FAQ’s for the CARM RPP Account Security ClearanceA little bit of guidance for the most common questions we’ve been asked about the CARM RPP (Release Prior to Payment) Account Security Clearance.
1 – What does RPP stand for and why do importers need to take action?
RPP stands for release prior to payment. Any importers that registered on CARM before October 21, 2024 were automatically enrolled in “Active” RPP status. Importers Active RPP status is visible in your CARM portal by clicking on Account Profile, Program account profile & Subprograms.
Any importer that did not have account security in place before May 20, 2025 was removed from active RPP status and needs to re-enroll.
RPP Active status allows goods to cross the border without payment of duties and taxes required directly at the border at the time of crossing. Commercial Accounting Declarations (CAD’s) can be submitted after the release of goods across the border.
The transition period from late October 2024 to May 20th, 2025 is now over and all importers are required to post their own account security in order to maintain their RPP privileges.
2 – What are the types of account security importers can establish?
Either a 100% cash deposit to set up a “cash bond”
OR
By purchasing a “non-cash bond” through a surety provider.
3 – How does an importer know what their required amount of financial security is?
When logged into your CARM portal, click on Financial Information & Financial Security. There you will see a financial security dashboard & a total security required amount.
4 – How does an importer set up a cash bond / pay the 100% cash deposit?
By credit card payment directly on your CARM portal, at the bottom of the financial security screen, select add bond, cash bond, enter any internal reference # you want in the bond # field, your program account # (which is your full import number), the required financial amount & current date and follow the prompts to make a credit card payment online.
5 – How does an importer apply their credit card 100% cash deposit payment as their account security?
From your CARM home page, select Payments, Allocate credit as payment, select the security deposit payment you made, scroll down and select Submit.
6 – How does an importer purchase a non cash bond via King Bros. Limited surety parter, Intact Insurance?
By completing your business information details on the following link: https://kibro.com/carm-business-details/
This link is also on our website & the RPP Newsletter we emailed your business.
7 – How much does a non-cash bond through Intact Insurance & King Bros. Limited cost?
—
Financial Security Amount
Minimum Financial Security Cost
Up to $62,000
$350
$63,000-$100,000
$350 + $4 per thousand
Over $100,000
Case by Case Basis
—
8 – Is there a minimum non-cash bond amount?
Yes, Canada Customs has a minimum non-cash bond requirement of $5000. If an importer chooses to establish the minimum required non cash bond of $5000, their CARM portal total financial coverage will be doubled to have $10,000 of account security. The financial coverage on your CARM portal will always be double the amount of your written security agreement with Intact Insurance or any surety provider you choose to use.
9 – Is the non-cash bonding option an annual renewal?
Yes, if your business goes ahead with purchasing a non-cash bond through Intact Insurance & King Bros. Limited, your non cash bond will be valid for 1 year. Next year you will be contacted to renew the agreement at the same projected cost.
10 – Is the 100% cash deposit option an annual requirement?
No, your 100% Cash deposit will remain as a deposit on the CARM account until you close the import account with CBSA or dis-enroll from the RPP subprogram. If your required security amount increases, you will be sent notifications by CARM that a further deposit payment is required.
SCENARIO EXAMPLES:
What if my CARM financial security requirement is $118,000.00?
Please inform King Bros. Limited what your full required amount is on our link for submitting your business details
The KBL team will submit an amount of $75,000.00 (more than half the required amount) to Intact Insurance for the written security agreement.
The business will receive an email from Intact requiring an e signature and will reference the bond amount of $75,000.00
This will ensure the business has $150,000.00 of financial coverage on their CARM portal.
What if my CARM financial security requirement is $900.00 and I want to purchase a non-cash bond? Do I enter $900 or $5000?
Please enter $900. King Bros. Limited will upload your business details to Intact noting the minimum non cash bond amount of $5000 and this amount will be referenced when you receive the email from Intact that requires your digital e signature.
The cost to our business remains the same of $350 to purchase the non-cash bond through Intact & KBL.
What if my CARM financial security requirement is currently $0.00?
Currently your shipments will still cross the border without further action. Please note after more importing history has transpired, there will be a financial security requirement amount updated on the portal and your business with receive notifications on CARM that action needs to be taken to maintain RPP active status privileges.
What if my business does not agree with the current financial security required amount? For example: Your business had a 1 off large shipment last year and your business does not anticipate having more high value shipments.
You can request to lower the financial required amount directly on the portal by selecting Update requirement (pencil icon) from within the financial security screen on CARM. This request will be reviewed by CBSA.
FYI, King Bros. Limited does not know how quickly these requests are being processed, how often they are approved by CBSA.
Can I my business opt out of the RPP account security requirement?
Short answer: NO. All importers are required to establish some kind of account security.
The only entities that are exempt from establishing RPP account security are: Crown corporations, Federal & Provincial or Territorial government department and ministries.
What if my business is no longer importing any goods into Canada and does not want to post any financial security to their existing CARM portal account?
The business can submit a request disenrollment of their import RM account. A disenrollment request needs to be submitted via your CARM portal to CBSA for review.
What if you are retiring and you are closing your business soon? Will you get the 100% cash deposit amount you paid back?
Yes, in this scenario, you should request disenrollment of your import RM account & when making this request on your CARM portal, state that you want a refund for the deposit amount you paid.
If we still haven’t answered your questions, contact us.
A little bit of guidance for the most common questions we’ve been asked about the CARM RPP (Release Prior to Payment) Account Security Clearance.
1 – What does RPP stand for and why do importers need to take action?
RPP stands for release prior to payment. Any importers that registered on CARM before October 21, 2024 were automatically enrolled in “Active” RPP status. Importers Active RPP status is visible in your CARM portal by clicking on Account Profile, Program account profile & Subprograms.
Any importer that did not have account security in place before May 20, 2025 was removed from active RPP status and needs to re-enroll.
RPP Active status allows goods to cross the border without payment of duties and taxes required directly at the border at the time of crossing. Commercial Accounting Declarations (CAD’s) can be submitted after the release of goods across the border.
The transition period from late October 2024 to May 20th, 2025 is now over and all importers are required to post their own account security in order to maintain their RPP privileges.
2 – What are the types of account security importers can establish?
Either a 100% cash deposit to set up a “cash bond”
OR
By purchasing a “non-cash bond” through a surety provider.
3 – How does an importer know what their required amount of financial security is?
When logged into your CARM portal, click on Financial Information & Financial Security. There you will see a financial security dashboard & a total security required amount.
4 – How does an importer set up a cash bond / pay the 100% cash deposit?
By credit card payment directly on your CARM portal, at the bottom of the financial security screen, select add bond, cash bond, enter any internal reference # you want in the bond # field, your program account # (which is your full import number), the required financial amount & current date and follow the prompts to make a credit card payment online.
5 – How does an importer apply their credit card 100% cash deposit payment as their account security?
From your CARM home page, select Payments, Allocate credit as payment, select the security deposit payment you made, scroll down and select Submit.
6 – How does an importer purchase a non cash bond via King Bros. Limited surety parter, Intact Insurance?
By completing your business information details on the following link: https://kibro.com/carm-business-details/
This link is also on our website & the RPP Newsletter we emailed your business.
7 – How much does a non-cash bond through Intact Insurance & King Bros. Limited cost?
—
Financial Security Amount | Minimum Financial Security Cost |
Up to $62,000 | $350 |
$63,000-$100,000 | $350 + $4 per thousand |
Over $100,000 | Case by Case Basis |
—
8 – Is there a minimum non-cash bond amount?
Yes, Canada Customs has a minimum non-cash bond requirement of $5000. If an importer chooses to establish the minimum required non cash bond of $5000, their CARM portal total financial coverage will be doubled to have $10,000 of account security. The financial coverage on your CARM portal will always be double the amount of your written security agreement with Intact Insurance or any surety provider you choose to use.
9 – Is the non-cash bonding option an annual renewal?
Yes, if your business goes ahead with purchasing a non-cash bond through Intact Insurance & King Bros. Limited, your non cash bond will be valid for 1 year. Next year you will be contacted to renew the agreement at the same projected cost.
10 – Is the 100% cash deposit option an annual requirement?
No, your 100% Cash deposit will remain as a deposit on the CARM account until you close the import account with CBSA or dis-enroll from the RPP subprogram. If your required security amount increases, you will be sent notifications by CARM that a further deposit payment is required.
SCENARIO EXAMPLES:
What if my CARM financial security requirement is $118,000.00?
Please inform King Bros. Limited what your full required amount is on our link for submitting your business details
The KBL team will submit an amount of $75,000.00 (more than half the required amount) to Intact Insurance for the written security agreement.
The business will receive an email from Intact requiring an e signature and will reference the bond amount of $75,000.00
This will ensure the business has $150,000.00 of financial coverage on their CARM portal.
What if my CARM financial security requirement is $900.00 and I want to purchase a non-cash bond? Do I enter $900 or $5000?
Please enter $900. King Bros. Limited will upload your business details to Intact noting the minimum non cash bond amount of $5000 and this amount will be referenced when you receive the email from Intact that requires your digital e signature.
The cost to our business remains the same of $350 to purchase the non-cash bond through Intact & KBL.
What if my CARM financial security requirement is currently $0.00?
Currently your shipments will still cross the border without further action. Please note after more importing history has transpired, there will be a financial security requirement amount updated on the portal and your business with receive notifications on CARM that action needs to be taken to maintain RPP active status privileges.
What if my business does not agree with the current financial security required amount? For example: Your business had a 1 off large shipment last year and your business does not anticipate having more high value shipments.
You can request to lower the financial required amount directly on the portal by selecting Update requirement (pencil icon) from within the financial security screen on CARM. This request will be reviewed by CBSA.
FYI, King Bros. Limited does not know how quickly these requests are being processed, how often they are approved by CBSA.
Can I my business opt out of the RPP account security requirement?
Short answer: NO. All importers are required to establish some kind of account security.
The only entities that are exempt from establishing RPP account security are: Crown corporations, Federal & Provincial or Territorial government department and ministries.
What if my business is no longer importing any goods into Canada and does not want to post any financial security to their existing CARM portal account?
The business can submit a request disenrollment of their import RM account. A disenrollment request needs to be submitted via your CARM portal to CBSA for review.
What if you are retiring and you are closing your business soon? Will you get the 100% cash deposit amount you paid back?
Yes, in this scenario, you should request disenrollment of your import RM account & when making this request on your CARM portal, state that you want a refund for the deposit amount you paid.
If we still haven’t answered your questions, contact us.
