ACE ACH Refund Setup: Important Information for Importers
Reminder: CBP Electronic Refunds via ACH Now Active — Action Required
Effective February 6, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will issue refunds only via ACH electronic payment. Paper checks will be discontinued except in limited circumstances.
To avoid delays and ensure you receive duty and overpayment refunds promptly, please review the options below.
Refund Setup Options
CBP requires importers (both U.S. and foreign) to be set up for ACH refunds in one of two ways:
Set up your own refund method in the ACE Portal, OR
Authorize a third party (such as your customs broker) to receive refunds on your behalf.
An ACE Portal account is optional unless you want to manage your own refund setup directly. Although Customs does strongly encourage Importers to have their own ACE account.
Option A — Importer Uses Their Own U.S. Bank Account
Both U.S. and foreign importers may receive refunds directly from CBP by adding their own U.S. bank account in ACE.
Steps:
Log in to (or create) your ACE Portal account.
Go to Importer → ACH Refund Authorization.
Add your U.S. bank account information.
Result: Refunds will be deposited directly into your account.
No broker action is needed.
Option B — A Third Party Receives Refunds on Your Behalf (Commonly used by Foreign Importers of Record)
If you do not have a U.S. bank account, or if you prefer a third party to manage refunds, you may authorize your customs broker—such as Janel Group LLC—to receive refunds through our ACH account and remit funds to you.
There are two ways to authorize a third party:
1. Assign a Notify Party in the ACE Portal (Recommended if you already have an ACE account)
Log in to your ACE Portal.
Add Janel Group LLC as your Authorized Notify Party.
Janel completes the ACH refund setup within ACE.
CBP issues refunds to Janel via ACH.
Janel promptly remits funds to you.
2. Submit CBP Form 4811 (Notify Party Form) (Common if you do not have an ACE account)
A CBP Form 4811 may be completed and signed
by the importer, or
by Janel Group on the importer’s behalf
This authorizes Janel Group as the notify party to receive refunds.
CBP will issue refunds to Janel via ACH, and Janel will remit the funds to you.
If No Setup Is Completed
If neither:
Your own ACH refund setup, nor Third‑party authorization (ACE Notify Party or Form 4811) is established.
CBP will hold your refund in a suspense account until a setup is completed.
No interest will accrue during the time the refund is held.
CBP Resources: ACE Portal Access and ACH Refund Enrollment
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Updated February 11, 2026: ACE Portal and ACH Refunds FAQs
Reference Sheet: ACH Refund Enrollment Overview
January/February User Support Call Information: ACH Refund Enrollment Support Call Schedule
Information Notice: ACE Portal Updates to Enable Electronic Refund Enrollment
Information Notice: Automated ACE Portal Application for Importer Accounts
Information Notice: ACE Portal Feature for Trade Users to Add Notify Parties
Training Guide: ACH Refund Enrollment in the ACE Portal
Training Guide: ACE Portal Feature to Add Notify Parties
We will continue monitoring all developing trade deals and will notify you as soon as official guidance is issued.
For assistance and additional questions, please reach out to Janel Group's Compliance Team or a Janel Group Representative.
Director of Trade Compliance
Senior Compliance Analyst