How to Check a Customs Payment Notice for a UK Parcel
A message says your international parcel is being held until you pay a customs charge. It could be a genuine notice. It could also be a message designed to take your payment details. Neither the mention of “customs” nor the fact that you are expecting a parcel proves the message is real.
The safest starting point is the shipment itself: identify the carrier from your order or dispatch record, open that carrier’s official tracking service independently, and compare what it says with the notice. Then examine the amount and the payment process before entering any details.
Step 1 — Confirm which company has your parcel
Find the dispatch confirmation and tracking reference supplied by the sender. Check whether the parcel is being delivered by Royal Mail, Parcelforce or another courier. An international shipment can pass between operators, so use the latest confirmed carrier details rather than assuming the company named at checkout will also collect a UK charge.
Enter the reference on the carrier’s official website or app, which you have reached yourself. If the tracking page does not recognise the reference, do not immediately conclude that the notice is fraudulent: tracking records can be delayed, and a carrier may use a different reference for the UK delivery stage. Ask the sender or contact the carrier through its published customer service channel to resolve the mismatch.
Can a genuine customs request arrive by text or email?
Yes. A text message is not automatically a scam. Royal Mail says it may send an email or SMS when a customs fee is due and may also leave a “Fee to Pay” card. Fraudsters can imitate those messages, however, including the company name and logo. Judge the request by independently verified shipment and payment details, not its appearance alone.
Step 2 — Match the notice to a real shipment
Compare the notice with your records. Does the carrier handle the parcel you are expecting? Does the tracking reference match, or can the carrier explain a different reference? Is the shipment’s origin consistent with the order? Has the carrier’s own tracking or customer service confirmed that a charge has been assessed?
A vague message about an expensive parcel you do not recognise is a warning sign. HMRC has documented scams that demand Customs Duty for a parcel that does not exist. Do not reply to a suspicious message or use its payment link to investigate it. Contact the carrier through details obtained independently.
A tracking status alone may not supply the full answer. “In customs” can describe processing, while an assessed bill asks the recipient to take a specific action. The article on a parcel awaiting customs charges explains what to check at each stage.
Step 3 — Check what the amount is for
A genuine carrier notice should let you establish what you have been asked to pay. Depending on the parcel, the total may contain import VAT, Customs Duty, Excise Duty and a separate carrier handling fee. Those are different charges, even if they are presented as one amount due.
For a tobacco parcel, a charge can be plausible even when the order value seems low: tobacco is an excise good. Equally, a plausible amount does not prove the notice is genuine. Verify the payment route first, then compare the bill with the invoice, product quantity, shipping cost and customs declaration. If the figures are unclear, ask the carrier for an explanation. The guide to tobacco parcel duty, VAT and carrier fees explains the possible components without treating the checkout price as the final delivered cost.
Step 4 — Use a payment route you have verified
Once the carrier has confirmed the charge, follow the instructions in its own website or app, or on a verified card or letter. Avoid entering card details into a page opened from a message you have not checked, even if its design resembles the carrier’s site.
Be especially cautious of a request to send passwords, full card details or banking information in a reply to an email or text. Royal Mail states that it will not ask customers to send an account password by email or to enter information on a page outside Royal Mail. Other carriers have their own procedures, so check the company actually handling your parcel.
Keep the payment confirmation and notice. If the tracking status does not update after payment, contact the carrier with the reference and confirmation before attempting to pay again.
What if you already entered details on a suspicious page?
Contact your bank or card provider promptly if you disclosed payment information or see an unfamiliar transaction. Change any password you entered, particularly if you use it elsewhere. Report the message through the affected carrier’s published fraud channel; an apparent HMRC message can be reported through HMRC’s official phishing guidance.
If the notice is genuine but the charge itself appears wrong, that is a separate problem. Keep the invoice, declaration details and packaging, and ask the carrier how to query the assessment. A bill can be authentic yet based on information you believe is incorrect.
A two-part check before paying
First verify the sender of the notice and the payment channel. Then verify the shipment and the charge. Completing only one half leaves room for error: a genuine parcel may be used as the subject of a scam, while an unfamiliar amount may be a legitimate import bill that needs explaining.
For related guidance on customs, tobacco shipments and passenger rules, visit the UK tobacco rules hub.