How are brokers compensated?
Quick answer
Brokers receive a flat per-entry filer integration fee per 19 CFR § 111.36(b). Tariffi pays the fee from its own funds — the importer owes the broker nothing — and payment is contingent on the refund being recovered. It is never a percentage of the importer's refund, never a referral bounty, and never a revenue share.
Detailed Answer
Broker compensation is structured to comply with 19 CFR § 111.36 and protect your license from regulatory risk.
The flat per-filing filer integration fee:
- Fixed amount per filing — not per entry, not per dollar recovered. The amount is negotiated per-partner based on expected review volume and complexity.
- Invoiced to Tariffi. You send us an invoice after filing confirmation. We pay promptly. The importer does not receive a separate broker invoice — the filer integration fee is covered within Tariffi's contingency fee structure.
- 19 CFR § 111.36(b) compliant. The fee compensates you for your professional review, judgment, and filing services. It is a legitimate data-service fee, not a fee-sharing arrangement.
What the fee is NOT:
- Not a percentage of the importer's refund. Percentage-based compensation would constitute a benefit "inuring to an unlicensed person" under § 111.36(b) — a structure that could jeopardize your license.
- Not a referral bounty. You are not being paid for referring clients. You are being paid for your professional services: review, judgment, and filing.
- Not volume-based in a way that creates perverse incentives. The flat-per-filing structure means your compensation does not increase by approving marginal filings. Quality review is incentivized, not rubber-stamping.
Why flat fees matter for your license:
The 19 CFR § 111.36(b) prohibition on fee-sharing with unlicensed persons is one of the most scrutinized provisions in customs broker regulation. Percentage splits, revenue shares, and bounty structures all create the regulatory risk that fees from customs business are "inuring to the benefit" of the unlicensed platform. A flat data-service fee avoids this entirely.
Negotiating your rate: Contact partners@tariffi.io to discuss per-partner fee structures. Rates vary based on expected filing volume and review complexity.
Related Questions
How does the Tariffi broker partnership work?
Tariffi prepares CAPE declaration data from importers' ES-003 files and routes it to your broker portal for review. You remain Filer of Record on every filing under your own ABI filer code. Tariffi never touches CBP servers. You earn a flat per-filing filer integration fee per 19 CFR § 111.36(b) — never a percentage.
Is my customs broker license at risk?
No. Tariffi's architecture is designed specifically to protect your license. You remain Filer of Record, apply all professional judgment, and transmit via your own ABI filer code. Compensation is a flat per-filing fee per 19 CFR § 111.36(b) — no percentage splits that would trigger § 111.36(b) scrutiny. Our structure follows CBP Ruling HQ H326926.
Will Tariffi file anything under my license?
No. Tariffi is a data-preparation platform — we never access CBP servers or file anything under your license. You review every CAPE declaration in your broker portal, approve it with your professional judgment, and transmit it via your own ABI filer code through ACE. You are always the Filer of Record.
What about client confidentiality?
Each broker partner has an isolated tenant — you see only CAPE filings assigned to your Filer Code. Tenant isolation is enforced at the database layer with role-scoped access and audit logging. No cross-broker visibility, no aggregated client lists, and the partnership agreement bars Tariffi from soliciting your clients for customs brokerage services.
Need help?
Upload your ES-003 to see how much you could recover, or talk to our team.