CBP Electronic Refund Changes Effective February 6, 2026

Beginning February 6, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will issue all refunds electronically via Automated Clearing House (ACH), subject to limited exceptions.

This mandatory policy applies to refunds issued to importers, service providers, and any designated third parties owed excess deposits of duties, fees, or interest by CBP. This includes refunds that may result from the pending IEEPA tariff case before the Supreme Court.

After February 6, 2026, CBP will no longer issue refunds by check unless an approved waiver is in place.

How does this affect you?

To receive refunds of duties, taxes or fees from Customs you’ll need to set up electronic payment information in the ACE Portal before February 6. Importers who don’t set up an ACE Portal Account may not receive refunds and accrued interest from CBP.

How to sign up for an ACE Portal Account

Importers and other parties that may receive CBP-issued refunds on or after February 6, 2026, should review CBP’s Electronic Refund Enrollment Reference Sheet and take the necessary steps to prepare for this transition.

  • Importers with ACE Portal Accounts – Importers with an ACE Portal access must log in to ACE and navigate to the new ACH Refund Authorization tab to view, add, or update U.S. bank account information for receiving refunds. See Step 2 of CBP’s Electronic Refund Enrollment Reference Sheet for detailed instructions.
  • Importers without ACE Portal Accounts – Importers who may receive refunds but do not currently have ACE Portal access should use the new automated application to create a top account with importer subaccount view.

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR IMPORTERS SUBMITTING A NEW AUTOMATED APPLICATION: 

  • Enter the required information in the fields and click NEXT.
  • CBP will send a system-generated verification code to the email address that is on file in the CBP Form 5106-Importer ID Form record. The verification code will be valid for 10 minutes.
  • Enter the system-generated code to complete the request.

NOTE: Prior to completing and submitting this form, CBP advises applicants to coordinate with the point of contact listed on the applicable CBP Form 5106 record to ensure timely access to the system-generated verification code. To complete this access request successfully:

  • The Business Email Address provided may not be tied to an existing account owner or account user,
  • The Importer Record Number provided must correspond to an on-file CBP Form 5106 record with a valid email address, and
  • The Company Name provided must match the company name in the CBP Form 5106 record.

*If you do not know the contact listed on the CBP Form 5106-Importer ID Form for your company, our office may be able to assist. Contact us for more assistance.