ACE Portal Account Setup Guide for CAPE Refund Filing

Before you can file a CAPE declaration for your IEEPA tariff refund, you need two things in place: an active ACE Portal account and a registered ACH refund account. This guide covers both.

If your access and ACH setup are already in place, continue with our full ACE Portal CAPE filing guide for the actual upload, validation, and claim-status workflow.

Choose Your Next Step

Use this guide to solve the ACE access problem first. Then move to the next workflow that matches your situation:

If this is your situation	Go here next
Your ACE login is locked, dormant, or missing account access	Reactivate your ACE Portal account before CAPE filing
You can log in and need the upload file format	CAPE CSV upload template example and CBP format rules
Your entries are ready and you need the filing workflow	How to submit a CAPE Declaration in the ACE Portal
You already filed and need to track refund movement	Track your CAPE refund in ACE: ES-022, REV-603, REV-613, REV-615
You are unsure who should file or receive the refund	Request a free assessment

Do not wait for the upload step to discover that the Trade Account Owner, importer of record, ACH refund account, or submitting broker is wrong. Those are setup problems, not CSV problems.

What Is the ACE Portal?

The Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Portal is CBP’s online trade processing system. It’s where importers, brokers, and carriers manage entries, view liquidation status, and — starting with CAPE — file refund declarations.

Access the portal at: ace.cbp.dhs.gov

Who Needs an ACE Account?

CAPE declarations can be filed by:

• Importers of record — the party listed on the entry summary as the importer
• Licensed customs brokers — but only the broker that filed the underlying entry summary on behalf of the importer

If your customs broker already manages your entries in ACE, they can file CAPE declarations on your behalf. You don’t necessarily need your own ACE account — but having access helps you monitor the status of your declarations and refunds.

Step 1: Request ACE Portal Access

If you don’t already have an ACE account, CBP now offers an automated online application for importers (released in October 2025; CBP Publication No. 5228-1025). It creates the Top Account, Trade Account Owner (TAO), and the 5106 Importer Record (IR) view in a single flow:

1. Visit the ACE Secure Data Portal and follow the “Applying for an ACE Secure Data Portal Account” page → Step 3 → Importers link
2. On the Application for an ACE Portal Top Account with the Importer Sub-account View page, enter:
   • Company name
   • Importer Record Number (IR#) — accepts EIN, CBP-assigned IR#, or SSN
   • Business email address (this becomes the Account Owner login)
3. Pass the image CAPTCHA
4. CBP automatically emails a verification code to the Point of Contact (POC) email on your 5106 importer record. The code is valid for 10 minutes.
5. Enter the verification code, complete the remaining account fields, and submit
6. CBP automatically provisions the Top Account, TAO, and Importer view; you receive two confirmation emails

The Single Most Common Failure Point

The 5106 POC email must be current and reachable. If the listed POC has left the company, the verification code goes nowhere and the application stalls.

Update the 5106 POC before you start the application. Your customs broker can update it digitally through the “TF” Importer Create/Update transaction in ACE; on a paper Form 5106 the field is Box 2E.

Source: CBP Publication No. 5228-1025 (Automated ACE Portal Account Application for Importers) and CBP Publication No. 5286-1225 (Electronic Refund Enrollment in CBP’s ACE Portal).

Processing Time

When the 5106 POC email is current, the automated flow completes in roughly the same session. Manual review (still required when the automated flow does not match) can take days. Start early rather than assuming you can create access the week you plan to file.

If You Already Have ACE Access

If you can already log in and view your entry summaries, your account is active. Skip to Step 3: Set Up Your ACH Refund Account.

Step 2: Verify Your Account Permissions

Once logged in, verify you have the correct permissions:

1. Navigate to Account Management → My Account
2. Confirm your Importer of Record (IOR) number is listed
3. Check that you can access Entry Summary reports
4. Verify you can see entries from the IEEPA tariff period (February 2025 – February 2026)

If you’re missing permissions or can’t see your entries, contact:

• CBP Trade Relations: traderelations@cbp.dhs.gov
• ACE Help Desk: Contact through the portal’s support page

Working With Your Customs Broker

If your broker filed entries on your behalf, they may need to:

1. Grant you visibility to your entries in ACE (if you want to review them yourself)
2. File the CAPE declaration using their ACE account (if you’ve authorized them and they were the original filing broker)
3. Designate you as the refund recipient in the CAPE declaration

Clarify with your broker who will file the CAPE declaration and who will receive the refund disbursement.

Step 3: Set Up Your ACH Refund Account

CAPE refunds are disbursed exclusively through ACH (Automated Clearing House) direct deposit. You must register a separate refund bank account in ACE before your refund can be processed.

Why This Step Is More Important Now

CBP switched to electronic-only refunds on February 6, 2026. If the importer or designated refund recipient does not have valid U.S. bank information on file, CBP cannot complete the payment.

How to Register

1. Log into ACE Portal
2. Navigate to Account Management → Payment and Statement
3. Select “Add Refund Account” or “ACH Refund Registration”
4. Enter your bank details:
   • Bank name
   • ABA routing number (9 digits)
   • Account number
   • Account type (checking or savings)
5. Submit for CBP verification

Verification Timeline

Do this before you file. CBP warned in late March that thousands of certified refunds had already been rejected because the recipient had not completed the banking setup.

Step 4: Confirm Everything Before Filing Day

Before the CAPE Phase 1 filing window opens, run through this checklist:

• ACE Portal login works
• Your IOR number is correctly listed
• You can view entry summaries for Feb 2025 – Feb 2026
• Entry data shows IEEPA Chapter 99 duties (HTS 9903.01.25 – 9903.01.70)
• ACH refund bank account is registered and verified
• You know who is filing the declaration (you or your broker)
• The filer is the same broker that filed the entry summaries, if a broker will submit
• You know whether the refund should go to the importer or a 4811 notify party

Common Issues

”Account locked” or “Credentials expired”

ACE accounts may lock after inactivity. Use the portal’s password reset function or contact the ACE Help Desk.

”IOR number not found”

Your company’s IOR number may not be linked to your ACE account. Contact CBP Trade Relations with your EIN and IOR number to request linking.

”Cannot view entries”

Your broker may need to share entry visibility with you, or your account permissions may need updating. Contact your broker first, then CBP if needed.

”ACH refund account rejected”

Ensure the routing number and account number are correct. The account must be a U.S. bank account. International accounts are not supported for ACH refunds.

What Happens After CAPE Filing?

Once you file your CAPE declaration:

1. CBP reviews your declaration (up to 45 days)
2. Entries are liquidated (unliquidated entries) or reliquidated (recently liquidated entries)
3. Refunds are calculated and consolidated by IOR + liquidation date
4. ACH disbursement is sent to your registered refund account
5. Total timeline: approximately 60-90 days from declaration acceptance

Need Help Setting Up?

If you’re having trouble with ACE access or ACH registration, our partner professionals can guide you through the process.