Supplier paperwork in. ISF data ready before the 24-hour cutoff.
Shippers and origin agents keep emailing commercial invoices and packing lists the way they do now. CargoPrep reads them, fills in the ten ISF importer elements, checks the invoice against the packing list and tells you what is still missing while there is time to ask. Then it exports a file your filing software imports.
Built for the import desk at small forwarders and brokers that file US Importer Security Filings for their clients, from a few dozen to a few hundred a month. We don't file for you: you keep filing in Customs City or your current software, without the typing.
Today, someone on your team does this for every ocean shipment
Dig out the documents
Find the commercial invoice and packing list in the email thread, often as a scan, a spreadsheet or a bilingual PDF.
Retype ten elements
Seller, buyer, manufacturer and address, ship-to, country of origin and HTS per line, stuffing location and consolidator, typed into the filing software.
Cross-check by eye
Do the cartons on the invoice match the packing list? Does every HTS have six digits? Is the factory address in English?
Watch the clock
Elements 1 to 8 are due 24 hours before the container is loaded at the foreign port. A late, incomplete or inaccurate ISF can cost the importer $5,000 per violation.
Each ISF takes 15 to 30 minutes of reading and typing, more when the factory address is written in Chinese or the documents disagree. And the cutoff runs on origin time, often while your office is closed.
With CargoPrep
Documents arrive, nothing changes for shippers
Forward the shipment email to your own address, or drop the files in. PDFs, scans, photos, Excel packing lists and bilingual Chinese-English or Vietnamese-English invoices all work. Everything for one bill of lading becomes one shipment.
Ten elements filled in and checked
Seller, buyer, manufacturer, ship-to, origin and HTS per line come from the invoice; stuffing location and consolidator from the packing list or booking; importer and consignee numbers from the importer's saved profile. Cartons, pieces and weights are compared between invoice and packing list.
Exported before the cutoff
A Customs City upload file (Excel or CSV), a clean data sheet to copy from, and a row in your shipment log. Anything missing or inconsistent waits in a review list with a countdown and a drafted request to the shipper.
Uses the same email intake and reading engine as PODfile, our proof-of-delivery tool for trucking firms. One account can use both.
Try it with a sample shipment
Fictional shippers and importers. Nothing is read, uploaded or sent.
Pick shipment documents that just arrived:
Choose a shipment to see the ten ISF elements, where each came from, and what still needs a person.
- House bill
- NGB2610418
- Importer
- Brightline Home Goods LLC
- Vessel loads
- Ningbo, Oct 18, 08:00 local
- ISF cutoff
- Oct 17, 08:00 Ningbo · Oct 16, 5:00 pm Pacific
| ISF element | Value | Taken from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Seller | Ningbo Hengda Housewares Co., Ltd., 88 Jinghua Rd, Yinzhou, Ningbo, CN | Invoice |
| 2 Buyer | Brightline Home Goods LLC, 2400 E 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021 | Invoice |
| 3 Importer of record no. | EIN on file, ending 4410 | Importer profile |
| 4 Consignee no. | Same as importer of record | Importer profile |
| 5 Manufacturer | Ningbo Hengda Housewares Co., Ltd. (both lines) | Invoice |
| 6 Ship-to | Brightline DC, 14100 Valley Blvd, City of Industry, CA 91746 | Invoice |
| 7 Country of origin | China (both lines) | Invoice |
| 8 HTS | 3924.10 storage boxes · 7323.93 steel racks | Product list |
| 9 Stuffing location | Hengda factory, Ningbo (loaded at factory) | Packing list |
| 10 Consolidator | Ningbo Hengda Housewares (full container) | Packing list |
| Check | Invoice | Packing list |
|---|---|---|
| Cartons | 640 | 640 ✓ |
| Pieces | 15,360 | 15,360 ✓ |
| Gross weight | 9,820 kg | 9,820 kg ✓ |
Exported for Customs City 31 hours before the cutoff: one header and 2 lines, the data sheet, and the original documents attached to the shipment.
- House bill
- SZX2610552
- Importer
- Cascade Outdoor Supply Inc.
- Vessel loads
- Yantian, Oct 17, 22:00 local
- ISF cutoff
- Oct 16, 22:00 Shenzhen · Oct 16, 7:00 am Pacific
| ISF element | Value | Taken from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Seller | Shenzhen Jiali Trading Co., Ltd., Futian, Shenzhen, CN | Invoice |
| 2 Buyer | Cascade Outdoor Supply Inc., 1200 S Lander St, Seattle, WA 98134 | Invoice |
| 3 Importer of record no. | EIN on file, ending 2275 | Importer profile |
| 4 Consignee no. | Same as importer of record | Importer profile |
| 5 Manufacturer | Dongguan Jiali Electronics Co., Ltd., Qingxi Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, CNWritten in Chinese: 东莞市佳利电子有限公司. Check the English | Invoice |
| 6 Ship-to | Cascade Outdoor Supply Inc., same as buyer | Invoice |
| 7 Country of origin | China (both lines) | Invoice |
| 8 HTS | 8513.10 headlamps · 9405 camping lanternsLine 2 has 4 digits, at least 6 needed | Product list · Invoice |
| 9 Stuffing location | Pacific Link CFS, Yantian | Booking |
| 10 Consolidator | Shenzhen Pacific Link Logistics | Booking |
| Check | Invoice | Packing list |
|---|---|---|
| Cartons | 212 | 212 ✓ |
| Pieces | 4,240 | 4,240 ✓ |
| Gross weight | 2,960 kg | 2,960 kg ✓ |
Two things need a person, 21 hours before the cutoff. Line 2 (camping lanterns) has only 4 digits of HTS on the invoice and is not in Cascade's product list yet: your team picks the code once and it is remembered for this importer. The manufacturer was written only in Chinese; the English version is shown next to the original for checking. If still open 12 hours before the cutoff, you get a reminder.
- House bill
- HCM2610377
- Importer
- Harbor & Pine Furniture Co.
- Vessel loads
- Cat Lai, Oct 20, 14:00 local
- ISF cutoff
- Oct 19, 14:00 Ho Chi Minh City · Oct 19, 3:00 am Eastern
| ISF element | Value | Taken from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Seller | Saigon Teak Craft JSC, Binh Duong, VN | Invoice |
| 2 Buyer | Harbor & Pine Furniture Co., 400 Brampton Rd, Savannah, GA 31408 | Invoice |
| 3 Importer of record no. | EIN on file, ending 9031 | Importer profile |
| 4 Consignee no. | Same as importer of record | Importer profile |
| 5 Manufacturer | Saigon Teak Craft JSC (all 3 lines) | Invoice |
| 6 Ship-to | Harbor & Pine warehouse, Savannah, GA | Invoice |
| 7 Country of origin | Vietnam (all 3 lines) | Invoice |
| 8 HTS | 9403.60 tables · 9401.69 chairs · 9403.60 benches | Product list |
| 9 Stuffing location | —Not on the documents. Due 24 h before US arrival | |
| 10 Consolidator | —Not on the documents. Due 24 h before US arrival |
| Check | Invoice | Packing list |
|---|---|---|
| Cartons | 420 | 412Differ by 8 |
| Pieces | 1,260 | 1,236Differ by 24 |
| Gross weight | 11,450 kg | 11,290 kgDiffer by 160 kg |
The invoice and the packing list disagree on cartons, pieces and weight, so nothing was exported. A request to Saigon Teak Craft is drafted for you to send: "Invoice shows 420 cartons and the packing list 412. Please confirm the correct figures and send the container stuffing address and consolidator." Stuffing location and consolidator may follow later: they are due 24 hours before arrival in the US.
Shipments ready for Customs City
| House bill | Importer | Vessel loads | Lines | Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None yet. | ||||
| NGB2610418 | Brightline Home Goods LLC | Ningbo, Oct 18, 08:00 local | 2 | Customs City file |
What CargoPrep doesn't do
It does one thing: turns the supplier's paperwork into complete, consistent ISF data before the deadline.
- It does not file with CBP: you file from your own software and filer code, as today
- It never classifies goods: HTS numbers come from the importer's product list or the invoice, and anything under six digits goes to a person
- It does not prepare customs entries, bills of lading or invoices, and it is not a forwarding system
- It never emails shippers or clients by itself: requests for missing data are drafted for you to send
Pricing
Free 14-day trial. Prices in US dollars, taxes calculated at checkout.
One plan
For one office, with as many users and importers as you have.
- 50 shipments a month included (one bill of lading, any number of documents)
- $1.50 per shipment above that, no surprise jumps
- Export for Customs City, plus CSV, Excel and Google Sheets
- Cutoff countdown, review list, saved importer profiles and product lists
Setup, included
We help you get started so the first week is not spent on configuration.
- Import each importer's numbers and product list (item to HTS) from a spreadsheet
- Match the export to your Customs City upload template
- We run last month's shipments through it with you before you rely on it
Questions
What is ISF and why does the 24-hour deadline matter?
The Importer Security Filing (ISF, also called 10+2) is required by US Customs and Border Protection for ocean cargo headed to the United States. The importer, or the forwarder or broker filing for them, sends ten data elements; eight of them are due 24 hours before the cargo is loaded on the vessel at the foreign port. Late, inaccurate or missing filings can lead to liquidated damages of $5,000 per violation, plus holds and exams.
Does CargoPrep file the ISF for us?
No. It prepares and checks the data and exports it. You file from your own software with your own filer code, as you do today, so your CBP setup, bond and responsibilities stay exactly as they are.
Which filing software does it work with?
Customs City first, through its Excel and CSV upload. The CSV, Excel and Google Sheets exports work with anything that accepts a file, and the data sheet can be copied into any system. Tell us on the waitlist which software you use (Descartes, NetCHB, CargoWise, Magaya or another): the most requested goes next.
Where do the HTS numbers come from?
From the importer's product list, which you import once (item or description to HTS), or from the HTS printed on the commercial invoice. CargoPrep never picks a classification itself. A line with fewer than six digits, or a product it has not seen before, goes to review, and the code your team chooses is remembered for that importer.
Can it read Chinese and Vietnamese supplier documents?
Yes. Bilingual invoices and packing lists are common for goods from China and Southeast Asia. Names and addresses written only in Chinese are given in English (pinyin), with the original shown next to them so a person can check before filing.
What does it check?
That all ten importer elements are present; that cartons, pieces, gross weight and lines agree between the commercial invoice and the packing list; that every HTS number has at least six digits; that every line has a manufacturer and a country of origin; and how close the cutoff is. A shipment that fails a check goes to the review list instead of the export.
How is it different from PODfile?
PODfile handles the end of a delivery: proof-of-delivery photos for trucking firms. CargoPrep handles the start of an import: the supplier's paperwork before the ship leaves. They share the same email intake and reading engine, so one account can use both.
Is our data kept confidential?
Documents are processed only to prepare your filings, are encrypted in transit and at rest, and are not used to train AI models. See our security page for details.
How much does it cost?
$99 a month for one office, with 50 shipments a month included and $1.50 per shipment above that. A shipment is one bill of lading with any number of documents. Free 14-day trial. Setup help is included.
When does it launch?
We are onboarding the first forwarders and brokers from the waitlist. Join to get early access and help shape it.
Join the waitlist
Tell us a little about your business. We will reach out when your spot opens.