What Is a Consolidation MCP? Let Claude and ChatGPT Look Up Your Parcels and Taxes Directly
A consolidation MCP is a standard interface that lets AI assistants query consolidated shipping data directly. HowBridge offers two: a public version with no API key required for estimating shipping and taxes, and a member version, authorized via OAuth, for looking up your own parcels.
Public version URL: https://0523.tw/mcp/public (no sign-up, no API key). Member version URL: https://0523.tw/mcp (requires logging in as a member and adding the HowBridge LINE official account as a friend). Both are read-only — they can look things up but never change anything: no orders, no payments, no changes to any data.
Last updated: 2026-09-24 | Claude and ChatGPT steps are based on the official documentation as of September 2026. Menu names may change with product updates; the official pages take precedence.
What is a consolidation MCP, and how is it different from a regular API?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect to external data and tools. A “consolidation MCP” packages a consolidation provider's shipping rates, taxes, tariff codes and parcel data as MCP tools, so AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT can query the data source at the moment you ask, instead of answering with figures from their training data that may already be out of date.
A regular API needs an engineer to write code that calls it. With MCP, the AI assistant reads the tool descriptions itself and decides on its own when to call which tool. Under the official specification, MCP communicates over JSON-RPC 2.0, and a server can provide Tools, Resources and Prompts (prompt templates); the standard transport for remote servers is Streamable HTTP. For everyday users, all it takes is adding the URL to your AI assistant, and you can ask questions in plain language.
MCP is not a new AI model, and it is not an app. It is simply a “pipeline that lets AI look up data” — the quality of the answer still depends on the AI assistant you use, and the accuracy of the numbers depends on the data source. HowBridge's MCP tools use the same data and the same calculations as the website's tariff code search and shipping + tax calculator, so what the AI finds matches what you see on the web page.
HowBridge's two MCPs: public and member versions
HowBridge runs two separate MCP servers. The difference comes down to “whether you need to log in” and “whose data is being queried”:
| Item | Public version 0523_public | Member version 0523_member |
|---|---|---|
| URL | https://0523.tw/mcp/public | https://0523.tw/mcp |
| Who it's for | Anyone, with any AI assistant that supports MCP | HowBridge members themselves |
| Authentication | No API key, no OAuth, no sign-up | OAuth 2.1 authorization (with PKCE), scope mcp:use |
| Requirements | None | Log in as a member + add the HowBridge LINE official account as a friend (re-checked on every request) |
| What it can look up | China→Taiwan shipping costs, import taxes and fees, CCC tariff codes and import regulations, oversize fees for the Taiwan leg, the consolidation process, simplified declaration rules | Your own account status, bills, parcels, pre-alerts, customs duty bills and import declarations, and API usage |
| Number of tools | 8 HowBridge tools (plus read-only information tools for listed merchants) | 6 |
| Rate limits | 120 requests per minute per IP | By default, 60 requests per minute and 5,000 per day |
| Can it change data? | No, everything is read-only | No, everything is read-only |
💡 If you only want to ask about shipping and taxes, the public version is all you need. You only need the member version if you want the AI to sort out things like “how many of my parcels haven't shipped yet” or “how much was last month's bill.” For full parameter specs, see the 0523_public technical documentation. To read member data from your own program (rather than an AI assistant), use the member data API on the Developer Platform instead.
Adding HowBridge to Claude (custom connector)
According to Anthropic's official documentation (updated 2026-08-11), custom connectors are available on the Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, but the Free plan can add only 1. The example below adds the public version to a personal account:
1Open connector settings
In Claude (web or desktop), go to Customize › Connectors.
2Add a custom connector
Click “+” and choose Add custom connector.
3Paste the HowBridge URL
Enter https://0523.tw/mcp/public as the server URL. The public version needs no authentication, so leave the OAuth Client ID / Secret under advanced settings blank, then click Add.
4Enable it in a chat and ask away
Turn the connector on, usually from the tools menu in the chat, and ask directly: “Use HowBridge to calculate sea express shipping for 12.5 kg” or “How much tax would I pay to import a CNY 1,500 insulated bottle into Taiwan?” Claude will call the right tool automatically.
The organization owner goes to Organization settings › Connectors, clicks Add, chooses Custom › Web, pastes the URL and clicks Add. Once the owner has added it, each member still needs to connect it themselves under Customize › Connectors.
The steps are the same; just enter
https://0523.tw/mcp as the URL. After you click Add, you'll be taken to the HowBridge login page and asked to approve the authorization. See the member version section below for details. The official documentation also notes that custom connectors connect to the server from Anthropic's cloud, not from your computer.Source: Anthropic | Getting started with custom connectors using remote MCP (accessed 2026-09-24)
Adding HowBridge to ChatGPT (developer mode)
To add a custom MCP server to ChatGPT, you need to use developer mode (Developer mode). According to OpenAI's official documentation, it is currently available on the web version for Pro, Plus, Business, Enterprise and Education accounts. It supports both SSE and streaming HTTP, and authentication can be OAuth, No Authentication, or mixed.
1Turn on developer mode
In ChatGPT on the web, go to Settings → Security and login and turn on Developer mode.
2Create a developer-mode app
Following the official documentation, go to ChatGPT's Plugins page and click “+” to create a developer-mode app for a remote MCP server.
3Enter the URL and authentication method
Enter https://0523.tw/mcp/public as the server URL and choose No Authentication. HowBridge uses Streamable HTTP, which corresponds to ChatGPT's streaming HTTP.
4Select it in a chat and ask away
Select the app you just created in a new chat and ask your question, for example: “What is the CCC tariff code for a hyaluronic acid face mask? Are there any special import rules?”
OpenAI labels developer mode as a higher-risk feature and asks users to watch out for models misusing “write” tools and for malicious MCP servers stealing information; write actions require confirmation by default. Both HowBridge MCPs contain only read-only tools and never trigger writes. Even so, only add servers you trust whose URL is genuinely
0523.tw.Source: OpenAI | Developer mode (accessed 2026-09-24)
Other MCP clients
The public version follows the MCP standard, so besides Claude and ChatGPT it also works with open-source and local AI tools such as LM Studio, LibreChat, Open WebUI, Continue, Cline and MCP Inspector. There are just three rules:
- Set the URL to
https://0523.tw/mcp/public - Set the transport to streamable-http
- Set authentication to “none”
Sample configs for LM Studio's mcp.json and LibreChat's librechat.yaml, plus curl examples for initialize / tools/list / tools/call, are all in the 0523_public technical documentation, so they aren't repeated here. The public version is also listed in the official MCP Registry under the identifier tw.0523/lucky-public.
What you can ask the 8 public tools
The public version has 8 HowBridge tools, all read-only, and none of them change any data. You don't need to remember the tool names — just ask in plain language and the AI assistant will pick the right tool:
| Tool | What it does | Try asking |
|---|---|---|
lucky_freight_quote | Estimates China→Taiwan sea express / air freight shipping costs; returns the current rate table when called without parameters | “How much does it cost to ship a 60×40×30 cm, 8 kg box by sea express?” |
lucky_import_tax_estimate | Estimates Taiwan import taxes and fees — import duty, commodity tax, tobacco and alcohol tax, business tax (VAT) 5% and the trade promotion service fee — and checks the NT$2,000 de minimis exemption and the limit of 6 times per half-year, using the Customs ten-day exchange rate | “How much tax would I pay to import a CNY 1,500 insulated bottle?” |
lucky_ccc_predict | Finds CCC tariff codes from a product name and returns up to 5 candidates (same search engine as /search) | “What is the tariff code for a hyaluronic acid moisturizing face mask?” |
lucky_ccc_tariff_lookup | Looks up duty rates, import regulation codes and the competent authority by CCC tariff code | “What's the import duty for 3304.99.90? Are there any import regulations?” |
lucky_hct_oversize_fee | Estimates HCT Logistics home-delivery oversize fees for the Taiwan leg; returns the rate table for each city and county when called without parameters | “Does a 120×60×50 cm, 22 kg parcel going to Taipei City incur an oversize fee?” |
lucky_workflow | The complete HowBridge China→Taiwan consolidation process and current pricing rules | “I'm using HowBridge consolidation for the first time. How does it work?” |
lucky_simple_declaration | Taiwan's simplified declaration rules for express shipments: C1 / C2 / C3, the threshold for formal customs declaration, and EZ WAY real-name verification | “What's the difference between C1, C2 and C3? When do I need a formal customs declaration?” |
lucky_about | An introduction to the HowBridge brand and services | “What does HowBridge do?” |
🔑 The tariff tools are backed by HowBridge's tariff data from the Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (Taiwan), totaling 12,699 entries (system count as of 2026-09-24). All amounts are in New Taiwan dollars, weights in kg and dimensions in cm. The public endpoint also includes read-only information tools for listed merchants; that content is provided by the merchants and is unrelated to consolidation.
📊 System count: from 2026-08-25 to 2026-09-23 (Taipei time, 30 days), the 8 tools above were called 896 times. This is the number of calls logged by the server, including automated programs and scanners, and does not represent the number of users.
Member version: let AI look up your own parcels, bills and customs duty bills
The member version, 0523_member, lets your AI assistant read your own HowBridge data on your behalf. It uses OAuth: you log in and give consent on a HowBridge page, and the AI assistant receives an authorization that can only look up your data. You never need to paste a password or API key into the AI.
1Sign up as a member and add us on LINE
The member version requires no manual review. The only requirement is adding the “HowBridge consolidation official account” as a friend on LINE (ID @0523tw). The system re-checks your friend status on every request; if you block or unfriend the account, the AI assistant can no longer access your data. For how to add it as a friend, see the LINE official account guide.
2Add the member version URL to your AI assistant
Follow the Claude steps above to add a connector, but enter https://0523.tw/mcp as the URL. According to OpenAI's official documentation, ChatGPT supports OAuth (including dynamic client registration); choose OAuth as the authentication method, not No Authentication. HowBridge has so far only tested the member version's authorization flow on Claude. If ChatGPT can't complete the authorization, use Claude instead, or stick to the public version for now.
3Log in to HowBridge and approve the authorization
Your AI assistant will send you to the HowBridge login page. Confirm the authorization scope mcp:use and click to approve. The authorization uses the OAuth 2.1 authorization code flow with PKCE.
4Run a quick connection test first
Ask your AI assistant: “Check my HowBridge account status.” It will call lucky_profile to confirm that the authorization is valid and your LINE friend status is fine. After that, you can ask about parcels and bills.
| Tool | What it can look up | Try asking |
|---|---|---|
lucky_profile | Whether the authorization is valid, and your LINE friend status | “Is my HowBridge authorization working?” |
lucky_shipments | Parcel list, with status filtering and pagination | “How many of my parcels are still in the warehouse and haven't shipped?” |
lucky_forecasts | Pre-alert list | “List my recent pre-alert numbers” |
lucky_bills | Bill list or a single bill | “How much was my last consolidation bill, and has it been paid?” |
lucky_customs | Customs duty bills and import declarations | “Find my most recent customs duty bill” |
lucky_usage | Usage counts per minute and per day for this authorization | “How many HowBridge lookups have I used today?” |
💡 If a new member has no bills or parcels yet, the tools return an empty list, not an error. To count “how many in total,” ask the AI assistant to read the total field returned by the tool (meta.total) directly, rather than counting page by page or adding up counts from different tools — parcels, pre-alerts and customs declarations are three separate types of data.
Security and privacy
Before letting AI touch your parcels and bills, here's what you should know:
Read-only, no writing
All tools on both servers are read-only. Your AI assistant cannot use the HowBridge MCP to place orders, submit pre-alerts, make payments, change addresses or delete any data.
You can only see your own data
Every response from the member version contains only the data of the member who completed the authorization; other members' data cannot be queried. The public version contains no member data at all — only tariffs, rates and regulations.
Personal data masked by default
Personal data returned by the member version is masked by default: ID numbers show only the first 3 and last 3 characters (e.g. A12****789), addresses keep only the city or county, and the middle digits of phone numbers are hidden. Fields are allowlisted; any field not on the list is never output.
No need to hand over passwords or API keys
OAuth authorization is completed on HowBridge's own page, so the AI assistant never gets your login password. Each authorization is valid for 365 days. To stop using it, disconnect or remove HowBridge in your AI assistant's connector settings, and the AI assistant will no longer query it. However, this does not revoke the issued authorization on HowBridge's side, and HowBridge does not yet have a page where members can revoke AI authorizations themselves — contact HowBridge customer service if you need one revoked. To have subsequent requests rejected immediately, block or unfriend the HowBridge LINE official account (friend status is re-checked on every request).
Your conversations are governed by the AI service
Data retrieved by the tools appears in your conversation with the AI assistant. How that conversation is stored and used is governed by that AI service's privacy policy and is outside HowBridge's control. If you don't want bill data in your chat history, use only the public version.
Limits and things to note
| Limit | Details |
|---|---|
| An estimate is not a bill | Shipping costs are final per the bill issued after measurement on arrival at the warehouse; taxes and fees are final as assessed by Customs and are affected by the declared value, tariff classification and exchange rate. |
| AI may relay things incorrectly | The tools return structured numbers, but the AI assistant can still misread or miscalculate when turning them into text. Please double-check amounts and tariff codes with the calculator or tariff code search. |
| Rate limits | Public version: 120 requests per minute per IP. Member version: by default 60 requests per minute and 5,000 per day. Requests over the limit are temporarily rejected; just try again later. |
| No real-time push notifications | MCP only looks things up “when you ask.” Proactive notifications of parcel status changes are currently sent through the LINE official account; webhook push for member data is still being planned. |
| Service scope | The shipping and process tools only cover China→Taiwan consolidation. |
| AI plan limits | Claude Free can add only 1 custom connector; ChatGPT developer mode is limited to the web version for Pro, Plus, Business, Enterprise and Education. |
Glossary
- MCP (Model Context Protocol)
- An open protocol that lets AI assistants connect to external data and tools, communicating over JSON-RPC 2.0.
- MCP server
- The side that provides the tools, e.g. HowBridge's 0523_public and 0523_member.
- Tool
- A single function an MCP server exposes for AI to call, such as a shipping estimate or tariff code lookup.
- Streamable HTTP
- The standard transport for remote MCP servers: each message is sent via HTTP POST to the same URL, and the response can be JSON or a stream.
- OAuth 2.1 / PKCE
- A standard flow in which you log in and give consent on the service provider's page, and a third party receives only a limited-permission authorization. PKCE is a mechanism that prevents authorization codes from being intercepted and misused.
- MCP specification (2026-07-28 version): modelcontextprotocol.io/specification, Transports, Authorization
- Claude custom connectors: Anthropic Help Center
- ChatGPT developer mode: OpenAI Developers
- Official MCP Registry listing: tw.0523/lucky-public
- HowBridge tool list, endpoints and rate limits: tool list queried directly from the public endpoint on 2026-09-24 and cross-checked against HowBridge's system settings
All external pages above were accessed on 2026-09-24. AI service plans and menus change frequently; the official pages take precedence.
- 0523_public technical documentation (endpoints, parameters, sample configs)
- HowBridge Developer Platform (member data API and API key applications)
- Press release: HowBridge opens 8 tools to AI integration
- Import duty calculator: how customs taxes are calculated
- CCC tariff code and import regulation lookup
- HowBridge LINE official account guide
FAQ
https://0523.tw/mcp/public, is free, with no API key and no sign-up — just paste the URL and go. The member version, https://0523.tw/mcp, is also free and requires no manual review, but you need to log in as a HowBridge member and add the HowBridge LINE official account as a friend.lucky_import_tax_estimate estimates import duty, commodity tax, business tax (VAT) 5% and the trade promotion service fee, and checks the NT$2,000 de minimis exemption; lucky_ccc_predict and lucky_ccc_tariff_lookup look up CCC tariff codes and import regulations. None of them require an API key. Results are for reference only; actual taxes and fees are as assessed by Customs.⚠️ The Claude and ChatGPT steps in this article are based on each company's official documentation as of September 2026. Plans and menus may change with product updates; the official pages take precedence. Estimates from the HowBridge MCP are for reference only: shipping costs are final per the bill issued after measurement on arrival at the warehouse, taxes and fees as assessed by Customs, and regulations per the latest announcements from the Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (Taiwan).
Want AI to look up your own parcels?
Sign up as a HowBridge member and add our LINE official account as a friend, and you can connect the member version MCP to your AI assistant. If you only want to estimate shipping and taxes, the public version is ready to use right now.
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