Pay into your Customs Declaration Service cash account
Source: gov.uk (2025-04-01)

How to pay into or top up your cash account if you're making a frontier declaration.

When to pay

There must be enough funds in the cash account before the goods arrive in the Customs Declaration Service.

You must check your account balances have been updated before making declarations.

It is recommended that payments into the cash account are made:
- 3 working days before the expected goods arrival date if paying by Bacs (Bankers Automated Clearing System)
- 2 working days if paying by any other method
If the funds are needed on a weekend or bank holiday, make sure your payment reaches HMRC by the end of the previous working day.

If there are not enough funds in the cash account before the goods arrive, this will cause delays to the declaration service.

What you need

You need your payment reference number. This reference will always be made up of CDSC followed by your 11 digit cash account number (for example, CDSC56895642158).

You can find this in your customs financial accounts.

If you use an incorrect reference number:

there will be a delay in the payment being allocated correctly

your goods clearance will be delayed

Pay online

You can pay online by approving a payment through your online bank account.

Pay now (https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/pay/cds-cash/start-journey)

Paying online through your bank account

You can pay by approving a payment through your online bank account by selecting the ‘pay by bank account’ option.

You will be directed to sign in to your online or mobile banking account to approve your payment.

You will need to have your online banking details to hand to pay this way.

The payment can take up to 2 hours to show in your cash account but can take longer in some circumstances.

Pay by bank transfer

If you pay by CHAPS (Clearing House Automated Payment System) or Faster Payments, your payment will be received on the same or the next working day.

If you pay by Bacs, allow 3 working days for the payment to reach HMRC.

We recommend you check your bank’s processing times and maximum transaction limits before you pay.

Account details to use if your account is in the UK

Use the following details to make a payment if your account is in the UK:

sort code — 08 32 10

account number — 14077970

account name — HMRC Customs Duty Schemes

Account details to use if your account is overseas

Use the following details to make a payment if your account is overseas:

account number (IBAN) — GB16 BARC 2005 1723 3725 45

Business Identifier Code (BIC) — BARCGB22

account name — HMRC Customs Duty Schemes

You should make overseas payments in sterling (GBP). Your bank may charge you if you use any other currency.

If needed, you can provide your bank with the following HMRC banking address:

Barclays Bank plc1 Churchill PlaceLondonUnited KingdomE14 5HP

Get help and support

Contact HMRC if you need help paying into your Customs Declaration Service cash account.

Email HMRC

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Include ‘Paying into my Customs Declaration Service cash account’ in the subject line. You should also give your Customs Declaration Service payment reference in the email.

Phone HMRC

Telephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx and select option 1.

Opening times:

Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm

Closed on weekends and bank holidays.

Find out about call charges (https://www.gov.uk/call-charges).