Disbursement and fee recovery
Recovery of freight, port charges, duty reimbursements and customs broker service fees.
Freight forwarding and customs broking
Debt recovery for freight forwarders and customs brokers
Freight forwarding involves advancing significant sums on behalf of clients — port charges, duties, freight costs — that are then invoiced for reimbursement. When reimbursement does not come, the exposure is real. Merion recovers these accounts on a commission-only basis.
Freight forwarders and customs brokers occupy a distinctive position in the credit landscape. They routinely advance funds on behalf of clients — paying port charges, customs duties, freight, warehousing and handling costs — and invoice for reimbursement of those outlays alongside their own service fees. When a client fails to reimburse, the forwarder or broker is out of pocket for both the disbursements they have already made and the fees they have earned. The credit exposure can be substantial even for a single shipment.
The debtor profile in freight forwarding is also broader than in most service sectors. Clients range from small importers who underestimate duties and cannot pay the reimbursement invoice, to established businesses that abuse favourable credit terms built on years of previous good payment. In either case, the forwarder is left carrying costs it should not have to fund.
Customs brokers face additional complexity: where a client disputes the classification or valuation of goods and the resulting duty calculation, the disputed amount can be held up while the substantive question is resolved separately with the ATO or Border Force. Separating the legitimately disputed portion from the undisputed reimbursement and service fee is an important step in moving those accounts to recovery.
Merion recovers commercial accounts for freight forwarders and customs brokers, including disbursement reimbursements, service fees and the combined invoices that flow from international shipments.
How we help
Recovery tailored to how you get paid
Dispute-aware
Clear separation of disputed and undisputed amounts before acting — a critical step in freight and customs accounts.
Built for complexity
Comfortable with the multi-party, multi-cost-component invoices common in international freight.
Recover what you have advanced
You have paid on behalf of your client — we recover that investment, commission-only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you recover duty reimbursements and disbursements as well as service fees?
Yes — the combined invoice including disbursements and service fees is the account we recover. We verify the breakdown before acting.
What if part of the invoice is disputed?
We work with you to separate the undisputed portion — which we pursue — from any genuinely contested amount, which is addressed separately. We do not pursue amounts that are in legitimate dispute.
How are fees structured?
Commission-only, agreed in writing. No commission on accounts where nothing is recovered.
Get started
Outstanding freight or customs invoices?
Refer them — the appraisal is free and obligation-free.