In development · United States imports

Check that container invoice before you dispute it.

An invoice must include the information that the rule requires for its shipment. Missing required information can remove the payment obligation. We check the invoice and show you the rule behind each finding.

Get early access

Your first invoice is free. After that it is $29 for each invoice. There is no subscription and no sales call.

What you do today

The carrier sends the invoice. You open the carrier's own dispute form and you write your case. That form is free.

The carrier's form is free, and it stays free

We do not replace it. You still send it. If the carrier cancels your charges when you use that form, keep using it and do not buy this.

The form does not tell you what to write

It asks for your case. It does not tell you that the invoice itself can be invalid, or which item of information is missing from it.

The rule the carrier must obey

The Federal Maritime Commission rule is 46 CFR Part 541. It became effective on 28 May 2024. It sets information requirements and invoice deadlines.

1. Missing required information removes the payment obligation.
  1. The required information depends partly on whether the shipment is an import or export (§ 541.6).
  2. If required information is missing, the rule removes the obligation to pay the applicable charge (§ 541.5).
2. A late invoice cancels the charge.
  1. An ocean carrier or terminal operator must issue the invoice within 30 calendar days after the last charge (§ 541.7(a)).
  2. For a non-vessel-operating common carrier, the clock starts at the issuance date of its upstream invoice (§ 541.7(b)).
  3. You get at least 30 calendar days from invoice issuance to request mitigation, refund or waiver (§ 541.8(a)).

The requirements in five groups

§ 541.6(a) · 4 items

The bill of lading numbers. The container numbers. The port of discharge for imports. The reason that you are the party who must pay.

§ 541.6(b) · 8 items

The invoice date and its due date. The free days allowed. The first and last day of free time. The container availability date for imports. The earliest return date for exports. Each day charged.

§ 541.6(c) · 3 items

The total amount. The tariff rule or the contract that sets the daily rate. The rate itself.

§ 541.6(d) · 3 items

A contact for questions. A web address that tells you how to ask for a refund. The time limits for that request.

§ 541.6(e) · 2 items

A statement that the charges agree with the Commission's rules. A statement that the carrier did not cause the charge.

Group (e) is the one to read first

These two statements are text that the carrier must print on the invoice. Many invoices show the numbers correctly and show no statement.

How the check works

Step 1

Send us the invoice

Upload the PDF file or the image. Add the shipment type, issuer type, charge dates and any upstream invoice date.

Step 2

We check the applicable requirements

We read the invoice against each item and against the issue date. You get the result in minutes, not in days.

Step 3

You get the findings and the rule

Each finding names the item, quotes the section number, and quotes the words of the rule. You can read the source yourself before you send anything.

What we do not do:
  • We do not send the dispute for you. You send it, in the carrier's own form.
  • We do not take a percentage of the money. We are not a recovery agent.
  • We do not give legal advice. We compare your invoice with a published rule and we show you that rule.

Price

$0 first invoice
  • The applicable invoice requirements
  • The 30-day issue test
  • The findings sheet, with each rule quoted
$29 for each invoice after that
  • You pay for one invoice at a time
  • There is no subscription and no minimum
  • You keep this price for as long as you stay a customer

Get early access

We build this now. We open it to a first group of importers. Two questions, and no sales call.

We store your email to contact you about early access, and nothing else. No spam, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Questions

Is this live?

No. It is in development. This page is how we choose the first companies. If you sign up, we contact you directly. You can tell us that it is wrong for you.

We get two of these invoices in a year. Is this for us?

Probably not. For two invoices a year you can read the rule yourself. The requirements are listed above. This product is for the company that disputes an invoice every month.

Is this legal advice?

No. We compare your invoice with the text of a public rule, and we show you that text. A lawyer gives legal advice. We give you the rule and the finding.

Our forwarder handles this. Why would we check it?

A forwarder acting as a non-vessel-operating common carrier has a different clock. Its deadline runs from the issuance date of its upstream invoice (§ 541.7(b)).

What happens to our invoices?

We delete an uploaded invoice on request. We do not sell your data and we do not share it.