Most importers pick a customs broker based on one number: the entry fee. It's the figure on the quote, it's what the sales rep talks about, and it's easy to compare. But when the invoices start arriving, the entry fee is often less than half the bill.
That isn't always a scam. Customs clearance involves real work beyond filing the entry. The problem is that the extra lines are rarely explained, rarely negotiated, and rarely compared against what other importers pay.
The lines you'll usually see
Every broker words these differently, but most invoices are built from the same parts:
- Entry or transaction fee. The core charge for preparing and transmitting your customs declaration (a B3 or commercial accounting declaration in Canada, a CBP Form 7501 entry in the US). Often tiered by value or by the number of invoice lines.
- Additional invoice or line charges. A fee for every commercial invoice or tariff line past the first few. A shipment with 40 SKUs can cost far more to clear than one with four.
- Disbursement fee. When your broker pays duties and taxes on your behalf, they charge for fronting the money, usually a percentage of the amount paid. More on this below, because it's where the biggest surprises live.
- Bond or security fees. In the US, a customs bond is mandatory for formal entries. In Canada, importers who want goods released before paying (Release Prior to Payment, or RPP) need security posted with CBSA. Brokers may charge per entry for using their bond, or bill an annual premium.
- Release processing. Pre-arrival processing for trucks (PARS in Canada, PAPS in the US). Some brokers include it, some itemize it.
- Other government agency filings. Food, plants, animals, medical devices and many other goods need extra filings with agencies like CFIA, Health Canada or the FDA. Each can carry its own fee.
- The vague ones. "Misc. handling," "documentation," "admin," "communication fee." These are the lines most worth asking about.
A worked example
Here's how a single truck shipment into Canada can add up. These are illustrative numbers, not quotes from any real broker.
The quote said $95. The invoice says $362. Multiply that gap by 15 shipments a month and you're looking at more than $48,000 a year in fees that never showed up in the comparison you made when you chose the broker.
Why the disbursement fee matters most
A flat fee is predictable. A percentage fee grows with your duty bill, and duty bills have grown fast as tariffs have risen. A 3% disbursement fee on $500 of GST is $15. The same 3% on $20,000 of duty and tax is $600, for the same amount of work on the broker's side.
Many brokers will cap this fee, switch it to a flat charge, or drop it entirely if you pay duties directly (for example through your own CARM account in Canada or ACH in the US). Most importers never ask.
What to do with your own invoices
- Pull your last five to ten broker invoices and list every distinct fee line.
- Work out your true average cost per entry: total fees divided by number of entries. Leave out the duties and taxes themselves, since those go to the government.
- Circle anything you can't explain in one sentence. Ask your broker what it covers.
- Check how the disbursement fee is calculated, and whether you could pay duties directly.
If that sounds like an afternoon you don't have, that's what our free audit is for. Send us the invoices and we'll do the line-by-line comparison for you.