Zonos Prepay for postal shippers

Download the app

The Prepay app is available for iOS and Android devices. It is free to download—there are no subscription fees. The app will only prompt for duty payment (and include a clearance/processing fee) when you use it to ship an item to the U.S. To download the app, click the links below:

• Download for iOS
• Download for Android
• Alternatively, use the web app version

Create an account

Once downloaded, set up your Prepay Account:

1. Click Create an account.
2. Create an account by signing in with your Google or Apple account, or by entering your email address and a password.
3. You then will receive an email with a 6 digit verification code. Enter this code to finalize your account set up.

The Zonos Prepay app's main purpose is to calculate and collect U.S. duties. However, you can also use it to simply calculate costs without paying them at the same time. For example, you may want to see how much duties on an item you sell online is, so that you can add the cost of duties to your item or shipping prices online. Zonos provides this calculation feature for free.

To use the Calculate feature in the Prepay app:

1. Click on the Calculate icon in the bottom left.
2. Select your ship from location.
3. Either enter your item information manually, or take a picture of the items you would like to see the duty calculation for.

You then will see the duty calculation, country of origin, and HS code associated with the items.

Using this information, you can add the duty to the item price or shipping price for your customers to pay at checkout.

All postal shipments under $800 USD going to the U.S. must have duties prepaid. If you use this Calculate feature, you will need to follow up with steps 2, where you pay duties, once you are ready to ship your item.

1. Prepare your shipment:
   • Open the Prepay app
   • Select if you are shipping a standard package, gift, document, or a return.
   • Optionally, select your country of origin (if the same for all items).
   • Select the post you're shipping with.
   • Click Continue.
2. Click Add items manually to enter your item information yourself, or click Take a picture to take a photo and have the app auto-populate your item information. You can include all items in one photo, or take multiple photos.
3. Review the item information.
   • Click Edit to adjust the item information.
   • Click + Add another item to add an additional item.
   • Once ready to continue, check the box at the bottom to confirm the information is correct and click Calculate duties.
4. The app will calculate the duty cost of the shipment.
   • If no duties are due, click Complete to get your declaration ID. Some items may not have duty due. In this case, Zonos guarantees that no duty is due and may issue a Declaration ID, depending on the post.
   • If duties are due, click Pay to pay your duties. Payment is available in your local currency via your preferred payment method (credit card, Apple Pay®, etc.).
5. The app will generate a receipt with your Declaration ID and QR code. Show QR code with the Declaration ID to the postal counter (or enter it into your shipping software) to complete your shipment. More information on this step is below.
   • Click Print receipt or Share receipt to save your receipt.

What is a Declaration ID?

A Declaration ID is a code that proves you've completed your customs declaration and paid the required duties.

Why it's required:

• Under U.S. regulations, every parcel entering the country by mail must have duties prepaid
• The post will scan your QR code and validate your Declaration ID at the counter
• Without a Declaration ID, your parcel won't be accepted for shipping into the United States

Gifts over $100 USD are subject to U.S. duties and must have a Declaration ID. When using Prepay, you can select "Gift" as the shipment type to ensure duties are calculated correctly.

Depending on your post, you may need to have a Declaration ID even for gifts under $100 USD (although no duties will apply).

If you are not sure what is considered a gift, see our commercial invoice guide.

1. Click on the Account icon in the bottom right of the app
2. Select the color theme of your app. You can select Light or Dark mode

The app supports 15+ languages. By default, the app will display in the language that you have your phone settings configured to.

To adjust your preferred language:

1. Click on the Account icon in the bottom right of the app.
2. Tap the dropdown box showing your current language.
3. Scroll through the list of available languages.
4. Tap your preferred language to select it.

After entering your item information (or using the photo feature to auto-fill your item information), you'll be able to review and edit the details before confirming and getting get a duty calculation.

When you take a photo of your items, the app uses image recognition to automatically identify them, estimate their value, and predict the country of origin. You'll always be able to review and edit the details before confirming payment.

You are not required to add a photo of your items, but it can increase efficiency by auto-filling your item information. You always have the option to manually enter your item information instead.

Your payment is only finalized once your shipment is linked to a postal tracking number. If you do not link your Declaration ID to a shipment within 5 days, the charge will expire and the funds will never be taken from your bank account. If you don't want to wait 5 days for it to expire, you can also manually cancel the payment from the confirmation page.

It is possible to cancel a Declaration ID that has already been tied to a tracking number and receive a refund of the duties, but you must void the shipping label with your post first. After doing so, depending on your post, you may be able to cancel the payment from your confirmation page, or you may need to contact Zonos support at support@zonos.com to refund the payment. (Some posts, like Canada Post, allow us to electronically verify that the shipment has been voided, so we are able to allow in-app refunds. Other posts may not provide this functionality, so you may need to contact Zonos support with proof that your shipment has been voided to refund the payment. See post-specific guides for more information.)

Each Declaration ID is only in a pending state when it is created. Your payment is only finalized once your shipment is linked to a postal tracking number. If you have not connected it to a tracking number, it will expire after 5 days, and your card won't be charged.

It is possible to cancel a Declaration ID that has already been tied to a tracking number and receive a refund of the duties, but you must void the shipping label with your post first. After doing so, depending on your post, you may be able to cancel the payment from your confirmation page, or you may need to contact Zonos support at support@zonos.com to refund the payment. (Some posts, like Canada Post, allow us to electronically verify that the shipment has been voided, so we are able to allow in-app refunds. Other posts may not provide this functionality, so you may need to contact Zonos support with proof that your shipment has been voided to refund the payment. See post-specific guides for more information.)

If your Declaration ID doesn't work, try it again. A re-try may be all that is needed, without taking up additional time contacting support. If it still does not work, please contact our support team at support@zonos.com. In the meantime, remember that each Declaration ID is only in a pending state when it is created. Your payment is only finalized once your shipment is linked to a postal tracking number. If you have not connected it to a tracking number, it will expire after 5 days, and your card won't be charged.

It is possible to cancel a Declaration ID that has already been tied to a tracking number and receive a refund of the duties, but you must void the shipping label with your post first. After doing so, depending on your post, you may be able to cancel the payment from your confirmation page, or you may need to contact Zonos support at support@zonos.com to refund the payment. (Some posts, like Canada Post, allow us to electronically verify that the shipment has been voided, so we are able to allow in-app refunds. Other posts may not provide this functionality, so you may need to contact Zonos support with proof that your shipment has been voided to refund the payment. See post-specific guides for more information.)

If your gift is valued at 100 USD or more, duties are required—even for personal gifts.

Duties include both MFN (what you think of as your standard duty rates) and IEEPA rates (these are many of the tariffs that have been added via executive orders—a breakdown is available in our 2025 tariff guide). According to the Executive Order where US de minimis was removed, postal services actually don't have to collect MFN rates (at least for 6 months starting August 29th, 2025), but they do have to collect IEEPA rates.

Yes, CUSMA/USMCA shipments under $800 USD will be charged duties when sent via a postal carrier. In this FAQ from CBP, CBP states that "USMCA preference cannot be claimed for postal shipments subject to Section 3 of Executive Order 14324". CUSMA/UMCA items require additional documentation that is not currently supported in the postal environment.

Yes, some items are duty-free. The Prepay app will calculate the duty for you, and let you know when your shipment is duty-free, giving you peace of mind. You should still complete the shipment via the Prepay app so that you receive a Declaration ID that you can use to show to the postal counter. This Declaration ID communicates to the postal counter that you have paid duties (even if they are 0), and they can accept your shipment.

When using Prepay, enter the contents for each box one box at a time. If your shipment has 3 boxes, you'll need to enter the contents for box 1, pay for its duties, and get its declaration ID before repeating the process for boxes 2 and 3.

This varies by post. While shipments over $800 USD do not require duties to be prepaid, some posts may still require a Declaration ID for shipments over $800 USD.

Our team is here to help. You can reach out to us at support@zonos.com.

For the first six months (effective August 29, 2025), postal shipments are charged IEEPA duty rates only; MFN rates do not apply to postal clearance. Private carriers, by contrast, are subject to both MFN and IEEPA duties.

According to CBP, U.S. returns are not duty-free and require duties to be paid.

There are a couple of exceptions where returns are exempt from duty:

• Un-deliverable items with the original U.S. S-10 Bar code and the package intact
• Refused items with the original U.S. S-10 Bar code and the package intact

Without a Declaration ID, the clerk can’t accept your U.S.-bound package. Don’t worry—you can quickly download and use the Zonos Prepay app right at the post office to get one, then drop off your package.

A Declaration ID may not work if it has expired (IDs expire after 5 days if not linked to a tracking number), was already used, or was canceled. You won’t be charged duties or fees for expired or canceled Declaration IDs. Use the Zonos Prepay app to create a new one.

That’s okay, show the Declaration ID to the postal clerk and they can manually key in the number for your Declaration ID.

It is possible to cancel a Declaration ID that has already been tied to a tracking number and receive a refund of the duties, but you must void the shipping label with your post first. After doing so, depending on your post, you may be able to cancel the payment from your confirmation page, or you may need to contact Zonos support at support@zonos.com to refund the payment. (Some posts, like Canada Post, allow us to electronically verify that the shipment has been voided, so we are able to allow in-app refunds. Other posts may not provide this functionality, so you may need to contact Zonos support with proof that your shipment has been voided to refund the payment. See post-specific guides for more information.)