Why Maritime Compliance is Fragmenting and What Comes Next 5th March 8:30AM GMT

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Pay Crew: MarTrust vs. Traditional Banks

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Pay Crew: MarTrust vs. Traditional Banks

Book a demo

Pay Crew: MarTrust vs. Traditional Banks

Book a demo

Key difference	Traditional Banking for Crew	MarTrust Pay Crew
Speed of Salary Delivery	Payments routed through multiple correspondent banks. Delays are common, especially to remote markets.	Instant transfers within the MarTrust network and crew e-wallet, even across borders.
Total Cost	High combined fees from banks, intermediaries, FX spreads, and ATM withdrawals overseas.	Lower and transparent fees. Direct network transfers eliminate many third-party charges.
FX Control	Weak control over FX spreads. Crews often lose money when converting locally.	Company-negotiated FX, transparent rates, and multi-currency wallets for crew.
Crew Experience	Crew relies on local banks or onboard cash. Cash handling is risky and expensive. Crew face stress and risk when taking cash home, including strict declaration rules.	A secure e-wallet and card that gives crew 24/7 access to funds, ATM access, and card payments globally.
Payroll Administration	Complex, time-consuming reconciliation with manual files and legacy banking formats that increase the risk of errors.	Integrated payroll upload, automated reconciliation, and compliance checks.
Security & Fraud Risk	High exposure when carrying cash or using manual banking channels.	Strong authentication, network controls, and instant audit trails.
Support for All Crew Nationalities	Limited or slow access in emerging markets.	Designed for global seafarer populations with faster access everywhere.

Key difference	Traditional Banking for Crew	MarTrust Pay Crew
Speed of Salary Delivery	Payments routed through multiple correspondent banks. Delays are common, especially to remote markets.	Instant transfers within the MarTrust network and crew e-wallet, even across borders.
Total Cost	High combined fees from banks, intermediaries, FX spreads, and ATM withdrawals overseas.	Lower and transparent fees. Direct network transfers eliminate many third-party charges.
FX Control	Weak control over FX spreads. Crews often lose money when converting locally.	Company-negotiated FX, transparent rates, and multi-currency wallets for crew.
Crew Experience	Crew relies on local banks or onboard cash. Cash handling is risky and expensive. Crew face stress and risk when taking cash home, including strict declaration rules.	A secure e-wallet and card that gives crew 24/7 access to funds, ATM access, and card payments globally.
Payroll Administration	Complex, time-consuming reconciliation with manual files and legacy banking formats that increase the risk of errors.	Integrated payroll upload, automated reconciliation, and compliance checks.
Security & Fraud Risk	High exposure when carrying cash or using manual banking channels.	Strong authentication, network controls, and instant audit trails.
Support for All Crew Nationalities	Limited or slow access in emerging markets.	Designed for global seafarer populations with faster access everywhere.

Why It Matters

Faster salary delivery reduces crew welfare issues, improves retention, and cuts cash-to-master dependency. The finance and crewing teams see lower operating costs and far simpler reconciliation.

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at least

80%

Reduction in cash onboard

Combined Impact Across Crew and Vendor Payments

Did you know we can also support you with vendor payments?

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Area	Traditional Vendor Payments	MarTrust Pay Vendors
Payment Execution	SWIFT chains often include 2 to 4 correspondent banks. Each adds time, fees, and risk of failure.	Direct network payments to registered maritime vendors and port agents. Higher success rate and predictable timing.
Reconciliation	Manual matching of remittances, statements, and invoices across multiple systems.	Automated reconciliation matches payments to invoices and POs, reducing admin hours.
FX & Cashflow Predictability	FX rates fluctuate; vendors may receive less than expected, leading to disputes.	Locked-in FX options and transparent deductions. Vendors receive exact amounts.
Payment Visibility	Limited tracking once the payment leaves the bank.	End-to-end visibility with instant status updates.
Operational Risk	High risk of payment holds and delays due to compliance reviews and incomplete documentation.	Pre-validated recipients and maritime-specific compliance controls reduce stop-payments.
Vendor Satisfaction	Payment uncertainty strains relationships with agents, chandlers, and suppliers.	Vendors get paid faster, traceably, and with fewer errors, strengthening long-term relationships.
Port Call Efficiency	Late payments can delay releases, clearances, or supplies.	On-time payments support smoother port calls and fewer operational disruptions.

Area	Traditional Vendor Payments	MarTrust Pay Vendors
Payment Execution	SWIFT chains often include 2 to 4 correspondent banks. Each adds time, fees, and risk of failure.	Direct network payments to registered maritime vendors and port agents. Higher success rate and predictable timing.
Reconciliation	Manual matching of remittances, statements, and invoices across multiple systems.	Automated reconciliation matches payments to invoices and POs, reducing admin hours.
FX & Cashflow Predictability	FX rates fluctuate; vendors may receive less than expected, leading to disputes.	Locked-in FX options and transparent deductions. Vendors receive exact amounts.
Payment Visibility	Limited tracking once the payment leaves the bank.	End-to-end visibility with instant status updates.
Operational Risk	High risk of payment holds and delays due to compliance reviews and incomplete documentation.	Pre-validated recipients and maritime-specific compliance controls reduce stop-payments.
Vendor Satisfaction	Payment uncertainty strains relationships with agents, chandlers, and suppliers.	Vendors get paid faster, traceably, and with fewer errors, strengthening long-term relationships.
Port Call Efficiency	Late payments can delay releases, clearances, or supplies.	On-time payments support smoother port calls and fewer operational disruptions.

What Our Customers Say

We used to request cash and deal with each agent at each port, which was time-consuming and expensive. With MarTrust, the deposits are transferred to each of the sailors quickly and safely, and they can use the requested deposit at once without having to wait to arrive in port.