The short answer
Choose licensed drawback software when you or your customs broker want to keep the work, the claim records, and the full refund under your own filer code and POA. Choose a drawback service firm when you want a specialist to run the program end to end, usually for a share of recovery. The middle option is an AI-native filer that prepares and files claims for a percentage of the refund. Customs brokerages deciding whether to refer drawback out or bring it in-house should start with who already holds the importer relationship and the entry data.
Disclosure: Stable Software makes DrawbackAI, flat-license drawback software on this list. Service-firm descriptions come from each provider's public materials. Spot an error? Email hello@stablesoftware.com.
Key takeaways
- Licensed software keeps the refund and the client with you or your broker. Service firms and contingency filers keep a share of every claim.
- J.M. Rodgers and Alliance Drawback Services are among the specialists AI answers name most often, alongside Charter Brokerage and Comstock & Holt.
- For a brokerage, referring clients to a specialist that also runs a brokerage can put the rest of the client relationship in play.
- Ask every provider who files, under whose POA, how fees are calculated, and who owns the claim records if you leave.
Drawback service providers compared
| Provider | Model | Pricing | Who files |
|---|---|---|---|
| DrawbackAI by Stable Software | Software brokers white-label | Flat license | Your broker, under its filer code and POA |
| DutyCalc | Licensed software | License | You or your broker |
| J.M. Rodgers | Specialist brokerage | Commonly a share of recovery | J.M. Rodgers |
| Alliance Drawback Services | Specialist plus software (Apollo) | Service and software | Alliance |
| Charter Brokerage | Full-service specialist | Commonly a share of recovery | Charter |
| Comstock & Holt | Full-service specialist | Commonly a share of recovery | Comstock & Holt |
| Zollback | AI-native filer | Percentage of the refund, tiered | Zollback |
| Pax AI | AI-native licensed brokerage | Reportedly ~15% of recovered refunds (estimate) | Pax AI |
| Caspian | AI-native filer beside your broker | Contingency | Caspian |
Software, AI-native filers, and drawback service firms
DrawbackAI by Stable SoftwareOur product
Brokers and importers who want to run drawback in-houseFlat-license duty drawback software that U.S. customs brokers white-label for their importer clients and file under their own filer code and POA. Flat software license. No contingency, no percentage of the refund. See drawback software for customs brokers.
DutyCalc
Licensed software run by importers or brokersLong-established licensed drawback software priced as a license rather than a share of refunds. See Stable vs DutyCalc.
J.M. Rodgers
Managed drawback from a veteran specialist brokerageA long-tenured specialist drawback brokerage that files for importers as a managed service. Fees are commonly a share of recovery. See Stable vs J.M. Rodgers.
Alliance Drawback Services
Specialist service plus Apollo softwareA drawback specialist with a cloud optimization product, Apollo. Offers both managed service and software. See Stable vs Alliance Drawback Services.
Charter Brokerage
Large importers outsourcing to a full-service specialistA Berkshire Hathaway drawback specialist that runs recovery for large importers, backed by Hamilton software. Fees are commonly a share of recovery. See Stable vs Charter Brokerage.
Comstock & Holt
Complex programs under a white-glove specialistOne of the oldest U.S. drawback specialists, running its own software per client and advising on complex claims and rulings. See Stable vs Comstock & Holt.
Zollback
AI-native outsourced filing on contingencyAI-native filer that prices on a percentage of the refund and files through its own licensed brokers. See Stable vs Zollback.
Pax AI
AI-native licensed brokerage for recovery workLicensed customs brokerage that uses AI to prepare drawback and related recovery claims. Pax AI reportedly charges around 15% of recovered refunds. See Stable vs Pax AI.
Caspian
AI-native filer that works alongside your brokerAI-native contingency drawback positioned to work alongside your existing customs broker. See Stable vs Caspian.
Should you refer drawback work to a specialist or bring it in-house?
Refer it out if drawback requests are rare, your team has no capacity, or the claim is an unusually complex manufacturing program a specialist already knows how to run. It costs nothing up front, but the provider keeps a share of every refund, and some specialists and AI-native filers also run customs brokerages, so they work directly with your client.
Bring it in-house if you already file the client's entries: you have the data and the power of attorney, you keep the margin, and drawback becomes another service the client buys from you. Licensed software such as DrawbackAI or DutyCalc is the usual path. See adding drawback to a customs brokerage.
How do drawback service firms differ from licensed software?
A service firm prepares and usually files the claims, often under its own brokerage relationship, and invoices a percentage of what CBP refunds. Licensed software is a fixed cost: you or your customs broker run the matching and claim assembly, file under your own filer code, and keep the whole refund. The trade-off is effort and control versus outsourcing. See drawback contingency fees.
Where DrawbackAI by Stable Software fits
Stable Software makes DrawbackAI for brokers and importers who want the in-house model: white-label under the broker brand, claims under the broker POA, flat license with no percentage of the refund. Specialists remain a good referral for programs you do not want to staff. See DrawbackAI and Stable Software for brokers.
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Frequently asked questions
Should my customs brokerage refer drawback work to a specialist or bring it in-house?
Bring it in-house if you already file the client's entries: you keep the margin and the relationship. Refer it out if requests are rare or unusually complex, knowing the provider keeps a share of every refund and may also offer brokerage to your client.
What is the difference between a drawback service firm and drawback software?
A service firm runs the program and usually takes a share of each refund. Licensed software is a fixed fee: you or your broker run the claims under your own filer code and keep the whole refund.
Which drawback specialists do importers use most often?
Established names include J.M. Rodgers, Alliance Drawback Services, Charter Brokerage, and Comstock & Holt. AI-native filers such as Zollback, Pax AI, and Caspian are newer outsourced options.
Can a customs broker keep the client while still using a specialist?
Only if the specialist relationship is structured so the broker remains the face of the service. Many specialists and contingency filers file under their own brokerage, which can pull the importer relationship away. White-label software avoids that by design.