How freight forwarders pay carriers and ports with stablecoins
Carriers, terminals and customs want a bank transfer or a card payment, and release cargo once the payment is applied. Stablecoins can help on the collection side, when a shipper already holds them; carriers are still paid by bank or card.
By Pavel Skalin, Founder & CEO, Align · Reviewed by the Align compliance team
Updated · 4 min read
Where stablecoins fit, and where they don't
On the carrier side, nothing changes. We found no major ocean carrier that accepts stablecoins. Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd take bank transfers and cards, through online portals that generate a payment reference for each invoice.
Stablecoins can help on the collection side, when a shipper already holds them. They aren't a way around a country's currency rules. Since 1 October 2026, for example, Brazil's central bank has barred regulated foreign-exchange providers from settling cross-border payments in stablecoins.
So the working model for a forwarder is: collect by bank, or in stablecoins where the shipper holds them and may lawfully pay that way, and pay carriers, terminals and customs by bank or card, in the currency they bill.
How carriers take payment
| Carrier | Payment methods (as published) | Release |
|---|---|---|
| Maersk | Online through MyFinance: card, SmartPay bank debit in about 18 markets, internet banking in some Asian markets. In Canada also ACH, wire and check | Freight released once full payment is applied, unless you have credit. In Canada, card and SmartPay payments apply instantly; a wire takes two business days and ACH three to four |
| MSC (USA), demurrage and detention | Credit card, check, ACH | "For immediate release, payment must be submitted via credit card." Check or ACH releases cargo only once received |
| CMA CGM (USA) | ACH or credit card through My CMA CGM | Not stated |
| Hapag-Lloyd | Bank transfer using a reference generated in its online portal | Not stated |
Why payment speed costs money
Demurrage is charged for each day a full container stays in the terminal after its free time ends; detention for each day it stays outside the terminal after free time ends. The clock doesn't wait for your payment. Under Maersk's US import rules, demurrage free time starts at 08:00 on the first business day after discharge, and demurrage must be cleared before the container is released.
That turns payment timing into a direct cost. If a carrier takes two business days to apply a wire and free time has run out, that can mean two more days of demurrage on every container waiting for release. Common causes of demurrage include late payment of duties and a consignee without funds ready to clear the container in time, according to Forto.
Charges and currencies
Ocean freight is mostly billed in US dollars; Hapag-Lloyd has said its transactions are invoiced mainly in USD. Local charges are often in the port's currency. Hapag-Lloyd's local-charges tariff for the fourth quarter of 2025, for example, bills Chennai terminal handling in Indian rupees and an Australian equipment fee in Australian dollars, while some fees, such as Egypt's e-bill of lading fee, are in dollars.
Customs duties add exchange-rate risk. In Nigeria, duty is calculated at the central bank's official rate, so DHL notes that the same shipment can attract different duty amounts in naira from one month to the next.
A workflow that keeps cargo moving
- Invoice the shipper in USD, with two payment options: your USD bank details, and a stablecoin address on a named network.
- Receive and match the payment to the booking or bill of lading number. Ask for the reference in the transfer or in a message.
- Pay the carrier the same day by the fastest method it applies: card, where accepted and within limits; otherwise a wire or local transfer with the carrier's portal reference.
- Pay local charges in the currency they're billed in, through the carrier's local agent or a local bank where that's how they're collected.
- File the paperwork with the payment: commercial invoice, bill of lading or booking confirmation, and the carrier's invoice. Payment providers and banks ask for these on larger or unusual payments.
Compliance points specific to freight
- Screen every party in the shipment, not just the one paying you: shipper, consignee, notify party, and the vessel and route where your tools allow.
- Watch for third-party payments. A shipment paid by someone other than the shipper or consignee is a common red flag. Get the reason in writing.
- Check the shipper's currency rules. Where a country controls foreign exchange, paying in stablecoins doesn't exempt the shipper from those controls. Don't accept a stablecoin payment that's meant to get around them.
- Check prohibited destinations. Providers won't process payments connected to sanctioned or prohibited countries. Align's list includes Russia, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, among others.
How this works with Align
Align gives forwarders named virtual accounts in USD, EUR, GBP and AED, and wallets for USDC and USDT. Shippers can pay you by bank transfer into those accounts, and you pay carriers and agents by bank from your company's own accounts. Align doesn't onboard companies based in the UAE. See Align for logistics.
Sources
- Maersk, How to pay an invoice online, Canada payment, US import and What is demurrage and detention
- MSC, USA demurrage and detention
- CMA CGM, ePayment options on My CMA CGM
- Hapag-Lloyd, My Invoices payment solutions, Local charges Q4 2025 and 2018 management report
- Forto, Tips to avoid demurrage charges
- DHL, What's driving shipping costs in Nigeria (September 2026)
- Spark, Brazil's ban on stablecoins in cross-border eFX settlement (2026)
- Align docs, Prohibited countries
Common questions
- Do any shipping lines accept stablecoins?
- We found no major ocean carrier that accepts stablecoins or other crypto for freight. Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd take bank transfers, cards or payments through their online portals.
- What's the fastest way to get a container released?
- The method the carrier applies fastest. MSC USA's demurrage and detention page says that for immediate release, payment must be made by credit card; check or ACH payments release cargo only once received. Maersk Canada says card and SmartPay payments are applied instantly, with terminal release about 30 minutes later, while wires take two business days to apply and ACH three to four.
- Can I pay local port and terminal charges from a USD balance?
- Pay them in the currency they're billed in. Carrier local-charge tariffs bill many fees, such as documentation and terminal handling, in the currency of the port, and they're often paid through the carrier's local agent or a local bank.
- What do providers need to see when a shipper pays me in USDT?
- Usually the commercial invoice and the bill of lading or booking behind the payment, and sometimes evidence of where the shipper's funds came from. Keep them attached to each receipt.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources linked above and take advice on your own situation.
Related guides
Open a business account built on stablecoins.
Named USD, EUR, GBP and AED accounts in your company's name, with USDC and USDT in and out. Apply online; our compliance team reviews applications in 1 to 5 business days.