Shipping from the USA household goods and personal items
Shipping your household items or personal belongings overseas is easier than you think. Use our online freight calculator above. Select your destination country, follow simple steps, and get the shipping cost.
Check out a 3-minute YouTube video that explains how to ship personal goods abroad from the United States. You can schedule an international delivery for large cargo in real-time without waiting for a price quote. Get it online and book 24/7.
If this is your first time shipping internationally, browse our website to learn about shipping goods from the United States. Check out our FAQ, references, and documents for international cargo transportation by sea.
Do you have any questions about the shipping cost? Use our online freight calculator for an estimate. Email it to yourself. Reply to the email with the quote reference number, or call us for answers.
Are you uncertain about the number of shipping boxes and their weight and sizes? That's OK. Provide a rough estimate. The ocean carrier's container terminal (CFS) will remeasure your cargo and adjust the shipping cost based on the actual weight and measurements of shipping items.
If you decide to pack your shipping belongings by yourself, you can avoid working with international moving companies. However, if you have already received a quote from such a company, you may be surprised by how much cheaper the shipping cost is when calculated using a freight calculator. This is because of the online freight calculator designed for shipping goods overseas with international ocean freight carriers - LCL cargo consolidators. AMID Logistics, a licensed and bonded U.S. freight forwarder should assist you.
Shipping goods from the U.S. with international moving companies
If you prioritize convenience above cost, you may continue searching for an international moving company.
You may continue reading about shipping household goods from the U.S. with international moving companies or skip to topics related to shipping, such as cargo LCL.
If you can afford higher shipping costs, you may consider hiring a reliable international moving company to move your belongings from the USA to another country. An international moving company assessor should visit you to estimate the cost of shipping your goods overseas, including labor, packing materials, and freight.
Sometimes, international moving companies may offer a "door-to-door" service, ensuring that they assist you in recovering your cargo in your destination country, rather than just submitting your goods to shipping from the U.S. Such an international moving company assures that they will represent you and work with the customs and seaport officials in the destination country. They will also handle all expenses related to the release of your cargo, deliver it to your overseas location, and unload it safely. Then, it is advisable to carefully review the section of your shipping agreement about cargo recovery at the destination.
However, shipping goods abroad with international moving companies is very expensive, especially if you only need to send overseas a portion of your belongings in moving boxes.
The alternative to international moving companies is to ship goods from the USA directly with international ocean freight carriers, assisted by U.S. freight forwarders.
You can hire a local moving company to pack and deliver your goods to a Container Freight Station (CFS), the terminal for international ocean freight carriers. Then you should ask the moving company if they are aware of international cargo transportation regulations from the USA. Particularly with ISPM15 regulations.
Yes, it is possible to ship household goods and personal belongings from the USA overseas without incurring high shipping costs. To save on shipping costs, consider using LCL freight services, which allow you to ship relatively large cargo in boxes, crates, or pallets. It's much cheaper and:
- Sharing a 40-foot sea freight container with other exporters for shipping from the USA goods in boxes, crates, or pallets, you only pay for the space used in the container, not for shipping the entire container overseas. If you ship goods abroad that don't fill a whole sea freight container, sending them LCL is much cheaper than FCL.
- For cargo delivered in boxes, crates, or on pallets directly to ocean freight carrier terminals (CFSs), freight rates are calculated by the overall cargo volume (per Cubic Meter or Cubic Foot). The weight of LCL freight does not affect its pricing. However, this rule does not apply to U.S. inland cargo transportation.
- Shipping goods using LCL freight can help you save money on inland trucking costs. If you deliver your packed goods to a CFS, you save money on cargo delivery costs. The U.S. cargo delivery cost can be a significant part of your total shipping expenses. It may even exceed the cost of ocean freight in international transportation.
It's important to understand that in international cargo transportation, LCL, the term "Ocean Freight" refers to the price of transporting cargo between CFSs in countries of origin and destination. However, it's crucial to note that ocean freight in international shipping from the USA doesn't include the cost of transporting cargo to and from the CFSs.
- With LCL, you can self-deliver loose boxes to a CFS. The CFS will palletize the boxes at the facility for $35-$50 per pallet, which includes the cost of certified pallets. Delivery of small boxes is much easier than carrying heavy pallets. However, you should consider the "dead volume" cost related to the palletization of your shipping boxes. You can stack loose boxes on a pallet and request CFS to ship items of non-standard dimensions separately. Then, you minimize the "dead volume" in your shipping.
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Household goods shipping from the USA packed in cardboard boxes comply with ISPM15 regulations. When shipping internationally, you can use regular cardboard moving boxes sold at Walmart, U-Haul, Office Depot, and other similar stores. We recommend using heavy-duty cardboard boxes. Once you have the boxes, you must palletize them on certified or plastic pellets to comply with the ISPM15 regulations. This will ensure that your shipment meets the requirements.When you self-deliver cardboard shipping boxes to a CFS, the CFS should properly palletize and shrink-wrap the boxes for international shipping from the USA. Pay $35-50 per pallet (incl. cost of pallets) to have pros palletize your boxes. Don't do it yourself. Just deliver loose boxes to CFS for easy handling and leave the rest to the experts. By doing so, you transfer responsibilities for ISPM15 compliance to the CFS. As a result, your shipping boxes shouldn't face any problems related to ISPM 15 when shipping from the USA.
- With LCL, you can ship boxes, crates, or pallets of any size and shape as long as they fit into a 40-foot sea freight container.
If you are planning to ship your goods from the USA overseas using LCL freight, it is essential to note that there are specific rules and limitations that you should be aware of. Unlike when shipping household goods with international moving companies, in this case, the shipper is solely responsible for packing and shipping the goods. A U.S. freight forwarder should guide you on the best approach to take.
Shipping personal belongings from the USA overseas may seem complicated, but it's actually quite straightforward. Use common sense, follow the proper procedures, and avoid treating international cargo transportation like mailing a postcard overseas. Inexperienced first-time shippers often make this mistake and pay a significant price. So be aware of the shipping procedures to ensure a successful shipment.
As a U.S. freight forwarder, we do our best to make procedures for shipping household goods from the USA as easy, stressless, and predictable as possible. We are proud of our customers' satisfaction survey index, which never falls below 95-97%. You may see AMID Logistics' customer reviews in this link. Regrettably, sometimes we receive complaints. Almost all the complaints come from inexperienced, first-time international shippers.
If this is your first-time international shipment, we highly suggest you read the rest of this article. By considering different scenarios in international shipping from the United States household goods and personal belongings, you should be better prepared for the venture.
Based on our experience, we have compiled a list of common issues that first-time shippers may encounter when shipping personal goods via LCL from the USA. Our FAQ, references, and documents cover all the information, but we focus on specific scenarios to avoid confusion.
Please note that all the procedures you will learn about are standard for shipping freight LCL, regardless of the carrier you choose. If you do not understand something before being involved in an international shipment from the USA overseas, do not hesitate to contact us or verify with third parties.
1. Properly pack and palletize your goods.
2. If you requested a pickup, be prepared to meet the driver.
3. Cargo self-delivered to a line haul terminal may need temporary palletization.
4. Timely submit all necessary shipping documents.
5. Ocean freight cannot guarantee transit time.
7. Door deliveries at destinations.
9. Do not confuse LCL service with parcel services. The minimum charge is one cubic meter.
1. Properly pack and palletize your goods. All shipping goods must be boxed or crated.
When shipping goods overseas from the USA with LCL, make sure they're adequately packed in boxes, crates, or on pallets and labeled for shipping. We don't offer a packing service, but you can find a professional packing company near you if you need help.
Then, most likely, you will need to palletize smaller shipping boxes into skids. Exporters can either self-palletize their shipping goods or request the ocean freight carrier to palletize and shrink-wrap loose boxes at the carrier's freight terminal (CFS). The cost of self-delivered shipping items for palletizing at CFS ranges from $35-50 per pallet, depending on the CFS. The cost of the certified pallet is included in the palletizing fee, which will be added to the ocean freight carrier's invoice. The palletizing of shipping items increases the chargeable volume in your shipping. When shipping items internationally from the USA, palletizing cargo is necessary to avoid damage and loss. Ocean freight carriers will not accept more than 3-5 boxes unless they are palletized.
Packing for international shipping is similar to domestic moving, with one limitation: forklifts handle pallets at every stage. Ocean freight carriers will load and secure pallets professionally in a 40-ft container for safe shipping from the USA.
Sometimes shippers ask, 'Can we pack and ship from the U.S. suitcases, plastic bins, etc.?' Yes, you can. Just ensure that it is strong enough to keep the shape. However, even if you palletize all your shipping items, we recommend labeling every single item. Then, if a skid is broken, each item can be identified. Our shipping instructions will contain a web link to print your shipping labels.
Sometimes shippers ask, 'Is it safe to ship some valuables from the USA overseas in 40-foot containers by sea? What should we say? Almost all the goods you see in Walmart, Target, etc., arrived in the USA by sea in the same containers. Just pack your shipping items accurately. Separate fragile items. Bubbles wrap it. Insulate it in plastic film. You may consider hiring a professional packing company. Most ocean freight shipments from the USA arrive without damages and losses. Consider marine insurance in your shipping.
However, avoid shipping from the USA dangerous goods and prohibited commodities. Do not put into your shipping boxes the following things:
- Perishable food products
- Live animals, plants, and seeds
- Any medicines and drugs
- Dangerous and Hazardous Goods are restricted and subject to approval and special procedures.
- Aerosols
- Liquids
- Cash, Money orders, credit and debit cards
- Passports and other confidential documents
- Valuable jewelry, art, and antique
- To simplify, avoid shipping from the USA abroad items considered dangerous or prohibited with regular parcel service at your local USPS office.
- WARNING! If you pack in used boxes, ensure you erase all previous shipping labels and marks, especially if they relate to dangerous goods or hazardous materials.
If you are unsure what some of your goods are legal for shipping from the USA, put them away. Do not take your entire shipment at risk. Do not ship such things. If it is still necessary to ship overseas, ask officials in the United States and your destination country.
2. If you requested a pickup, be prepared to meet the pickup driver and, if necessary, be ready to help load your cargo into the pickup truck.
If, when quoting-booking with our online freight calculator, you request a pickup (collection), please be aware of some limitations in LTL freight.
In international LCL sea freight service, we utilize U.S. LTL domestic carriers on cargo pickups but not moving companies. LTL freight is mainly designed for cargo pickups and deliveries between commercial facilities with loading docks. Single drivers operate LTL trucks. Then, LTL drivers may refuse to handle bulky cargo on residential pickups, saying they are not movers. Handling many boxes, especially if a load is far from the pickup truck, may be time and labor-consuming.
Therefore, at the time of pickup, you have to be prepared to help the pickup driver with your cargo load. You may need to call the LTL company scheduled for your pickup in our shipping instructions in advance and discuss and conduct your pickup conditions.
If you're requesting a pickup, please remember that if you ship too many boxes (for example, you pack and ship from the USA an entire apartment or house), the pickup may not be available. In this case, you should consider a self-self delivery of your boxes to the nearest to your freight terminal. You can hire a local moving company to deliver your boxes to the terminal. If you hire a moving company, we'd recommend following them and controlling the submission of your goods to international shipping from the USA.
Also, keep in mind that pickup time slots are typically from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. If you'd like to specify a more precise time window, you may call the trucking company dispatcher on the day of pickup to find an estimated driver's arrival time. The LTL freight terminal's dispatcher phone number is in our shipping instructions.
IMPORTANT!: If you are not ready for the pickup on the scheduled day, that's OK. However, in this case, you must call the dispatcher of the LTL company in advance directly. Otherwise, an attempt pickup charge may be added to your shipping cost.
Always refer to your pickup reference number in our shipping instructions when calling. Obtain a new pickup reference number. Please notify us to track your pickup. No changes in your LTL bill of lading are required. Use the same LTL bill of lading that you received with our shipping instructions.
Please note that LTL freight does not offer inside pickups. Cargo must be located on the ground level, in a garage, on a porch, etc.
3. Cargo self-delivered to a line haul terminal may need temporary palletizing. If cargo is self-delivered to a line-haul freight terminal for the transfer to an ocean freight carrier's terminal (CFS), the shipper should be prepared to deal with palletizing with the Line-Haul terminal.
The online freight calculator lists domestic U.S. LTL line haul terminals in lowercase with an asterisk. For example, San Diego, CA*. LTL carrier should accept your packed goods for domestic transportation to the CFS for further shipping your goods out of the U.S.
On the one hand, unlike CFS, LTL line haul terminals are not obligated to palletize cargo. On the other hand, they usually temporarily palletize loose boxes for handling cargo by forklifts. However, they never follow ISPM15 rules. These rules do not apply to U.S. domestic cargo transportation.
Our experience shows that line haul freight terminals typically accept loose boxes and palletize them without questions. However, in rare cases, they may request to palletize boxes or charge a fee to palletize loose boxes.
To avoid possible confusion, before your cargo delivery to the line haul terminal, you may need to call the terminal in advance and conduct the business on palletizing. Always provide the LTL bill of lading number attached to our shipping instructions if contacting.
Please do not confuse palletizing your shipping boxes at LTL Line-Haul freight terminals with palletizing at ocean freight carriers' terminals (CFS). In our online freight calculators, CFSs are listed in uppercase and highlighted - for example, MIAMI, FL.
CFS should always be palletized or re-palletized, and shrink-wrap cargo delivered loose for $35-50 per pallet, including the cost of a certified pallet. Then, in your international shipping from the USA, you obey ISPM15 rules. Typically, CFS does not accept cash for palletizing. The fee will be added to the carrier's freight.
4. Timely submit all necessary shipping documents.
All carriers follow the same rule in international cargo transportation: "No docs, no ship." That means that unless all shipping documents are in order, cargo cannot be released to international shipping from the USA. If a shipment has already been delivered to the Container Freight Station (CFS), but some documents are missing, it will be on hold until all necessary documentation is submitted. If a shipper cannot provide proper documents on an international shipment, he can return the cargo. However, a CFS in/out fee will apply on top of storage charges (if any).
Do not delay your export documents. You should submit it before or, at the latest, on the day of delivery of your goods to CFS.
Remember that you should not attach any original shipping documents to your cargo. Do not write a list of shipping goods on shipping boxes. It may attract thieves. All papers must be submitted to us via your shipping instructions or in an email in the attached PDF files. Files other than PDF format may be rejected.
Does it look too complicated? Not at all.
Most of the time, you will need to submit only a commercial invoice or valued packing list. It should list items you are shipping from the USA abroad and the value of the items in US$.
Often, shippers ask, 'I'm shipping just personal goods. Not for sale. Where can I get a commercial invoice?'
The answer is, 'It is easy.' If you're shipping household goods or personal belongings from the USA overseas, then you describe your shipping items and assign the value by yourself. That's it. You provide the information in a document called a Valued Packing List. Our shipping instructions will contain a web link to submit your valued packing list online. You can see what your valued packing list will look like in this link.
When submitting a valued packing list, remember to list all your shipping items, whether you will palletize them or not. You can combine boxes with the same commodity, value, and weight to save time.
Regarding international shipping from the USA mixed household goods or personal effects, if no major commodity is described, we may suggest the H.S. Code 4016.99.05 "Household articles not elsewhere specified or included." In this case, we'll notify shippers in our updates email.
You do not have to list each plate and cup when filling your valued packing list. Provide a general description, such as tableware, used clothes, disassembled furniture, etc.
However, avoid descriptions that are too uncertain, like '12 boxes with used household goods totaling $2,499'. Getting a release for your goods for shipping out of the USA may be OK, but the destination county customs may ask your consignee (recipient) for a more detailed list of arrived goods.
Also, despite palletizing your boxes, you should label each box as 1 of 12, 2 of 12, 3 of 12, etc. In case your skid falls apart during international transportation, each shipping item can be identified.
Depending on import regulations in a particular destination country, the ocean freight carrier may request additional documents in your international shipping. That could be a copy of a photo I.D., tax information, etc. There should not be anything complicated for you to provide such documents. We should inform you if any additional valued packing list documents are required to obtain your cargo release for shipping from the USA.
IMPORTANT: If the value of your shipping goods is US$2500 and above, you must submit the U.S. Shippers Export Declaration (SED). You can submit the Shippers Export Declaration on your own and provide ITN, or we will file it on your behalf for a $35 fee. To submit SED on your behalf, we will need either an EIN (U.S. tax I.D.) from the shipper or a copy of the shipper's foreign passport.
Please keep in mind that a U.S. freight forwarder's responsibility is to assist a shipper until exporting goods enter the commerce zone of the destination country. I.e., till shipping from the U.S. goods will reach a bonded freight terminal (CFS) in the destination country. All issues related to the recovery of the goods at the destination, including providing all documents required by the destination country customs and other government organizations, are the consignee's responsibilities (in respect of dealing with customs professionally called 'Importer of records'). Neither the freight forwarder nor the ocean freight carrier will be able to assist you in the task.
However, when shipping LCL freight, you are not alone. With LCL, your bill of lading contains the ocean freight carrier's destination agent's contact information. The agent should issue an official arrival notice to your consignee and guide the consignee in the complexity of your import recovery.
When shipping goods from the United States aboard, always remember that this is your goods, and you are shipping the goods overseas, but no one else. Freight forwarders and carriers are assisting with your needs. The shipper's and consignee's responsibility is to provide all necessary documents required by the ocean freight carrier, origin and destination country officials, and third parties involved in your international shipping from the USA.
5. Ocean freight cannot guarantee transit time.
Mainly, cargo vessels depart and arrive as scheduled. Having a price quote, you can always reply to the quote and ask for the nearest vessel schedule. However, if your shipment is time-sensitive, you should know that delays may occur.
In sea freight, the reasons for delays are not just severe weather conditions. Transit time in multimodal LCL international shipping depends on cargo and documents cutoff at CFS, trucking or rail traffic, hubs and seaport conjunctions, and many other factors that may impact the time of cargo transportation from the United States to a destination overseas.
Here, we'd like to alert you that in addition to the routine delays associated with different factors during cargo transportation from the USA overseas, there is a possibility of uncertainties related to cargo quarantine by the United States Customs and Border Patrol. Such delays are extremely rare. However, if the U.S. CBP flagged a container for the examination, the delay may take uncertain time. Unless released by the U.S. CBP, cargo cannot be loaded on a vessel. Furthermore, additional charges due to the exam may occur. The costs should be equally divided among all cargo owners in the checked container. No one can help you with that. All complaints should be directed to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
Any importing goods, regardless of the commodity, mode of transportation, and destination country, are subject to destination charges.
If you decide to ship goods abroad, whether you transport commercial cargo or ship household goods or personal belongings, you have to keep in mind the destination charges. Destination charges (sometimes called local charges) occur at the destinations. Therefore, they are not considered freight charges. Destination charges are NOT included in the shipping cost obtained in the freight calculator.
We inform our customers about destination charges throughout the process of initiating every shipment. Shippers must agree with this statement when booking: 'I understand that Destination charges are payable by consignee...'. Otherwise, shipments cannot be initiated. You may find more about destination charges in the step-by-step guide in step 7.
U.S. laws do not apply to your cargo when your goods exit the U.S. Commerce zone. Cargo recovery at destinations and all charges associated with import recovery are the consignee's responsibilities and on account of the consignee. Neither a U.S. freight forwarder nor an ocean freight carrier can help you manage your import recovery overseas. In LCL freight, an ocean freight carrier's destination agent should guide you in your import recovery. However, the agent is not a U.S. business. Suppose an issue occurs in your cargo recovery at the destination. In that case, no one but your consignee (in respect of import recovery, professionally called Importer of Records) can be better aware of and work on resolving the issue.
Yes, International Maritime Laws should apply to your freight. However, the laws may be interpreted differently depending on the country you're shipping to. Not to mention other reasons related to the economic and political situation in the destination country.
Typically, with LCL freight, you do not need to hire a destination country's customs broker. The carrier's destination agent is the customs broker as well. However, if a problem occurs, we suggest you seek help from an independent customs broker in your destination country.
Experienced exporters are always aware of and consider destination charges in their business. If customers would like to learn more about cargo recovery procedures at the destination and estimate destination charges in advance. In that case, they may ask us about the contact information of the prospective carrier's destination agent upon receipt of a quote in our online freight calculator. Having the information, they may contact the agent and get the information directly from overseas.
Please understand that we cannot see the shipment's routing without a quote or booking reference number. Before requesting an ocean freight carrier's agent contact information, you must obtain a quote or booking reference number on our website.
The carrier's destination agent contact information is typically in our shipping instructions. The agent's contact information must be reconfirmed in your bill of lading. Please note that the carrier may change their agent during your cargo transportation. However, most of the time, your import recovery procedures and destination charges should remain about the same.
Please note that a part of or all destination charges may be required to be paid at a port of entry of shipping goods but at the final destination. Depending on the destination country's customs regulations, all or a part of destination charges may need to be paid at the port of entry. The cargo will continue traveling to the freight terminal at the place of delivery as in your bill of lading cleared with customs. Otherwise, shipping goods can be transferred to the final destination in bond and are required to be cleared with customs at a bonded freight terminal located within the place of delivery area. Also, please note that sometimes, destination charges may be divided by separate invoices related to particular parties involved in import recovery.
What would we suggest if, for some reason, you will experience problems with your import recovery at the destination?:
- IMPORTANT!: If for any reason your consigne will not be contacted by the carrier's destination agent on/within a few days before your cargo ETA (Estimated day of Arrival), do not wait. Contact them first. The agent's contact info is in your bill of lading.
- Always request an Arrival Notice in a legal format. Your Arrival Notice must be dated and contain the destination agent's letterhead and destination charges breakdown. Phone calls or random emails are not enough.
- Work with the destination agent. Respect the agent's job. The agent's business is to get a release for your goods as quickly as possible. Follow the agent's instructions. Pay destination charges (sometimes called Local Charges) and receive your released goods.
- If, for some reason, you experience a problem with your import recovery, do not hesitate to contact us. However, if you do not provide a copy of your legal arrival notice, most likely, we will not be able to work with the carrier on your behalf. We will always need a copy of your arrival notice.
Please keep in mind that import recoveries are time-sensitive! The quicker you begin working on it, the less likely you will face deadline penalties: storage, demurrage, customs penalties, etc.
7. Door deliveries at destinations.
Our customers frequently ask, 'Is there a "door-to-door" service?'
With LCL freight, no 'door delivery' service is included in the quoted shipping cost.
In the United States, we offer cargo pickup (collection) internationally, shipping goods in boxes, crates, or on pallets virtually from any location, with certain limitations.
However, your goods will be shipped "not to door" but to a freight terminal located within the greater area of the designated city named as the place of delivery in your bill of lading.
The ocean freight carrier's destination agent assigned to your bill of lading should guide you in your import recovery and get the cargo released for you. Typically, the agent is a customs broker as well. Then, you will need to follow the agent's instructions, pay destination charges, and obtain the release. Cleared with customs and released cargo should be self-picked up from the freight terminal by the consignee.
Most ocean freight carriers' destination agents and freight terminals offer delivery services for an additional cost. Then, you can order a 'door delivery' and pay for the service directly to them at the destination. Otherwise, your consignee may hire a local cargo transportation company to arrange a pickup of released goods to be delivered 'to the door.'
8. 75% deposit. The actual shipping cost most likely will differ from the estimated shipping cost quoted.
Some customers ask us about COD (Cash on Delivery) or Freight Collect service. They probably confuse international cargo transportation with mail orders, where payment is made on delivery rather than in advance. If the goods are not paid for, they are returned to the retailer.
If this is your first international shipment with us, we welcome you. However, to initiate a shipment, you have to pre-pay at least 75% of the estimated shipping cost calculated based on weight/measurements (w/m) information provided by you in your quote and booking.
Please keep in mind that when quoting and booking your LCL shipment, it is usually challenging to provide the precise dimensions, weight, and number of your shipping units. Do not be confused. That's OK. Just roughly estimate.
The actual volume, weight, and number of your shipping from USA units will most likely differ from the number and measurements you provided when booking. Upon your cargo delivery to the ocean freight carrier's shipping terminal (CFS), the CFS will calculate and reconfirm the actual number of your shipped units, the overall volume, and weight. You may need to read our step-by-step guide.
Also, you will receive our final invoice, less the deposit already paid, not upon arrival of your cargo to the destination but when your shipment departs from the USA. In other words, we will invoice you at the time when your sea freight bill of lading will be generated. Occasionally, as soon as we receive a rated proof copy of your bill of lading before the departure, we may invoice you upon the proof.
Once again, please note: Your invoice will be based on the actual weight/measurements of cargo you have shipped, but not on the estimated shipping cost calculated at the time of quoting and booking. The invoice may also reflect unaccounted costs from the carrier not included in the initial booking (if any), such as charges related to palletizing, fumigation, GRI that occurred during the shipment, etc. In other words, you pay for what you have shipped, not what you had estimated to be shipped. If you overestimate your w/m, you pay less or receive a refund. If you have underestimated your w/m, you pay more. That's why we request a 75% deposit, but 100%. Note that this billing practice is expected in the industry.
