An Post tracking status
An Post “Customs charges have been paid”: what it means
The short answer
Keep an eye on itAn Post has your customs payment, but this line can stay for days and the parcel may not have reached An Post yet. In tracking histories people share, the next scan came the same day in some cases and after a week or more in others.
When to act: If there is no new scan 5 working days after this line, file a complaint and we send it to An Post.
Also shown as: “Customs charges have been paid. Your item will be processed and delivered as soon as possible.” · “Custom charges have been paid. Your item will be processed and delivered to you as soon as possible. Please hold tight while we work through high volumes.”
What to do now
- 1
Keep the payment confirmation and check the tracking number on it matches your parcel.
- 2
Look out for a new postcard, text or email with an updated charge, as customs can revalue an item after it arrives.
- 3
Check the tracking once a day. The line to look for is 'We have your item and will process it for delivery'.
- 4
Set a safe spot in your An Post account or app, so delivery does not fail when the parcel finally goes out.
- 5
Keep screenshots of the tracking history and the date you paid.
- 6
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to An Post, so you do not have to chase it yourself.
What does “Customs charges have been paid” mean?
This line means the charge is settled. It does not mean the parcel is out for delivery, and An Post gives no time for it beyond 'as soon as possible'. The parcel may not even be with An Post yet: in a reply one person shared, An Post said a package had 'not yet been physically handed over', that the customs declaration had created the scan, and that once it arrived it should go out on the next working day. So the next lines should be 'We have your item and will process it for delivery', 'Your item is being sorted for delivery' and 'Your item is out for delivery'.
In tracking histories people share, one parcel went from this line to delivered by the next morning, another took five days to get its next scan, and others had no new scan a week later. Customs can also revalue an item after it arrives, which leads to a further charge before delivery. In one older shared case An Post said an electronic error had wrongly marked a paid parcel as unpaid and sent it back.
Why does An Post show it?
- The parcel has not physically reached An Post yet, as An Post told one person
- High volumes at the parcel hub
- Customs revalued the item and more is due
- A customs inspection, which can apply to any parcel
- A processing error that marks the parcel as unpaid, as in one shared case
How long does it last?
The next scan should be 'We have your item and will process it for delivery', followed by the sorting and out for delivery lines. An Post's general allowance for processing in busy seasons is up to 5 working days after a hub scan.
Other An Post statuses
- A customs charge has been appliedTake action
- Your item is being sorted for deliveryKeep an eye on it
- Parcel delayedKeep an eye on it
- Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
- Delivered but not receivedTake action
- We tried to deliver your itemKeep an eye on it
- Your delivery is in D.S.U.Take action
- We could not deliver your itemTake action
- We have received information about your incoming item from the senderNormal
Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from An Post?
A parcel bought online from a business is usually the seller's to sort out until it reaches you. The Consumer Rights Act (section 35) leaves goods at the seller's risk until you, or a person you nominated, physically have them. The exception is a carrier you booked yourself and the seller did not propose. Section 36 requires delivery without undue delay and no later than 30 days after the contract was made, unless you and the seller agreed otherwise. Customs charges are different: An Post's customs terms make the person receiving the parcel liable for them.
When you sent the parcel yourself, you are An Post's customer and the terms of the service you bought apply. For Standard Post, compensation generally covers no more than postage and directly associated costs, often in stamps. For Express it may equal the postage, and Express with Signature is limited to the lower of the item's proven cost and €350. Registered Post is limited to the value you declared (€25 if you declared none), up to €350 plus charges within Ireland and less for places abroad.
Questions about “Customs charges have been paid”
How long after paying customs does An Post deliver?
An Post only says as soon as possible. In tracking histories people share, it ranges from the next morning to more than a week. One poster says An Post told them to allow 5 to 7 working days for the parcel to move.
My An Post tracking has not moved since I paid customs. Is it lost?
Not on that alone. A week without a new scan after payment appears in several shared histories, and An Post told one person that their package had simply not been handed over yet. It is worth acting once 5 working days have passed with no new scan.
I paid customs and An Post is returning my parcel. Why?
It can happen. In one older shared case An Post said an electronic error had wrongly marked the parcel as unpaid and that it could not stop the return. Keep your payment confirmation and file a complaint here.
Do I get the customs charge back if the parcel goes back to the seller?
An Post says the Union Handling Fee and its administration fee are not refundable, even if goods are returned or faulty. Other charges depend on the case. In one shared case where a parcel went back in error, An Post said it would process a refund of the customs charge.
Why did I get a second customs charge from An Post?
Customs can review and revalue an item after it arrives in Ireland and recalculate the charges. An Post then tells you the additional amount, which has to be paid before delivery.
Based on
- An Post: Customs information (updated charges, non-refundable fees, inspection)
- An Post: Track and Trace help (processing after a hub scan)
- boards.ie: An Post Delays thread, history from payment to out for delivery
- boards.ie: history from payment to delivered the next morning
- boards.ie: An Post thread, no scan a week after paying
- boards.ie: An Post thread, a week after paying
- boards.ie: paid parcel turned back, tracking history
- boards.ie: An Post's reply on an electronic error and a refund of the charge
- boards.ie: An Post's reply, package not yet handed over
- boards.ie: An Post thread, told to allow 5 to 7 working days
- Irish Statute Book: Consumer Rights Act, section 35 (passing of risk)
- Irish Statute Book: Consumer Rights Act, section 36 (delivery of goods, 30 days)
- An Post: Terms and Conditions for all services (Standard and Registered Post compensation)
- An Post: Express Terms and Conditions, single piece mail
- An Post: Customs Terms and Conditions (who is liable for customs charges)