How It Works | Drawback Hero
How It Works

From First Call to Refund, We Handle It All

Working with Drawback Hero is simple. You bring the records, we do the heavy lifting, and you only pay when a refund comes through.

The Process

Seven steps from opportunity to payout.

1

Free eligibility review

We start by looking at how your business imports, sells, and exports goods. Using a sample of your import and export activity, we estimate whether there is a recoverable duty opportunity and roughly how much it could be worth. No cost, no obligation.

2

Simple agreement

If the opportunity is worth pursuing, we put a short agreement in place, including an NDA to protect your data. There are no upfront fees. We work on contingency, so we only get paid a share of what we actually recover for you.

3

Document collection

We tell you exactly which records we need and help you gather them. Where it is easier, we work directly with your customs broker, freight forwarder, and carriers to pull the source documents, so your team spends as little time as possible.

4

We build the claim

This is where the real work happens. We match your imported goods to your exports, reconcile quantities, units of measure, and product classifications, and assemble the claim with a clear supporting schedule. Accurate data here is what turns an opportunity into an approved refund.

5

Submission

We prepare and file the completed claim with the relevant customs authority, along with the supporting records that establish the goods qualify.

6

Audit support

Customs may come back with questions or a request for additional documentation. We manage that back-and-forth on your behalf, respond to the reviewer, and provide whatever supporting evidence is needed to keep the claim moving.

7

Refund received

Once the claim is approved, the refund is issued to you. We only get paid when you do. And if you keep importing and exporting, we can repeat the process so future refunds are not left on the table.

What We Need

A claim is built from a collection of documents.

A drawback claim is only as strong as the records behind it. The goal is to connect what you imported to what you later exported, and to prove the duty was paid. These are the documents we typically work with. You will not have every item for every claim, and we will help you find what is missing.

Import records

The entry and accounting documents showing what came into the country and, importantly, that duty was paid. This is the foundation of any claim.

Commercial invoices

Itemized invoices with product or style numbers, descriptions, quantities, and sizes, so each imported item can be identified and valued.

Proof of export

Export or sales reports showing which goods left the country, supported by tracking numbers, shipment details, and bills of lading.

Tariff classifications

The HTS or tariff codes for your products, usually found on your import paperwork, which determine the duty and how the claim is calculated.

Product details

Supporting detail such as unit of measure and per-item weights. When a tariff code requires a specific unit of measure, the claim has to match it.

Broker & carrier reports

Reports from your customs broker and freight partners that back up your entries and exports. We can often request these directly on your behalf.

Why the detail matters: claims are approved on the strength of their records, not the size of the opportunity. Missing documents, mismatched quantities, or inconsistent product descriptions are the most common reasons a claim gets questioned or sent back. We prepare everything to be audit-ready before it is filed, so the claim holds up under review.

Who Does What

You provide the records. We handle the rest.

Your part

  • Share a sample of your import and export activity for the review
  • Give us access to, or copies of, your records
  • Connect us with your broker or freight forwarder where needed
  • Answer the occasional question on product detail

Our part

  • Estimate the opportunity and confirm eligibility
  • Chase down and organize the supporting documents
  • Match imports to exports and build the claim
  • File the claim and manage any audit or follow-up
  • Get the refund to you, then do it again next cycle

Start With a Free Review

Tell us how your business imports and exports, and we'll tell you whether there's a refund worth pursuing. No upfront cost, no obligation.

Check My Eligibility →