Recently, the international logistics market has witnessed a sudden surge in freight rates.

According to the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) compiled by the shipping platform Freightos, sea freight rates have skyrocketed from around $1,200 per TEU at the beginning of the year to nearly $4,500 per TEU, an increase of over 30%, setting a new historical high.

With logistics costs continuously rising, reducing shipping expenses and securing more favorable payment terms for logistics costs has become a critical focus for everyone in international trade. How can PhotonPay help you improve capital efficiency and boost your company’s profit margins through the use of the Photon Card? Let’s take a closer look.

What processes does goods transportation go through?

Divided into stages, the entire process of cross-border logistics can be summarized in 9 steps: Seller ships goods → Domestic transportation → Domestic warehousing services → Export customs clearance in the country of origin → Transportation → Import customs clearance in the destination country → Inland transportation in the destination country → Overseas warehousing services → Delivery to the buyer. Among these, the procurement of transportation and delivery capacity is the most valuable part of the entire chain, often accounting for over 50% of the overall cost.

The continuous rise in transportation costs has placed a heavy burden on downstream foreign trade companies. In response to the escalating prices, many shippers, eager to avoid further cost increases, have rushed to ship goods in advance, leading to a surge in transportation demand and exacerbating the imbalance between supply and demand for shipping space.

In critical moments, the speed of settlement with suppliers at each stage is directly related to whether a company can maintain its competitive edge in a highly competitive market. Quick payment is not only a winning strategy for foreign trade companies in the race against time but also an essential safeguard for maintaining supply chain stability.

Photon Card: Making B2B logistics payments more cost-effective and efficient

As a leading global payment PaaS platform, PhotonPay has launched the Photon Card, which integrates multiple payment scenarios and intelligent expense management features. With exceptional convenience in terms of card issuance speed, payment processes, and cost management, the Photon Card is perfectly suited to meet the complex and ever-changing international logistics payment needs of foreign trade enterprises.

Multi-Scenario Payments

Suitable for international logistics, independent websites, OTA travel services, corporate management, product procurement, influencer marketing, ad placements, and more. Continually expanding to cover an even broader range of payment needs.

Intelligent Corporate Expense Management

Customers can customize card usage plans based on actual scenarios, create multiple virtual cards, and assign them to various employees, enabling efficient online payments for logistics, warehousing, and other expenses. Spending limits can be set for each card, and the intelligent backend automatically tracks expenditures, promptly generating expense control reports, making financial reconciliation smarter and clearer.

Secure and Stable Payment Environment

With a top-tier compliance review mechanism, PhotonPay has consistently achieved PCI DSS Level 1 certification for several years. Additionally, PhotonPay collaborates with licensed financial institutions both domestically and internationally, holding multiple financial licenses across various countries and regions. Its bank-level risk control and anti-money laundering systems provide a secure environment for the international flow of corporate funds, ensuring that transactions are safe and compliant throughout the entire process.