Frequently Asked Questions

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General

My Account

How can a Payer or Vendor sign up for PayCargo?

Go to www.paycargo.com/get-started/ and register as a Vendor (Carrier) or a Payer (Shipper), or call 1-888-250-7778.

What if a Vendor or Payer needs help in using the system?

The PayCargo System has an easy-to-use on-line help feature right at your fingertips. If you don't find the answers , contact a PayCargo Customer Service Rep for assistance, 24/7 at 1-888-250-7778 or at [email protected]

About PayCargo

What is the PayCargo® System?

The PayCargo System is the first neutral on-line freight payment system for the global shipping industry. It allows Payers, Vendors, and Freight Brokers to settle accounts rapidly and reliably within a standardised, secure platform. Participation in the PayCargo System requires no capital expenditures and is easy to implement. It is a complementary tool to any existing legacy system.

Who could use PayCargo?

Carriers, Shippers, NVOCCs, 3PLs, Customs Brokers, Freight Forwarders, Freight Brokers, and Ship Agents, or any Vendor and their customers.

What are the requirements for using PayCargo?

The PayCargo System is a secure, web-based application that can be accessed by any PC with Internet access. You will be given a unique username and password at setup to access the PayCargo system.

When can a Payer/Vendor access the PayCargo system?

The PayCargo System can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What are the Payment options?

Currently there are two (2) Payment options available with the PayCargo System. 1. Overnight Debit Payment for shipment is debited from the Payer account and credited to the Vendor account on the scheduled due date or on the day the Payer schedules it. 2. PayCargo Credit If the Payer has applied for and is granted PayCargo Credit, PayCargo will pay the Vendor and maintain an account receivable from the Payer. Payment will be credited to the Vendor account on the due date.

Payment, Charges & Refunds

How does a Payer know if a Payment was made after it is Approved if it does not show as Paid in the Transaction Table

The Payer would run a Payment Status Report. There are three (3) different "Payment" statuses within PayCargo: Pending, Processing, and Processed. - Pending: Payer has approved the payment, but the Automated Clearing House (ACH) is pending. - Processing: ACH is processing, the funds may be in the process of transferring. - Processed: ACH Transfer is complete. Payer has been debited for the amount owed and Vendor has been credited. Once the status changes to Processed, the Transaction cannot be Cancelled.

What happens if a Payment is returned on Carrier Credit or Overnight?

There are typically only a few reasons a Payment would return: insufficient funds in the account, the account number or routing number is invalid, or the account is closed. The PayCargo System will provide the return reason if an ACH item is rejected and will work with the Payer in an effort to make the payment good. If a Payment is returned, it is the Vendor’s responsibility to contact the Payer to collect the Payment owed.

What is the cutoff time to process a Payment?

Invoice payments can be Approved 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. PayCargo will process Approved Payments by 6PM EST Monday-Friday, excluding Bank Holidays.

What is a Transaction?

One unique open invoice or Accounts Receivable Item in the form of a Bill of Lading (BOL) or an invoice between a Vendor and a Payer.

What is a Dispute?

A disagreement initiated by the Payer for the amount of a Transaction item or invoice total.

For Vendors

What can PayCargo do for a Vendor?

Through the PayCargo System, a Vendor can make their receivables available to their customers to view, approve or dispute any invoice or Bill of Lading. They can then get paid online immediately and reduce overall time and costs associated with receiving paper payments, and reduce their Days Sales Outstanding (DSO).

How does the Vendor receive Payments from the Shipper/Payer?

All Payments are received via ACH. The Transactions will post on the PayCargo System allowing the Payer to log in and view all their Transactions with participating Vendors. They will then have the ability to either Dispute or Approve a Transaction for Payment. Once Approved, PayCargo will debit the Payer for the amount owed and credit the Vendors the same day. The funds will appear for the Vendor the next day.

How long is the registration process?

Registration is immediate, and there is no cost to register. Several minutes after registering you should receive a Welcome Alert email with credentials that allow you to login.

What agreements need to be signed, and who needs to sign them?

A Vendor can register online, but we recommend that they sign a Carriers Master Agreement by an authorized representative of the Vendor.

What is the duration of the Agreement?

Three (3) years, but most can be terminated at any time with a 90-day notice.

Is integration of systems required?

It is not necessary to do a full integration, but there may be some simple software connectors needed to allow interfacing. We can also interface via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), XML, CSV files or other methods.

Does the PayCargo System work in real time?

Yes, if we are interfaced via EDI or other real-time method. We can also be near real-time using the batch upload via web services.

How often does the system update information?

The PayCargo System can support single or multiple updates per day or real-time methods, depending on customer requirements.

Can a Vendor in the PayCargo System participate with only certain Payers, or do they all need to sign up?

Yes, partial Payer participation is permitted, but we do encourage as much participation as possible.

How does a Vendor add more Payers to the PayCargo System?

Notify your Payers that you would like to add them to the PayCargo System and have them register and associate themselves to the Vendor. Your PayCargo Sales Rep will be happy to work with you and your Payers in completing the necessary registration online.

What reports can help me reconcile with my Bank Statement?

PayCargo recommends the "ACH Reconciliation Report".

Can a Vendor run a report that details what funds are coming in on specific dates?

Yes, it is the Carrier Cash Inflow Forecast Report.

Payment Management, Charges & Disputes

How is a Vendor informed of Transactions Approved by its Payer?

The Vendor will immediately receive email Alerts for Approved Transactions. Also, the Transaction status on the PayCargo website is changed from Pending to Approved. You can also run a Carrier Transaction Report.

How is a Vendor informed of Transactions Disputed by its Payer?

The Vendor will receive email Alerts for any Disputed Transactions. Also, the Transaction will be marked Disputed. The Vendor can also run the Dispute Resolution Rate Report.

What if a Payer does not take an action on a Transaction?

The Vendor must contact the Payer and remind the Payer that Payment is still Pending.

If the Vendor Cancels a Transaction, why will it not upload again?

If a Transaction is Canceled, a new Transaction will need to be generated since duplicate transactions are not allowed. The Canceled Transactions remain in the System's history.

Can a Payer place a stop payment on an Approved Transaction?

No, the Payer must contact the Vendor, and the Vendor can create a Manual Payment, but only if the payment is still in a Processing status.

Can the Vendor modify a Transaction already Approved by the Payer?

Yes, by using the Freight Correction Tool within the system.

What happens if a Transaction does not have a Payment Due Date entered?

The Payment Due Date will automatically default to the date it is being created.

What if the Vendor receives a check for a Transaction already in the PayCargo System?

Vendor has the option of returning the check or entering a Manual Payment in the System.

What if that Transaction is already Approved for payment in the System?

They could still enter a Manual Payment as long as it is still in the processing status.

Can a Payment Due Date be changed if the Transaction is already Approved?

No.

If a Transaction must be entered urgently, can it be entered manually?

Yes.

For Payers

What can PayCargo do for a Payer?

Through the PayCargo System, a Payer can view invoices loaded by a participating Vendor, or set up any non-participating carrier by loading invoices from their payables. The Payer can leverage multiple payment options, approve or dispute a transaction before making a payment, track the status of a payment, and reduce the amount of additional expenses associated with manual payments.

How long is the registration process?

Registration is immediate, and there is no cost to register. Several minutes after registering you should receive a Welcome Alert email with credentials that allow you to login.

How often will the Vendor’s information update in the PayCargo System?

Depends on how often a Vendor is able to send batch updates, which for PayCargo is possible every minute. However, if the Vendor is integrated with PayCargo it can update in real-time.

How does a Payer add more Vendors to pay through the System?

By opening the "Request Carrier Association" and following the instructions to add a Vendor.

What Reports can help me reconcile my Bank Statements?

PayCargo recommends the "ACH Reconciliation Report" which can be scheduled to be received on a pre-selected schedule as well.

PayCargo Credit

How does the Payer set up PayCargo® Credit?

A Payer can only apply for credit if they have registered, and they can do so online once they login. Please note that not all Payers will qualify for PayCargo Credit.

Can PayCargo Credit be used for Imports and Exports?

Yes. Once you qualify for credit, you can use it for any payment you want whether it is an import or export.

Does the Carrier recognise Payments on PayCargo Credit as Paid?

Yes, when PayCargo Credit is used by a Payer to make a payment, the payment is guaranteed by PayCargo to the Vendor.

Payment Management, Charges & Disputes

Once a Payer approves a Transaction in the PayCargo system, will Vendor release Payer’s BOL or Cargo?

When an Overnight debit is used, usually the Vendor will release depending on the business relationship they have with the Payer. If they normally release based on the Payer submitting a check, then they will probably do the same with an ACH.

When Payer is informed that there are additional charges, how quickly will those charges appear in the PayCargo System?

In real-time if Vendor is integrated with PayCargo or as soon as the next Vendor update is sent if using batch updates. Also, an e-Mail Alert will be sent to Payer detailing changes in a Transaction or a new Transaction. At that time the Payer may open a Dispute, if needed.

Can the Payer determine and schedule the Payment Due Date?

Yes, but this will need to be agreed upon between both Payer and Vendor and only the Vendor will be able to modify the Payment Due Date. If the Payer is uploading his Payables then he can schedule as he pleases.

Can the Payer change the Payment Due Date once they have Approved a Transaction?

No. Only the Vendor can make changes in the Transaction including the Payment Due Date. However, Payer can work with Vendor if this needs to be changed.

What if a Vendor does not respond to a Dispute?

The Payer may set alert notifications to see if a Dispute has been responded to in a timely manner. It is the responsibility of the Payer to follow up on any Disputes they may have.

Can a Payer Dispute or deny an entire Transaction?

Yes, and all Disputes are tracked through the Dispute tool, and a complete thread and audit history is kept within the transaction.

What if the Payer has a Dispute, but needs to Approve the Transaction to obtain Cargo or BOL?

The Payer must work this out with the Vendor and reach an agreement on how to proceed before moving forward.

What if Payer approves a Transaction, but realises afterward there is a mistake? Can they place a Stop Payment?

No. The Payer cannot stop the process at this point except by contacting the Vendor and having the Vendor enter a Manual Payment if the Status is still Processing.

What if Shipment was originally Prepaid, but Payer wants to change it to Collect? Or vice versa?

If such a change is required, Payer must contact the Vendor directly. The Vendor then, in either case, is the party that must cancel the transaction.

What action must a Payer take if it has approved a Transaction but cannot get his container out of Port?

Payer needs to contact Vendor to get Container released.

What happens if a Payer has Approved a Transaction but has changed its Bank Account?

Payer must immediately notify Vendor and PayCargo Customer Service. The corrected information must be submitted in writing within 12 hours.

How quickly will the Vendor know a Payer has Approved a Transaction?

Immediately. Vendor will receive an e-Mail Alert from PayCargo, regarding the Payer's Payment. Also, status is changed from Pending to Approved.