Question 1

When do you need a commercial invoice?

Accepted Answer

A commercial invoice is required for all cross border shipments that include goods.

Question 2

When do you NOT need a commercial invoice?

Accepted Answer

You do not need a commercial invoice when shipping documents (written, typed, or printed communications).

Question 3

What happens if you do not send a commercial invoice?

Accepted Answer

The shipper, who is oftentimes the seller (exporter), issues the commercial invoice.

Question 4

Who is responsible for the commercial invoice?

Accepted Answer

Import fees can be complicated.  They can be applied by brokers, government agencies, customs, and carriers. They can vary based on many different factors like the type of good or even the shipping service level that was used on the import. Zonos can do the heavy lifting for you when calculating import fees.  Zonos Landed Cost, International Checkout, and Quoter can all calculate import fees as part of a total landed cost calculation.

Question 5

What information is required on a commercial invoice?

Accepted Answer

All eight fields may be required on a commercial invoice. Depending on the country, different fields are required and some fields are prioritized over others. To be safe, Zonos recommends filling out every field to ensure a smooth shipping process and avoid hold-ups and shipping delay costs.

Question 6

How do you show a discount on a commercial invoice?

Accepted Answer

Discounting items can be tricky when you consider the possibility that customs may not accept the discount on the commercial invoice. If you offer coupons or discounts in your cart, this may also cause a reconciliation issue between your order total and commercial invoice total. Learn how to fill out a commercial invoice promo code, discount, bogo, or free shipping, here.

Question 7

Which countries don’t accept commercial invoices?

Accepted Answer

All countries accept commercial invoices.

Question 8

Do you need a commercial invoice to ship to Puerto Rico?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Even if you are shipping from the United States and the package doesn't not need to go through customs because it is a domestic package, Puerto Rico still requires a commercial invoice.

Question 9

Do you need a commercial invoice to ship to Canada?

Accepted Answer

You must include either a commercial invoice or a Canada customs invoice. The documents are very similar, and Canada allows either to be used. Both are not necessary.

Question 10

How does a CN22 differ from a commercial invoice? When do I need a CN22?

Accepted Answer

CN22s and commercial invoices both give customs information about what goods are entering and leaving a country. However, these two forms are very different and should not be mixed up. CN22s require less information for customs clearance. CN22s are typically sent through a postal clearance rather than a commercial clearance.