How Much Do Brokers Charge for CAPE Filing?

TL;DR – Market rates for CAPE filing run approximately $100 per entry, $1,500 flat for smaller accounts, or 3–6% of the refund as a success fee. If a broker quotes you more than 6%, compare alternatives before committing. The technical work involved is modest – a one-column CSV upload – and self-filing is straightforward if you have ACE Portal access.

Market Rates as of April 2026

Three pricing models are in use across the broker market right now:

Per-entry fee – approximately $100 per entry. Works well if you have a small number of entries with large duty amounts. Gets expensive quickly if you have dozens of entries with smaller amounts.

Flat fee – approximately $1,500 for smaller accounts. Some brokers offer this for importers with up to 20–30 entries. Predictable cost, but may be overpriced if your refund is modest.

Success fee – 3–6% of the estimated refund amount. The most common model being quoted in April 2026. Aligns incentives – the broker only earns if you get paid. The wide range (3% vs 6%) reflects significant variation in market pricing right now.

These figures come from broker forums and r/CustomsBroker and r/Tariffs discussions in April 2026. They represent what brokers are actually quoting, not published rate cards.

How to Evaluate a Quote

Before accepting a quote, run through this math:

Pull your estimated refund total from your ES-003 – filter for 9903.01 and 9903.02 codes and sum the Duty Amount column. Count your eligible entries.

Then compare models: if your estimated refund is $10,000 and a broker quotes 5%, that's $500. If you have 8 entries, a $100/entry model is also $800. A flat $1,500 fee would be the worst option at that size.

Red flags worth noting:

Success fees above 6% are above-market for straightforward CAPE filing
Large upfront retainers before any work begins
Brokers who quote a percentage without knowing your refund amount – they haven't looked at your data yet

Green flags:

Broker asks for your ES-003 before quoting
Clear statement of what's included – entry review, CSV preparation, submission, monitoring
Offers a fixed cap on the success fee for large refunds

What the Broker Actually Does

Understanding the work involved helps calibrate what a fair fee looks like.

For a straightforward CAPE filing, the process is: pull your ES-003, filter for eligible entries, build a one-column CSV with entry numbers, upload to ACE Portal, submit. For an account with 20–50 entries and clean data, this is roughly 1–3 hours of work.

Brokers add meaningful value in specific situations: if you have a high volume of entries (hundreds or thousands), if your entries have complex multi-code situations (multiple 9903 codes on one entry), if you need someone to handle the ACE Portal setup on your behalf, or if you simply don't have time to deal with it.

For a small importer with fewer than 30 entries and a clear ES-003 file, the technical barrier to self-filing is low.

Self-Filing – What You Need

To file CAPE yourself you need three things:

An ACE Portal importer account with an Importer sub-account view – see ACE Portal Setup Guide for setup instructions including the common issues that slow down the process.

Your ES-003 report with Liquidation Status and Liquidation Date fields included – see How to Pull the ES-003 Report.

A one-column CSV with your eligible entry numbers – see How to File a CAPE Declaration for the exact format and submission steps.

If building and filtering the CSV from your ES-003 is the part you want help with, that's exactly what Liberefund automates – upload your ES-003 and it generates the CAPE-ready CSV for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a success fee or flat fee better for me? It depends on your refund size. For large refunds, a flat fee is better – you keep more. For smaller refunds where you're not sure about eligibility, a success fee is lower risk since you pay nothing if the refund doesn't come through. Run the math on your estimated refund amount before deciding.

Can a broker guarantee I'll get the refund? No legitimate broker can guarantee a CBP outcome. What they can guarantee is that they'll file correctly and on time. The refund itself depends on CBP processing and your entries meeting the eligibility requirements. Be skeptical of any broker promising a specific outcome.

What is Form 4811 and do I need it? Form 4811 designates a third party – typically your broker – as the recipient of your refund payment. You need it only if you want your broker to receive the refund on your behalf rather than having CBP pay you directly. If you want the money in your own bank account, you don't need Form 4811 – just ensure your own ACH enrollment is active in ACE Portal.

Should I hire a lawyer instead of a broker? For straightforward CAPE Phase 1 filing, a licensed customs broker is sufficient – you don't need a lawyer. Lawyers become relevant if you're filing Form 19 protests on a large volume of entries, if your situation involves AD/CVD complications, or if you're considering litigation. For standard CAPE, a broker or self-filing is the right track.