There is a second charge on the way. Is your customer expecting it?

Nothing reaches the US without a landed cost. Does your checkout have one?

Ascent covers Europe and the USA.

Talk to us about your data

The box is rarely opened. The declaration always is, which is why it’s so important that the data is correct before the parcel moves.

Landed cost

Checkout Madrid

Item value
£25.00
Postage
£5.50
Duty (€3 flat)
£2.60
Import VAT, 21%
£6.95

Total to pay£40.05

Calculating duty and import VAT Committed at checkout

Checkout New York

Duties and import charges
Included

On arrivalNothing to pay

Calculating landed cost Committed at checkout

Address validation

Ship to Label

14 Calle de Serano Serrano
Madrid 28OO1 28001
Spain

Checking the address against the lane Deliverable as printed

Ship to Label

88 Orchad Orchard Street
New York, NY 1OOO2 10002
United States

Checking the address against the lane Deliverable as printed

Customs data

Customs declaration

Description
“Cotton knitwear”Jumper, 60% acrylic 40% cotton
HS code
6110.206110.30
Value
£25.00

Checking code, description and value Matches the item in the box

US customs entry

Description
“Knitwear”Women’s pullover, knitted, 60% acrylic 40% cotton
HTS code
6110.206110.30.3020
Origin
Not declaredUnited Kingdom
Value
£25.00

Checking code, description, origin and value Matches the item in the box

The declaration decides the outcome. Ascent gets it right before the label.

EuropePaid at the door · London to Madrid

  • Without AscentThe parcel travels, then your customer is charged £17.55 at the door.
  • With Ascent£40.05 paid at checkout, all in. Nothing to pay at the door.
See the Madrid example

United StatesPaid before it flies · London to New York

  • Without AscentThe parcel does not travel. The order is cancelled and the sale is lost.
  • With AscentCleared before it flies. Delivered, nothing owing.
See the New York example

Follow one order through, step by step.

There is a second charge on the way. Is your customer expecting it?

Order placed Label generated Despatched The border Delivered Weeks later
With Ascent
The decisionon the documentation, before the label
Kept
Without
Held The decisionon the documentation, at the border
Returned

The same basket both ways: a jumper, £25.00 goods, London to Madrid.

Without Ascent

What they think they pay£30.50

goods and postage only

What hits them at the door+£17.55
Customs detail Address, failedHS code, failedDescription, failedValue, passed
  • Nothing checked at checkout.
  • No landed cost shown. £30.50 taken.
  • Despatched on an unchecked declaration.
  • Held at the border. £17.55 demanded.
  • Still held while the other one is delivered.
  • Returned to sender, or £8.00 more than it needed to cost.

With Ascent

Paid at checkout, all in£40.05

deliverydutyimport VAT

At the door£0.00
Customs detail Address, passedHS code, passedDescription, passedValue, passed
  • Data checked at checkout. All four fields passed.
  • Landed cost committed. £40.05 taken.
  • Despatched on our own network, on a compliant declaration.
  • Through the border without stopping.
  • Delivered. Nothing owing.
  • Closed. No charge, no refund, no return.

The worked example uses illustrative figures: the EU’s €3 low-value duty, an illustrative exchange rate and Spain’s headline VAT rate. Ascent commits to the real classification, your contracted rates and the rules in force on the day.

Nothing reaches the US without a landed cost. Does your checkout have one?

Order placed Label generated Despatched The border Delivered Weeks later
With Ascent
The decisionon the documentation, before the label
Kept
Without
Not accepted The decisionon the documentation, before it travels
Cancelled

The same basket both ways: a women’s jumper, made in the UK, £25.00 goods, London to New York.

Without Ascent

CheckoutNo landed cost

goods and postage only

Cleared to travelNo
Customs detail Address, failedHTS code, failedDescription, failedOrigin, failed
  • Nothing checked at checkout.
  • No landed cost. Goods and postage taken.
  • Six-digit code and no origin. No US entry possible.
  • Not accepted for the US. It does not travel.
  • Still in London while the other one is delivered.
  • Cancelled and refunded. The sale is lost.

With Ascent

CheckoutLanded cost committed

duties and import charges included

Cleared to travelYes
Customs detail Address, passedHTS code, passedDescription, passedOrigin, passed
  • Data checked at checkout. All four fields passed.
  • Landed cost committed at checkout.
  • Cleared for the US on a compliant declaration.
  • Through US customs without stopping.
  • Delivered. Nothing owing.
  • Closed. No charge, no refund, no return.

The worked example is illustrative. State sales tax is excluded. Ascent commits to the real classification, your contracted rates and the rules in force on the day.

Every shipment requires clearance. Ascent lets you decide when that happens: before the parcel has moved, whilst changes are still free, or on a customs officer’s desk two weeks on, with your customer waiting.

If the parcel comes back. The cost does not.

A refused delivery is not a delivery problem. It is four of your own lines, and none of them sit with the carrier who caused it.

  • The saleRefunded in full, including the postage you had already paid to send it.
  • The carriagePaid twice over. Once to send it out, and again to get it back.
  • The goodsOut of your hands for weeks, and not always saleable by the time they are back in them.
  • The customerAsked for money by a stranger, for something they bought from you.