U.S. shoppers can no longer safely assume an overseas order priced below $800 will enter free of customs charges. That old shortcut can fail.
In 2026, a Federal Register interim final rule on the indefinite suspension of de minimis states that the suspension covers merchandise arriving through all modes other than the international postal network. That scope matters. A courier or commercial-freight parcel should not be treated as duty-free simply because it is inexpensive.
International postal shipments need a separate check. The non-postal rule does not, by itself, promise that every international-mail package enters free, so confirm the shipping method and current entry process with the seller, carrier, or postal operator before you buy.
This guidance is for goods entering the United States for a U.S. consumer. It does not calculate EU, UK, Canadian, or other countries' import charges.
Why the $800 threshold no longer settles the question
The rule does not put one flat fee on every package. Customs treatment can still depend on the product's classification, its declared country of origin, the entry method, and any extra tariff that applies.
The same federal rule refers to additional duties imposed under Section 232, Section 201, and Section 301 as examples of charges that may apply apart from a base tariff rate. A product with a low base rate can still require more review.
Price is only one detail.
Postal and courier delivery are not interchangeable. Turns out, a marketplace listing may name a carrier without clearly showing whether the parcel will move through an international postal network or a commercial courier service. Ask before checkout if that distinction is unclear.
Separate government duties from carrier charges
A notice labeled "customs fees" may include more than one kind of charge. Get an itemized bill before you decide whether it looks wrong.
| Line on the bill | What it may represent | What to request |
|---|---|---|
| Customs duty or import duty | A government assessment tied to the imported goods | The tariff classification, declared origin, and entry number |
| Additional tariff | A separate product-based or origin-based duty | The tariff authority or tariff line used |
| Brokerage, clearance, or disbursement fee | A carrier's private service or payment-advance charge | The carrier's fee name, amount, and applicable terms |
| Import charge collected at checkout | A seller or marketplace collection arrangement | The order terms and receipt showing whether it was final or estimated |
None of these labels mean the same thing.
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is the official tariff schedule used for U.S. classifications. It can help you understand the tariff language, but a generic product name is not always enough to identify the right classification.
Country of origin also matters. A package may leave a warehouse in one country while having a different declared origin, so do not treat the ship-from address as proof of origin.
An informal entry is not a duty-free promise
CBP's Internet Purchases guidance says goods valued below $2,500 and shipped by mail or freight may, in most cases, be imported as informal entries. That describes an entry process. It is not a blanket exemption from duties, other import requirements, or carrier charges.
Traveler exemptions are different too. 19 CFR Part 148 covers personal declarations and exemptions for people entering the United States as travelers. It does not answer whether a package ordered online can clear without charges.
Thing is, online shopping advice often mixes up travel rules, old low-value package rules, and carrier policies. They are separate systems.
Check a few details before you place the order
Find out how the seller will actually ship the item. "International shipping available" is not enough. Ask whether the order will arrive through an international postal service, a courier, or freight.
Read the checkout wording carefully. If the site says it collects import charges, save a screenshot and note whether the amount is described as estimated, prepaid, or final. Also ask who will be named as importer of record if the seller's terms do not say.
Check the product description for material, purpose, quantity, and country of origin. Those details can matter more than a broad label such as "accessory" or "electronics."
Read the return terms before payment. A seller's free-shipping promotion does not necessarily cover a later carrier invoice, return freight, storage, or charges that arise after a refused delivery.
To be honest, this feels fussy for a small order, but a saved product page, checkout screen, and email about who pays import charges can stop a very circular argument later, when the seller points to the carrier, the carrier points to customs, and the parcel is already waiting somewhere.
Keep the order confirmation, item listing, payment receipt, tracking record, carrier bill, and messages in one folder.
If a carrier asks you to pay
Act promptly, especially if the notice mentions a delivery, storage, or return deadline. Do not pay through an unexpected text-message link. Open the carrier's known tracking page or contact number independently first.
- Read every line on the bill and separate government duty from carrier service fees.
- Ask the carrier for the entry number, tariff classification, declared country of origin, and a full fee breakdown.
- Compare those details with your order confirmation, product listing, invoice, and shipping record.
- Ask whether the amount must be paid before release or whether the carrier is seeking reimbursement for charges it has already advanced.
- Contact the seller if its checkout terms said duties or import charges were included.
- Before refusing delivery, get written information about return shipping, storage, disposal, and any possible refund under the seller's policy.
A refused package does not automatically create a refund right. The seller's return terms and the carrier's handling rules still matter.
How to question an incorrect charge
Start with the party that appears to control the disputed amount. If the bill is a carrier brokerage or disbursement fee, the carrier's billing team is the first place to request a review. Send the itemized invoice, tracking number, and the shipping terms you saved.
If a seller promised that import charges were included, use the seller's or marketplace's own dispute or refund process. A customs protest does not decide whether a seller honored its checkout promise.
If you believe the government assessment used the wrong classification, origin, value, or tariff authority, ask for the entry number and find out who is listed as importer of record. That person, or the customs broker handling the entry, may be the one able to seek a correction.
For covered CBP decisions on entries made on or after December 18, 2004, 19 CFR Part 174 sets a 180-day protest period. The rule is tied to CBP decisions and liquidation, not simply to the day your package arrived. Do not assume a delivery date is the protest deadline.
A CBP protest is not a general complaint route for a slow delivery, a private carrier fee, or a marketplace refund dispute. Those are separate tracks.
Do not borrow thresholds from another country
A duty or VAT threshold from an EU or UK article cannot predict what a U.S.-bound package will cost. The destination country's import rules control at the border.
The same is true for personal travel allowances. A person carrying an item home after travel and a seller shipping that item to a U.S. address are not in the same customs situation.
No online calculator can reliably quote a final charge from the purchase price alone. It needs the actual item, classification, origin, shipping method, and applicable charges.
Keep one small record for each international order
Save the seller's import-charge wording before checkout, then keep any carrier invoice and entry details that follow. On your next overseas purchase, confirm the shipping method and who pays import charges before placing the order. If a bill arrives later, request the classification, origin, entry number, and itemized fees before deciding whether the carrier, seller, or customs entry needs attention.