zonos account is automatically connected to your post.
2. Verify your email (and phone if added)
We’ll send a short code to confirm it’s you. Enter the code(s) to continue.
3. Add your business info
Tell us who you are so invoices and settings are correct:
- Business name
- Website URL
- Country
Click Save to continue.
4. Add billing (required to ship)
There’s no subscription for a Verified Account or its tools. You’ll only be billed per shipment for duties and the post’s clearance or processing fee.
- In Dashboard, go to Settings → Billing.
- Click Add payment method and enter your credit card details.
- Click Save.
- This card will be used by Zonos to collect duties once your post sends shipment data.
- On the same page, under Billing details, add your billing contact information (name, email, and phone number).
- Click Save.
5. Connect to your label workflow
Depending on how your post integrates with Zonos and where you print labels, the final step to ensure your labels include the duties-prepaid identifier may vary.
For example:
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Australia Post shippers don’t need to enter an account key. The connection is automatically established when you enter your AusPost shipper ID during your Zonos Verified Account setup.
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Canada Post shippers must enter their Zonos Account Key into their shipping software to ensure labels use the Zonos Verified Account. Follow the link above for step-by-step instructions.
Once your setup is complete, ship as usual. The prepaid marker (such as a declaration ID) is automatically generated and linked to your tracking number.
Shipping through a 3PL?
- If you bring your own postal account, you should set up your own Verified Account for that account.
- If you use your 3PL’s postal account, your 3PL needs a Verified Account for each of their postal accounts.
3PLs shouldn’t ask merchants to create a Verified Account using the 3PL’s identifiers.
What you can do with a Verified Account
Keep shipping under USD $800 via your post
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Create labels the same way you do today.
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U.S. shipments under $800 USD are tagged as duties prepaid, so labels continue to be issued.
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Zonos invoices you for duties and clearance fees after receiving shipment data from your post.
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Zonos remits duties to CBP.
Use Dashboard Lite (free) to estimate duties or classify products
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Item Quoter: Quick duty lookups for single items—ideal for building duties into prices or shipping fees.
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(Coming soon) Shipment Quoter: When available, shows landed cost for multi-item shipments.
Billing and invoices
Zonos invoices are created after your post sends shipment data, so expect a delay. Once an invoice is generated, we charge your saved card within 24 hours.
You can view invoices any time in Dashboard → Invoices, export a CSV or PDF, and generate a pending shipments report for anything not yet invoiced.
Invoices show detailed line items grouped by category/description and include clear status indicators (Open, Paid, Past Due, Voided) so you can easily track your billing at a glance.
If a payment fails
We’ll email you a secure link to pay any outstanding balance. If invoices remain unpaid, your Account Key may be deactivated for U.S. postal labels until payment is complete.
Is there a subscription fee?
No. A Verified Account and its tools are free. You pay per shipment for duties and the post’s clearance or processing fee (visible in Settings → Billing under Plan).
When will my shipments appear in Dashboard?
After your post sends shipment data to Zonos.
I don’t see my Account Key. Where is it?
Add a payment method first, then go to Settings → Integrations to view or copy your Account Key. If you’re using a standard (non-Verified) Zonos account and need to switch, contact support@zonos.com.
Can I use this for shipments over USD $800?
Shipments over USD $800 generally follow existing procedures and may not require prepaid duties via Zonos. Some posts or systems may still ask for a declaration ID or Account Key on all U.S. labels—follow your post’s guidance.
What if I already calculate duties elsewhere?
That’s fine. Zonos still collects and remits the official duties tied to your shipment data for parcels sent with your post; you’ll be invoiced for the assessed amount.
How are multiple items or mixed countries of origin handled?
Zonos calculates duties per item based on its country of origin, then sums them for the shipment total.
How are gifts and returns handled?
- Gifts: Gifts valued over USD $100 are typically dutiable; Zonos will calculate and invoice accordingly.
- Returns: Some returned parcels may still incur duties; exceptions exist (for example, undeliverable or refused items in original condition). Your post’s return process and CBP rules apply.
What happens if my product description isn’t clear?
If your product description doesn’t align with the HS code, customs authorities may reclassify your shipment based on what they think it is. This can cause duty and tax adjustments, clearance delays, or even returns to sender.
Always use a straightforward, accurate description (for example, “leather men’s wallet” instead of “premium accessory”) to ensure your HS code stays correct.
See this guide for more details.
Why does my HS code keep changing?
Zonos automatically checks that your HS code is coherent with your item description before your shipment reaches customs. This coherence check applies to every postal item that has both an HS code and a name or description — it's not limited to specific HS codes or exempt categories.
Here's how it works:
- Items with an HS code and a description: Zonos checks whether the HS code matches the description. If the code doesn't align with what the item actually is, Zonos may override it with a more accurate classification.
- Items with only an HS code (no description): The HS code goes through subheading validation only — no coherence check is performed.
- HS codes shorter than 6 digits: These are discarded automatically, as they aren't specific enough for duty calculation.
This proactive check helps prevent issues at customs, where authorities independently review shipments for coherency between the description and HS code. If they find a mismatch, it can lead to duty adjustments, clearance delays, or returns to sender.
To avoid having your HS code overridden, use detailed, factual descriptions that clearly define the item, its material, and its purpose (for example, "leather men's wallet" instead of "premium accessory").
See this guide for more details.
Zonos Verified Accounts
Ship to the U.S. with duties covered—so your postal labels keep printing and your parcels keep moving.
Recent U.S. rule changes require that postal shipments valued under USD $800 have duties covered before crossing the border. With a Zonos Verified Account, you can send your packages like normal; Zonos will invoice you for the duties once they ship and remit to CBP on your behalf.