TITLE: USPS Can Now Bill Sellers for Unpaid Destination Customs Charges: What Cross-Border Ecommerce Businesses Need to Know
If you ship goods from the United States to overseas customers using USPS, unpaid destination customs charges could now become your bill. A new USPS rule allows the Postal Service to invoice mailers when foreign duties, taxes or import fees have not been paid in full.
The rule took effect on October 19, 2026. It matters to cross-border ecommerce sellers, including UK-based businesses using US fulfilment or a US LLC to send international parcels.
Know what changed under the new USPS rule
The USPS interim final rule, published in the Federal Register, updates mailer responsibilities and adds procedures for unpaid destination customs charges.
The change follows the European Commission’s July 1, 2026 removal of the de minimis exemption for most low-value goods entering the EU customs territory. EU postal operators have introduced requirements for collecting applicable charges. Some require certain goods to be sent using an approved delivered duty paid (DDP) service. If charges cannot be collected from the recipient, a destination postal operator may seek payment from the mailer or USPS.
Under the updated International Mail Manual, where a destination requires DDP, you must use a DDP solution and ensure applicable charges are paid on time. If a destination authority, postal operator, broker or representative seeks unpaid charges from you or USPS, USPS can invoice you for the outstanding amount.
Understand which shipments are affected
This change is most relevant when you mail goods from the US to another country using USPS. It can affect sellers based outside the US if they use US fulfilment and USPS to send orders abroad.
For example, a UK business selling to EU customers from US-held inventory could face an invoice if an EU postal operator cannot recover charges from the buyer. Using a US LLC or a US fulfilment provider does not, by itself, remove the mailer’s responsibility under the USPS rule.
The rule is not a general change to every parcel shipped to a US customer. If your business ships goods from the UK or another country into the US, US import requirements still apply, but the USPS rule described here concerns unpaid customs charges on outbound USPS mail. It is also separate from US Customs and Border Protection’s low-value shipment rules, including Entry Type 13.
If you operate across several routes, review each one separately. Your role as seller, shipper or importer of record can vary by shipment and arrangement. US importers of record should not assume that this USPS rule replaces or changes their separate US customs responsibilities.
Prepare for invoices, interest and limited dispute rights
The practical risk is a post-shipment bill that is difficult to challenge through USPS. Under the new rules:
- You must pay the full USPS invoice according to its terms, even if you dispute the destination country’s assessment.
- Your responsibility remains even if the parcel is lost, damaged, returned or not delivered.
- Overdue balances accrue interest at 6% per year until paid. USPS may also seek collection costs where permitted by law.
- You can raise USPS invoicing or accounting errors with USPS. But disputes about the foreign authority’s or postal operator’s charge must be directed to that party, without USPS involvement.
- Import fees may apply even when no duty or tax is due. They can include charges imposed for customs processing and clearance by postal operators, brokers, government agencies and other service providers.
Postage does not include duties, taxes or import fees. USPS may invoice you when applicable charges have not been paid in full through USPS DDP.
Use this checklist before your next international shipment
Take these steps now to reduce surprise costs and avoid delays:
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Check destination requirements. Confirm whether each country or postal operator requires DDP for your goods and route. Requirements can vary by destination and may change. Where DDP is required, use an approved USPS DDP option if available.
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Review your checkout and pricing. Decide how applicable duties, VAT and import fees will be handled. If you offer DDP, build the expected costs into your pricing or checkout process so customers understand the landed cost. If you do not offer DDP, make the buyer’s potential charges clear, but remember that this may not satisfy a destination’s DDP requirement.
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Check customs data before dispatch. Make sure product descriptions, values and other required electronic customs information are complete and accurate. Provide required documents on time. Errors or missing information can lead to extra charges, returns or other consequences.
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Keep shipment records together. Retain order details, customs declarations, postage and DDP records, destination assessments, tracking updates and customer communications. These records will help you investigate a charge and identify where a process needs fixing.
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Monitor and reconcile USPS invoices. Assign someone to receive and review invoices promptly. Match each charge to the shipment and destination assessment. Pay the invoice by its due date, even if you are separately challenging the foreign assessment, to avoid interest and potential collection costs.
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Escalate disputes to the right party. If USPS has made an accounting error, raise it with USPS. If you disagree with the underlying duty, tax or fee, contact the destination customs authority, postal operator, broker or representative that assessed it.
The USPS says it may make a corresponding adjustment or refund if it later receives a cancellation, refund or credit for a charge you already paid, where doing so is practical. Keep your records so you can identify and follow up on any eligible adjustment.
Add the rule to your cross-border compliance process
Treat this as an operational change, not just a postage issue. Update shipping procedures, checkout information and invoice reviews for any route where you use USPS to send goods overseas. If a third-party fulfilment provider prepares your shipments, confirm who is responsible for customs data, DDP selection and responding to invoices.
UK businesses managing US stock and international orders may also need to coordinate shipment records with their regular bookkeeping and indirect-tax reporting. An ecommerce accountant UK can help keep those records organized alongside your wider compliance workflow. For context on UK-to-US fulfilment, see our guide to Amazon FBA from the UK to the USA.
USPS is accepting comments on the interim final rule through November 18, 2026. The Federal Register notice gives the submission details, including the email subject line “Customs Requirements and Payment Procedures.”
Frequently asked questions
When did the USPS customs-charge rule take effect?
It took effect on October 19, 2026. Comments are due by November 18, 2026.
Can USPS invoice me if the customer has not paid the customs charges?
Yes. If a destination party seeks unpaid duties, taxes or import fees from you or USPS, USPS may invoice you for the amount not paid in full.
Can I refuse to pay while I dispute the foreign charge?
No. You must pay the full USPS invoice according to its terms, even if you dispute the destination country’s assessment. Overdue balances accrue interest at 6% per year until paid, and USPS may also seek collection costs where permitted by law. Disputes about the foreign authority’s or postal operator’s charge must be directed to that party, without USPS involvement.