CBP electronic refunds: what drawback claimants must set up by February 6, 2026

As of February 6, 2026, CBP issues refunds electronically by default. That includes drawback refunds. Paper Treasury checks are the exception, available only with an approved waiver under 31 CFR part 208.

If your importer of record, or any third party designated on CBP Form 4811, is not enrolled for ACH refunds, certified refunds can fail to deliver. For drawback programs that depend on accelerated payment or timely liquidation refunds, enrollment is part of claim readiness, not a finance afterthought.

The rule in one paragraph

CBP published an interim final rule on January 2, 2026, effective February 6, 2026. Subject to limited exceptions, CBP will issue all refunds electronically. The rule aligns CBP practice with 31 U.S.C. § 3332, the Treasury electronic-funds-transfer framework in 31 CFR part 208, and Executive Order 14247 on modernizing federal payments.

CBP's ACH Refund page states the operational requirement clearly: after enrolling, refunds deposit directly to the designated U.S. bank account, replacing the paper-check deposit process and its fraud, delay, and undeliverable-mail risk.

What drawback claimants must set up

ACE Portal account

If the payee does not already have an ACE Portal account, create one. CBP's IFR and ACH Refund guidance both treat portal access as the front door for importer, broker, filer, surety, service provider, FTZ operator, facility operator, and carrier enrollments.

ACH Refund Authorization tab

Effective February 6, 2026, ACE Portal account users enroll and authorize ACH refunds through the ACH Refund Authorization tab. Provide a U.S. bank account and U.S. bank routing number tied to the correct federally assigned TIN, SSN, or CBP-assigned number.

If more than one suffix code exists for a federal TIN, CBP requires a separate enrollment for each TIN-plus-suffix combination.

Trade Account Owner (TAO) access

Account owners can complete the application themselves or authorize another trade account user to use the ACH Refund Authorization tab. Confirm TAO permissions before claim certification week, not after a refund rejects.

CBP Form 4811 third parties

Form 4811 designations remain valid for third-party refund routing, but the designated third party must also enroll in ACH. CBP's IFR states that a Form 4811 on file before the rule's effective date remains a valid third-party designation for electronic refunds. The third party still needs ACH enrollment. If the third party is not an ACH participant, the refund defaults to the importer's ACH account when that account is available.

What happens if bank information is missing

Importers have an obligation under 31 U.S.C. § 3332(g) to provide the banking information needed for electronic refunds. Failure to provide the required ACH information can cause a certified refund to be rejected.

Interest nuance from the IFR: if CBP certifies a refund for issuance within 30 days of liquidation or reliquidation, but cannot deliver the electronic refund solely because the importer or designated third party failed to provide banking information, no interest accrues under 19 U.S.C. § 1505(d).

For rejected refunds, complete the ACH Refund application and notify CBP's refund support channel to confirm completion and request issuance to the designated bank account. CBP's IFR identifies frn-achrefundsupport@cbp.dhs.gov for that follow-up. CBP's ACH Refund page also lists enrollment helpdesk contacts for portal and routing-number issues.

Waivers for paper checks

Paper checks are not the backup plan for "we did not enroll." They are limited to waiver criteria in 31 CFR 208.4. CBP's Revenue Division must be notified in writing if an importer believes a waiver applies and wants a Treasury check. The request needs enough information to identify the importer, the pending refunds, and the specific waiver provision relied on.

Executive Order 14247 context

EO 14247 directed a transition from paper checks toward electronic federal payments to reduce fraud and improve efficiency. CBP's IFR and ACH Refund materials expressly situate the February 6, 2026 change inside that mandate. For trade compliance teams, the policy story matters less than the filing dependency: no usable ACH profile, no reliable electronic refund.

Drawback-specific readiness checklist

• Confirm each drawback IOR has an active ACE Portal account.
• Complete the ACH Refund Authorization tab with a U.S. bank account.
• If Form 4811 names a broker or other third party, confirm that party’s ACH enrollment too.
• Reconcile TIN suffix enrollments where multiple suffixes exist.
• Use ACE refund reporting (including REV-603 where available) to spot returned or rejected refunds early.
• Escalate waiver requests only when 31 CFR 208.4 criteria actually apply.

How this interacts with accelerated payment

Accelerated payment is still a drawback privilege path, not a separate refund rail that escapes ACH rules. When CBP pays an accelerated amount or later true-up, the payment is still a CBP refund for purposes of the electronic issuance rule. An importer that is bond-perfect and AP-authorized can still stall if the ACH profile is missing.

Coordinate bond Fatal-error cleanup (see the companion Library article on drawback bond Fatal validations) with ACH enrollment. Fixing only one side leaves money on the table.

Inactive, void, and non-portal edge cases

CBP's ACH Refund page addresses inactive and void ACE Trade accounts: reactivate inactive accounts to enroll; contact CBP Bonds to reactivate voided accounts. Non-portal payees in limited categories may use Pay.gov enrollment paths described on that page. Most drawback claimants will be ordinary ACE Portal trade account users and should stay on the ACH Refund Authorization tab path.

Support contacts to keep in the SOP

• Portal enrollment or update errors: ACE.SUPPORT@cbp.dhs.gov
• Bank routing enrollment issues: ACH Refund Support helpdesk at (317) 298-1200, extension 1178, or GMB.ACHREFUNDSUPPORT@CBP.DHS.GOV
• IFR follow-up on rejected refunds / waiver writing: frn-achrefundsupport@cbp.dhs.gov (as stated in the IFR and CBP ACH materials)

This article is for general information and is not legal or tax advice. Drawback eligibility depends on your specific facts, and final refunds are determined by CBP at liquidation. Consult a licensed customs broker or attorney for your situation.