Mandatory Electronic Refund Process Begins Feb 6

2 January 2026 02 MINS. Read USA

Updated February 8, 2026

Beginning February 6, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will no longer issue paper refund checks. All refunds will be paid electronically via Automated Clearing House (ACH) with limited exceptions.

Importers who do not have an ACE Portal Account with U.S. Customs should apply for an account as soon as possible. The ACE Portal allows importers to add banking information to enable electronic refunds.

On January 2, 2026, CBP published an Interim Final Rule on Electronic Refunds in the Federal Register. This change follows recent improvements CBP made to the ACE Portal, which now includes an automated ACH Refund Authorization tool that importers can use to provide their banking information to U.S. Customs.

For importers and other parties who may receive CBP-issued refunds after February 5, 2026, review CBP’s Electronic Refund Enrollment Reference Sheet and take any necessary steps to ensure readiness for this mandatory transition.

Actions to Take

1. Apply for an ACE Portal Account or Add an Importer Sub-Account View

Importers who do not have an ACE Portal Account

Apply for an ACE Portal Account by using the new automated application. This will allow the Importer to create a top account owner (TAO) with an importer sub-account view.

More Information: Trade Information Notice: Automation of the ACE Portal Account Application Process for Importer Accounts

Before applying, importers should ensure the Point of Contact (POC) on their 5106 record is up to date. A verification code will be sent to the POC of record to create an ACE Portal account. Your customs broker can update the contact information if needed.

It’s important the information entered into the application matches what’s on file with CBP. Three pieces of information are required to start the process:

Point of Contact Email as reflected on the importer’s 5106 record
Company or Entity Name, exactly as on file with CBP – Your customs broker can provide you with a bond query from CBP that shows how your name is entered.
Importer of Record Number [Tax ID (EIN or Social Security) or Customs Assigned Number]

Companies that have an ACE Portal Account

Companies that have an ACE Portal Account, but do not have an importer sub-account view, should follow the directions provided by CBP.

2. Add Bank Account Information

Bank account information must be provided to CBP via the ACH Refund Authorization tool within the ACE Portal importer sub-account. All applicants are required to use a U.S. bank account and must provide the relevant account information. Once an application for ACH Refund is successfully submitted and approved in the ACE Portal, all future refunds will be issued electronically to the designated U.S. bank account ( i.e., either the U.S. bank account of the importer or the U.S. bank account of the designated third party listed on CBP Form 4811). A designated third party may be a U.S. Customs Broker.

The bank account information must be provided accurately. CBP does not verify the bank account number at the time of authorization. Any refunds that can’t be processed will halt interest accrual, and require follow-up with CBP to release the refund. To track a refund, access the REV-603 Trade Refund report in the ACE Portal.

Note: Foreign importers of record who do not have a U.S. bank account may designate their customs broker on the Notify Party tab within their ACE Portal account or by contacting their customs broker. Importers designating a customs broker or other third party should make arrangements with their customs broker prior to filing a customs entry or entry correction.