USPS Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) Service
U.S. Senders: Prepay Import Duties, Taxes, & Fees
When you send packages to other countries, the receiving country will apply import duties (tariffs or taxes on goods that cross international borders), taxes, and fees that must be paid before the recipient can get their package. (There are a few specific exceptions.)
These extra costs can be a confusing and unexpected surprise for recipients.
For U.S. senders shipping certain items to eligible destination countries (currently Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom), USPS has a new service that lets you pay those costs in advance.
USPS® Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) service allows senders and recipients to understand the total cost of delivery upfront.
If you don't prepay those costs, the recipient will have to pay before they can get their package.
Eligible Destination Countries
You can use USDP DDP service when you ship via Priority Mail Express International, Priority Mail International, and First-Class Package International Service to the following destinations:
- Canada
- United Kingdom (UK)
- Germany
Note: More countries are expected to be added in the future. For details, see the International Mail Manual.
Benefits of USPS Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) for Senders & Recipients
USPS DDP can help to improve transparency and convenience for a smooth international shipping experience.
- Transparency: Understand the total cost of shipping up front
- Convenience: Minimize the need for recipients to visit customs offices or handle post-delivery payments
- Smooth Delivery: Reduce likelihood of rejected or abandoned international shipments, and potentially improve delivery times and streamline customs clearance
Benefits for Consumer-to-Consumer (Personal) Shipping
Give the Gift of Smooth Delivery
For many countries, even everyday personal gifts can be subject to import duties, taxes, or fees when valued above a certain amount. Save your recipient from having to pay these amounts upon delivery. By electing to prepay these amounts, your recipient can accept and enjoy their package right away.
Note: USPS DDP may not be available for certain low-value shipments.
Guarantee Landed Costs
The USPS DDP service includes a Landed Cost Guarantee, which ensures that if a foreign customs authority assesses import duties, taxes, and fees to be higher than the amount the customer already paid, then the USPS DDP service provider will cover the outstanding cost, subject to limitations. Please see the service provider's terms of service for details.
Benefits for Businesses & Their Customers
Deliver Efficiently
Streamline your cross-border transactions and eliminate the "surprise" aspect of import duties and taxes. This can help reduce the number of returned and rejected packages.
Improve Customer Service
Ecommerce merchants can reduce the administrative burden on customers and build trust that can help turn international shoppers into repeat customers.
Maintain a Competitive Edge
- For small and medium-sized businesses, leveraging the USPS network and USPS DDP empowers you to meet the shifting market landscape.
- For software providers that service ecommerce merchants, the ability to facilitate the prepayment of import duties, taxes, and fees can help make your ecommerce platform a more attractive choice.
How USPS Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) Service Works
I’m a Retail Customer Using Click-N-Ship or Shipping from a Post Office
- When you ship online using the Click-N-Ship® service or use the counter at your local Post Office™ location to ship certain items to an eligible destination country, USPS will automatically calculate import duties, taxes, and fees.
- You will have the option to prepay those costs and accept the USPS DDP service provider's terms of service:
- If you opt in, the import duties, taxes, fees, and a third-party service fee will be added to the cost of postage (and any extra services you chose). Your package will be shipped to your recipient with no additional payment needed for import duties, taxes, and fees, subject to limitations.
- If you opt out, the import duties, taxes, and fees will become the responsibility of the recipient. They will have to pay using their country’s process before they can get the package.
Note: USPS DDP may not be available to ship certain low-value items, unless you are a business shipping to a customer.
I'm a Business Shipper Using Click-N-Ship or GSS
- When you use Click-N-Ship® service or Global Shipping Software (GSS) single-label generation to ship certain items to an eligible destination country, USPS will automatically calculate import duties, taxes, and fees.
- You will have the option to prepay those costs and accept the USPS service provider’s terms of service:
- If you opt in, the import duties, taxes, fees, and a third-party service fee will be added to the cost of postage (and any extra services you chose). Your package will be shipped to your recipient with no additional payment needed for import duties, taxes, and fees, subject to limitations.
- If you opt out, the import duties, taxes, and fees will become the responsibility of the recipient. They will have to pay using their country’s process before they can get the package.
Note: USPS DDP may not be available to ship certain low-value items, unless you are a business shipping to a customer.
I’m a Business Using USPS APIs in an Ecommerce System
USPS DDP is available for EMAS and GSS Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
New data fields unique to the USPS DDP service are noted below; businesses will otherwise follow the standard mail process for API calls.
For platforms using EMAS (Enterprise Microservice & API Systems) APIs:
- The business customer calls the international pricing API and sets DutiesTaxesFees to true to receive a quote for import duties, taxes, fees, and a third-party service fee.
- To pay the quoted amount, the business customer will call a separate, international labels API and set PrepayDutiesTaxesFees to true.
- Customers who do not want to use USPS DDP should keep this field as the default false.
For platforms using GSS (Global Shipping Software) APIs:
- Mailers can sign up for the USPS DDP service by emailing the GSS Helpdesk or by setting payDDPIfApplicable to true and calling the LabelAndProcessPackage or LoadPackageData APIs.
- After mailers call these APIs, GSS will calculate the import duties, taxes, fees, and a third-party service fee, and create a USPS DDP label for mailers.
- Finally, the customer’s payment account will be charged for the calculated amounts, alongside postage and any extra services (e.g., insurance).
Note: To use USPS DDP, the USPS API customer must agree to the USPS DDP service provider's terms of service, and must certify that they will use USPS DDP solely to ship goods to customers. If the USPS API customer operates a marketplace, shipping platform, or otherwise enables third parties to use USPS DDP, the customer must flow these requirements down to such third parties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who does this new service impact?
As of January 2026, the USPS DDP service will be offered to USPS customers who use USPS APIs (EMAS), Global Shipping Software (GSS), or Click-N-Ship®, or who visit a USPS retail location, to ship certain outbound international packages from the U.S to Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Limitations may apply; check the International Mail Manual for exclusions.
Will this service be added for additional destination countries?
Right now, the ability to prepay import duties, taxes, and fees is only offered for outbound packages shipping to Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Additional destination countries are expected to be added in the future.
Am I required to prepay duties and taxes?
No. Customers shipping to the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany can either elect to prepay import duties, taxes, and fees or decline to pay in advance. Prepayment is not a requirement.
What is included in the cost of import duties, taxes, and fees?
When we talk about "prepaid duties", we refer to advance payment of 3 separate components: duties, taxes, and fees.
- Duties and taxes: Amounts charged by foreign customs authority based on the item’s value, tariff code, and associated importation laws and other information.
- Fees: Collection of separate fees, including customs processing fees, foreign postal operator fees, and the USPS DDP service provider's fee.
How can I calculate the duties, taxes, and fees for my shipment?
- USPS systems like Click-N-Ship® service, Global Shipping Software (GSS), Retail Systems Software (RSS, used at Post Office retail locations), and USPS APIs will calculate these automatically as part of the international shipping process for eligible shipments.
Does USPS offer a prepaid duties and taxes service for inbound international mail?
- USPS does not currently offer the ability to prepay duties and taxes for inbound international mail and packages.
Is USPS DDP available to mailers who generate their own manifest?
- No, USPS DDP is only available through USPS systems. Customers who create their own shipping manifests and/or pay for their mail via permit or PostalOne! will not be able to access this service.
What happens if import duties, taxes, and fees are charged again at delivery even though I prepaid them through USPS DDP?
- If a recipient is mistakenly charged for import duties, taxes, and fees by their local postal operator despite the shipment being sent using USPS DDP, contact the USPS DDP service provider at support@zonos.com.
Is there a fee for USPS DDP?
- The Postal Service does not charge a fee for USPS DDP, but the USPS DDP service provider charges a fee that is included in the total duty, tax, and fee amount quoted to the customer at the time of mailing. For more information, see the service provider’s terms of service found at: https://zonos.com/docs/legal/usps-terms-of-service.
Does USPS DDP come with a guarantee?
- Yes, when a customer opts to use USPS DDP, the USPS DDP service provider guarantees the accuracy of the total import duty, tax, and fee amount that is quoted to the customer subject to the terms and limitations set forth in the USPS DDP service provider’s terms of service found at: https://zonos.com/docs/legal/usps-terms-of-service. In the event the actual import duties, taxes, and fees charged during customs clearance are more than the amount quoted, the USPS DDP service provider will cover the difference unless the amount is subject to a limitation and not covered by the guarantee, in which case the customer agrees to pay the USPS DDP service provider the balance due. If the actual import duties, taxes, and fees are less than the amount paid by the customer, the customer will not receive a refund as any excess shall be deemed fully earned and payable to the USPS’s DDP service provider. For more information on the guarantee, review the International Mail Manual (IMM).
Is USPS DDP available with all USPS products?
No. USPS DDP is available with select international services:
- First-Class Package International Service (FCPIS)
- Priority Mail International (PMI)
- Priority Mail Express International (PMEI)
What if my shipment is undeliverable or refused at the time of delivery?
- Import duties, taxes, and fees are ineligible for a refund unless otherwise specified in the USPS DDP service provider’s terms of service found at: https://zonos.com/docs/legal/usps-terms-of-service.