FedEx says it has begun issuing refunds of the emergency tariffs the Supreme Court struck down, and the refunds include the interest the company receives from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Customers who paid with a card get the money back on that same card, according to FedEx’s refund page. The page also says the carrier’s ability to file in the third phase of the government’s refund process is limited to some entries.
Refunds go back to the original card
FedEx states that it will process a refund through the customer’s original card payment method, with a wire transfer available as an alternative. The company says it is passing along interest received from Customs and Border Protection, so the refund is larger than the duty originally paid. The tariffs in question were imposed under an emergency-powers law and were struck down by the Supreme Court on Feb. 20, 2026, per the same page.
The page names a window of eligible shipments, from February 2025 through Feb. 24, 2026. FedEx runs a dedicated refund portal at ieepa-refunds.fedex.com, where affected customers are directed to request a refund.
What Phase 3 covers and what it leaves out
Customs and Border Protection’s refund system is called the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, and it is being rolled out in phases. Phase 3 deployed on Oct. 6, 2026, according to a Thompson Coburn account of a Customs declaration filed with the Court of International Trade.
FedEx says its ability to file in that phase is more limited. In its words, FedEx will only be able to file for eligible entries where FedEx served as the importer of record. An entry is the customs filing for a shipment, and the importer of record is the party legally responsible for the duties on it. Where FedEx held that role, it can file for the refund and pass the money on. Where the customer was the importer of record, the filing is the customer’s to make, and FedEx cannot make it on their behalf in this phase.
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The distinction decides which door a business uses. A shipper that was the importer of record files through Customs and Border Protection’s own process or through a customs broker, while a shipper whose entries FedEx handled as importer of record uses the FedEx portal. FedEx does not say in its page how many of its entries fall into each group, so the share covered in Phase 3 is not public.
Where the wider refund program stands
The refund process runs through Customs and Border Protection, and importers of record are the parties it pays. A BDO summary of the agency’s status update to the Court of International Trade says $20.6 billion in refunds had completed processing and been sent to the Treasury for disbursement as of the agency’s May 26 update, out of about $166 billion in emergency-tariff duties collected, according to BDO’s account.
FedEx’s page does not describe Phase 3 as the last round, and it does not give a final date for requests. The company names Phase 3 as the stage in which its filings are limited. Anyone relying on a deadline should confirm it with the company or with Customs and Border Protection rather than assume that this phase is the final one.
The timeline so far is short. The court ruling came on Feb. 20, 2026. FedEx’s eligible window for refunds closes with entries through Feb. 24, 2026, and the third phase of the government’s system opened on Oct. 6. FedEx began returning money to cards after receiving refunds from Customs and Border Protection, which means the carrier pays out only after the agency has paid it.
Working out whether FedEx or the importer files for a shipment
The first step for a business that paid duties on FedEx shipments is to find out who the importer of record was. The entry paperwork, a customs broker’s records or the duty line on a FedEx invoice usually settles it. If FedEx was the importer of record, the business can use the FedEx refund portal, and the refund returns to the card used for the original payment, with interest included.
If the business itself or another broker was the importer of record, the filing belongs to that party, and the refund comes through the agency’s own process rather than through FedEx. Keeping a list of entry numbers, payment dates and the card or account used for each shipment makes either path faster. The shipment dates matter too, since FedEx’s window runs only from February 2025 through Feb. 24, 2026.
FedEx’s own page is the place to confirm current terms, since the company has not published a final filing date and the process has moved in phases. Customs and Border Protection’s figures, as relayed by BDO, remain the best public measure of how much has been paid so far.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by The Financial Wire’s editorial team.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
