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Zonos Verified Accounts

Ship to the U.S. with duties covered and your customs data complete—so your postal labels keep printing and your parcels keep moving.

The U.S. is tightening what it requires on inbound parcels. Duties must be prepaid on U.S.-bound postal shipments under $2,500 USD before they cross the border, and starting October 22, 2026, every U.S.-bound shipment must also carry more complete product and compliance data than before. A Zonos Verified Account covers both sides of that: Zonos invoices and remits your duties to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and gives you the tools to supply the product data and agency compliance information your shipments now need. You keep shipping like normal.

What is a Verified Account?

A Verified Account is a free Zonos account that helps business shippers meet U.S. import requirements on postal parcels. You need one if you’re a business shipper sending U.S. parcels under $2,500 USD with your post, or if you want to use Zonos’ duty tools alongside your post’s services. Verified Accounts are offered through participating posts—if yours supports them, you can sign up and connect through its referral link.

A Verified Account does two things:

Covers duties (depends on your post). With posts where Zonos manages billing, Zonos collects duties from you and remits them directly to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on your behalf, so your post can issue U.S. labels without delay. Not every post uses Zonos for billing—your post determines how duties are collected and remitted.
Completes your customs data. Zonos keeps a catalog of your products—synced from your sales channel or imported by CSV—and screens each item for U.S. Partner Government Agency (PGA) requirements, so your shipments carry the data they need to clear the border.

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

You sign up for a Zonos Verified Account and connect it to your post.
You add your products to your Zonos catalog—either by connecting a sales channel or importing a CSV—and Zonos screens them for PGA requirements.
Optional—You use Dashboard Lite to look up duty rates, so you can price your products/shipping correctly.
You ship as normal; the shipment is marked as prepaid in the postal data (via a declaration ID).
After your post sends shipment data, Zonos invoices you for the actual duties and a postal clearance fee, then remits those duties to CBP.

Get started

The setup varies by post, but the flow is generally the same—see the setup instructions for your post for specifics. Some steps below (billing and label setup) only apply when Zonos manages those for your post; if your post handles them directly, you’ll skip them. It’s quick and only needs to be done once; after that, you ship as you do today.

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

Add your business name, website URL, and country so invoices and settings are correct, then click Save.

4. Add billing (when Zonos manages billing for your post)

If Zonos handles billing for your post, add a payment method so we can collect duties and fees—there’s no subscription, and you’re only billed per shipment. In Dashboard, go to Settings → Billing, then add and save both:

A payment method—the card Zonos charges once your post sends shipment data.
Your billing details—billing contact name, email, and phone number.

5. Build your product catalog

To meet the new U.S. data requirements, add your products to your Zonos catalog so every shipment carries the data customs now expects. There are two ways to do it—pick whichever fits how you sell. Both feed the same catalog and both run the same PGA checks.

Connect a sales channel. Connect a supported channel—Etsy, eBay, or WooCommerce, with more on the way—and Zonos automatically pulls your catalog items and keeps them in sync as you add or change products, with no manual data entry. Connect a channel →
Import a CSV. Don't sell through a supported channel, or use a custom storefront? Upload your catalog items with a CSV file instead—imported items are treated exactly like synced items. Import your catalog by CSV →

Either way, once your items are in your catalog Zonos screens them for PGA requirements so you know which items need extra information before they ship.

6. Connect to your label workflow

If Zonos is part of your label workflow, the final step is to make sure your labels carry the duties-prepaid identifier. How this works depends on your post and where you print labels.

For example:

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.
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

A Verified Account does more than keep your parcels moving—expand each area to learn more.

Keep shipping under USD $2,500 via your post

Create labels the same way you do today.
U.S. shipments under $2,500 USD are tagged as duties prepaid, so labels continue to be issued.
Zonos invoices you for duties and clearance fees after receiving shipment data from your post.
Zonos remits duties to CBP.

Use Dashboard Lite (free) to estimate duties or classify products

Item Quoter: Quick duty lookups for single items—ideal for building duties into prices or shipping fees.

Quick how-to (Item Quoter):

Go to Dashboard → Item Quoter → enter the item price and currency, country of origin, destination United States, and a detailed description → click Get result.

Tips for accuracy:

Use precise product descriptions (“sterling silver ring with gemstone,” not “jewelry”) and the true country of origin (where the product was made).

The duty result shown here reflects only the product’s duty cost—it doesn’t include any postal clearance or processing fees. If you want to factor those fees into your pricing or shipping rates, go to Dashboard → Settings → Billing, where you’ll see your post’s clearance or processing fee listed under the Plan section.

Meet the new U.S. catalog data requirements

Build a product catalog with Zonos—synced from a channel or imported by CSV—so your U.S.-bound shipments carry the product data customs now requires. Zonos then screens each item for PGA requirements, and you can attach compliance documents like certificates of origin.

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.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to connect a channel or upload a CSV?

To meet the U.S. data requirements taking effect October 22, 2026, your products need to be in your Zonos catalog with complete details. You provide that data one of two ways: connect a supported sales channel so items sync automatically, or import your catalog by CSV. Either way, Zonos then screens your items for PGA requirements.

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 $2,500?

Shipments over USD $2,500 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").