PayCargo launches communication mechanism to meet Covid-19 supply chain challenges

Online payment company PayCargo has launched a free communication mechanism that allows vendors such as airlines, ship terminals, and maritime operators to share key information with the 20,000-plus payer users in the company’s online system.

The service enables vendors to communicate the availability of new capacity options to payers, and has been launched to help the freight and shipping community as it contends with global supply chain challenges due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Delta Cargo and American Airlines Cargo are the first Vendors to make use of this free PayCargo community service.

“PayCargo is in a unique position to help the broader cargo community during this time of crisis, by facilitating the flow of critical information between payers and vendors,” said Lionel van der Walt, president and chief executive officer of the Americas, PayCargo.

“Our hope is that this service will help to bridge the gap between Payers and Vendors to facilitate the movement of goods to the benefit of the broader cargo and shipping community.”

The Covid-19 outbreak has caused airlines to cancel a significant percentage of their passenger schedules, a move that has heavily impacted the logistics supply chain that relied on belly capacity to fly freight on these scheduled services.

Many of PayCargo’s payers have had to find new capacity to move cargo and airlines are identifying opportunities to utilise aircraft as efficiently as possible, such as making passenger aircraft available for charters or introducing new scheduled cargo flights.

The free service will allow vendors to communicate the availability of new capacity options to payers and provide them with vendor contact details so that they can quickly connect and have access to much-needed available new capacity.

PayCargo will be relaying these communications on behalf of vendors to help overcome some of the challenges being faced by the shipping and cargo community.

When conveying these vendor messages, PayCargo will also provide the vendors’ contact information so that payers can respond to them directly as needed.

“While this may not be our core business, we feel that we need to do our bit to help the cargo community in this crisis and it is all about helping the wider freight community which is facing so many challenges globally,” said van der Walt.

“Collaboration between stakeholders is vital in this time of crisis and the supply chain needs to work together as much as possible for the greater good to help keep the freight moving as seamlessly as possible through the supply chain.”