WE ARE

SHIPMONEY.

A GLOBAL MARITIME PARTNER.

Founded by maritime professionals. Built around relationships and
long-term partnerships. Trusted by shipping companies and crew worldwide.

Founded by maritime professionals.
Built around relationships and
long-term partnerships.

Trusted by shipping companies
and crew worldwide.

SHIPMONEY
UNDERSTANDS
SHIPPING.

ShipMoney is a global financial services company focused exclusively on the maritime industry. We support crew payments, payroll, and corporate payments for shipping companies worldwide, with the understanding of a maritime partner.

We are not a generic payments company that entered the maritime sector later.

Every product we build and every partnership we form is focused on one industry: shipping.

From multi-flag vessel payroll and seafarer allotments to providing crew access to their wages worldwide and supporting maritime compliance requirements, these are not special cases for us. They are part of our daily work.

Our mission is to make payments simpler, safer, and fairer across the global maritime industry.

15+

years in Maritime

Teams Across 5 Continents

Our mission is to make payments simpler, safer, and fairer across the global maritime industry.

Teams Across

5 Continents

15+

years in Maritime

Relationships
Before Transactions

Maritime is a relationship-driven industry. Every shipping company is different, different fleets, different crew nationalities, different trading routes. We invest in understanding each client deeply and assigning dedicated teams who become genuine long-term partners, not anonymous support agents.

Crew Comes
First

Behind every payment is a person. Our seafarers work months away from their families, often in remote waters, and depend on timely, accurate access to their earnings. Every decision we make, every product feature, every process improvement, is evaluated through the lens of: does this make life better for crew?

Trust is
Non-Negotiable

When you place your crew payroll in our hands, you are trusting us with the livelihoods of real people. We take that responsibility seriously. We hold ourselves to bank-level standards of security, compliance, and financial integrity, and we are transparent about how we operate at every step.

HOW SHIPMONEY CAME TO BE.

This is the story of ShipMoney. Join us on the journey of how a simple idea launched maritime payments into the digital world.

In the early 2000s, the maritime industry was still largely operating on paper-based systems for crew payments. Seafarers would receive wage advances in cash, allotments were faxed to banks, and payroll reconciliation was a manual, error-prone process. Shipping companies had little visibility into where money was and crews had limited access to their own earnings.

The founders of ShipMoney, who had worked across ship management, banking, and payments , saw an opportunity to change this. Not by adapting existing payment products to fit shipping, but by building something from the ground up for the maritime world.

2007

Breakthrough for Cruise Line Industry:

Stuart Ostrow created and successfully launched OceanPay to provide a fast and safe digital alternative to paying crew in cash using prepaid payroll cards.

2008

Wire Service Innovation:

We were the first company in the world that integrated a wire service enabling crew to send money home while onboard.

2009

Onboard Printing Pioneer:

We solved the problem of card logistics by developing onboard card personalisation, eliminating the mailing of cards.

2010

Setting the Industry Standard:

We introduced the first maritime card program to be introduced by a major cruise line, setting the standard for industry-wide adoption.

2014

ShipMoney Launches:

Targeting both cruise and commercial shipping, ShipMoney was founded using a state-of-the-art digital platform.

2015

First Client:

Based on our experience, vision, and technology platform, we successfully acquired a major cruise line as our first client.

2016

Leading in Security:

ShipMoney was the first company to introduce account security enhancements using one-time passwords and Visa security codes.

2017

Supporting Crew:

We launched a secure, PCI-compliant, two-way customer service messaging platform, enhancing crew support and communication.

2018

Synchronised Data:

Achieved real-time, bi-lateral data sync with a client—an industry first.

2019

Mobile Top-Ups:

First to offer integrated top-ups for 1,000+ mobile operators worldwide.

App Advances:

Pioneered a responsive site with an integrated app—no manual updates needed.

2020

Virtual Cards:

Introduced the first Visa-branded virtual cards tailored for the maritime industry.

Commercial Adoption:

Our card program was the first adopted by a major ship management firm, setting an industry benchmark.

2021

Transfer Marketplace:

ShipMoney introduced a digital platform for real-time money transfer cost comparisons.

PIN Updates:

ShipMoney pioneered remote PIN changes via ATMs, adding convenience for crew.

2022

Device Registration Security:

ShipMoney pioneered device registration to add an extra layer of protection for crew funds.

Scheduling Innovation:

Created a universal system for crew to easily manage transfers, remittances, payouts, and top-ups.

2023

Maritime App Launch:

ShipMoney launched a low-bandwidth app tailored for maritime use, enabling seamless crew financial management at sea.

On-Us Processing:

Built an in-house settlement system, saving a major partner $1M+ annually in processing fees.

140+Clients

150K+Seafarers

50+Team
Members

2024

Plastic Bank Partnership:

ShipMoney became a Plastic Bank Ambassador, supporting ocean health and protecting coastal communities.

Customised Closed-Loop System:

Developed and built a customised closed-loop system for a major client.

Miami, USA

Stuart Ostrow . Founder & President

30+ years · Fintech & Maritime Payments

Leads ShipMoney, a next-generation payments platform transforming transactions across cruise and commercial shipping. Played a key role in developing prepaid payroll card programs for the cruise industry and brings decades of experience in business development, finance, and operations.