Frequently asked questions

Who can join Global Ship Broker?

Anyone involved in the maritime industry can register — ship owners, cargo owners, and licensed brokers. Registration is open; you do not need to be invited or sponsored. You can browse listings without an account. Posting listings or submitting offers requires a verified email address.

Is this an open marketplace or a curated network?

It is an open marketplace. Any participant can register and post listings after email verification. The platform team reviews listings before they become publicly visible (typically within 1 business day), but there is no curated entry process — it is not a closed broker network.

What roles are available?

During registration you select your primary role: ship owner, cargo owner, or broker. Your role determines which types of listings you can post and which matching results are most relevant. You can update your role from your profile settings.

Are all users on the platform identity-verified?

No. KYC (identity verification) is a voluntary step. All registered users can browse and post listings — KYC is not required to use the platform. Users who complete KYC receive a verified badge on their profile and listings, which signals trustworthiness to counterparties.

How does the KYC process work?

From your dashboard profile page, you can submit identity documents for review. The platform team reviews submissions and, once approved, marks your account as KYC-verified. This badge is displayed on your listings and public profile.

What benefit does KYC verification provide?

Verified participants tend to receive more engagement — counterparties can see at a glance that your identity has been confirmed. For high-value vessel sales or large cargo contracts, this trust signal often matters to the other side before they invest time negotiating.

What types of listings can I post?

Three types: (1) Vessel Sales — vessels you want to sell, with full technical specs and asking price. (2) Available Vessels — vessels open for cargo, with route and laycan details for freight matching. (3) Cargo Requests — transport needs, with commodity, volume, loading/discharge ports, and laycan.

How long does listing review take?

The platform team typically reviews new listings within 1 business day. You will receive a notification when your listing is approved and publicly visible.

Can I edit or remove a listing after it is published?

Yes. You can update or withdraw any of your active listings from your dashboard. Edits to key fields may trigger a brief re-review.

How does the platform match vessels with cargo?

The matching engine scores available vessels against open cargo requests across several dimensions: vessel type compatibility, DWT vs cargo volume, route overlap (load and discharge ports), laycan window overlap, and operator capabilities. Matches are ranked by score, highest first.

Where do I see my matches?

Your dashboard's Matching Desk shows your top-ranked matches with score breakdowns. You can click through to the matched listing and initiate messaging or make an offer directly.

Is matching automatic?

The platform re-scores matches from stored listing and cargo data. Refresh the Matching Desk to see the latest available results.

How do offers work?

You can submit a structured offer on any vessel sale, available vessel, or cargo request. Set a price, add an optional message, and optionally set an expiry date. The recipient can accept, reject, or send a counter-offer. Counter-offers follow the same cycle until both parties reach agreement or one side rejects.

Can I withdraw an offer I sent?

Yes. If your offer is still in "pending" status (the recipient has not yet responded), you can withdraw it from your offers dashboard. Once a counter-offer has been sent, the offer is in "countered" status and the action passes to you — you can then accept or reject the counter.

Do offers expire?

Only if you set an expiry when creating the offer. Offers without an expiry remain open until acted upon or withdrawn. Expired offers are shown with an "Expired" status in your dashboard.

How do transaction payments work?

Once an offer is accepted, the buyer can create a transaction record. Where Stripe credentials are configured, the buyer can prepare a payment from the deal room. Global Ship Broker is not a regulated escrow agent; payment handling is subject to the payment processor and the parties' agreement.

Are platform payments available for all transactions?

Payment preparation is available for accepted offers only when the Stripe integration is configured. It is not automatic, and parties may still settle outside the platform according to their own agreement.

What is the platform commission?

Commission is 0.5% for vessel sale transactions and 1% for cargo-vessel matching or freight deals. Commission is deducted only on successful completion — there are no subscription fees, no listing fees, and no upfront charges.

What happens if a deal falls through after a transaction is created?

The transaction can be cancelled or disputed in the platform record. Any payment refund, reversal, or off-platform settlement depends on the payment processor, the parties' agreement, and applicable law.

Is AIS tracking live or simulated?

When a valid AIS provider key is configured, tracking data is sourced from that provider. If no key is configured (for example, in a demonstration environment), the platform uses simulated vessel data and will display a "Demo data" notice. Check the banner at the top of the tracking page.

Which vessel types are shown in the tracking view?

By default, the tracking view is filtered to commercial vessel types — cargo vessels, tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, and similar. Non-commercial vessels (fishing, tugs, SAR, patrol, pleasure craft, sailing vessels) are excluded from the default view. You can turn off the commercial-only filter to see all vessel types.

What data coverage should I expect?

AIS coverage depends on the AISStream data feed and varies by geographic region. Deep ocean areas with no coastal or satellite AIS coverage will have gaps. The platform shows the last known position and timestamp for each vessel — vessels that have not reported recently may be stale.

Can I search for a specific vessel?

Yes. The tracking list view supports text search by vessel name or MMSI. You can also filter by flag, vessel type, navigation status, destination, DWT, GT, draft, and build year — all applied server-side so results reflect the full dataset, not just the current page.

Are there any subscription or listing fees?

No. The platform is commission-based. You pay nothing to register, post listings, send messages, or submit offers. Commission applies only when a transaction is successfully completed through the platform workflow.

How is payment processed?

Where configured, payments are processed through Stripe. The buyer prepares payment from the transaction record, and payment handling is subject to Stripe configuration and the parties' commercial agreement.