OpenGate
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Vehicle shipping, brokers, export, classic cars

A payment gateway for auto transport and vehicle export, built around deposits and delivery windows.

OpenGate is a payment gateway for auto transport brokers, carriers and vehicle exporters that need a merchant account built for deposits and high tickets. The customer pays before the truck moves, and the truck may arrive a week late, which is the gap where mainstream processors close accounts. We structure that gap: deposit at booking, balance on delivery, and a documented evidence trail for disputes.

Apply to start processingHow it works

At a glance

Auto Transport & Export

Sector
E-commerce & retail
Payment methods
Cards (Visa/Mastercard) · Pay-by-link · Bank transfers
Documents in the file
5
First answer
Within 1 business day

Why processors refuse

Why mainstream PSPs refuse auto transport and export

Payment before delivery, high tickets and moving deadlines read as future-delivery risk. Generic processors decline the model rather than structure it.

  1. Payment arrives long before the service

    Deposits are taken at booking, and delivery lands days or weeks later. Processors see future-delivery risk and the liability that comes with it.

    How OpenGate handles it

    We split the flow the way the business actually runs: deposit at booking, balance at pickup or delivery, each with its own trail. The acquirer sees a structured timeline instead of a promise.

  2. A single dispute erases the margin

    A full-invoice chargeback on a cross-country shipment costs more than the fee income on several loads. High ticket disputes are the vertical's main exit trigger.

    How OpenGate handles it

    The gateway layer answers with 3DS2 authentication on deposits and fraud scoring on each transaction. When a dispute still arrives, the representment toolkit files the signed order, the contract terms and the delivery record.

  3. Delivery windows slip and disputes follow

    Pickup runs late, the car sits in a yard, and the customer disputes while the load is still moving. The timeline, not the service, produces the chargeback.

    How OpenGate handles it

    The file documents the delivery window language in the contract. When a window slips, alert feeds let you refund or communicate early, and representment uses the condition report and bill of lading as evidence.

  4. Export adds cross-border verification

    International buyers, foreign cards and unknown shipping agents multiply fraud exposure. Processors that cannot verify the buyer refuse the file.

    How OpenGate handles it

    The gateway applies 3DS2, address checks and fraud scoring to international orders, and your buyer verification steps are read during underwriting. The buyer pays in a familiar currency, and settlement follows the currency in your offer.

  5. Broker, carrier, customer: who holds the risk

    Underwriters want to know who takes the payment, who performs the move and who answers when the car arrives damaged. A file that cannot answer is declined.

    How OpenGate handles it

    The file maps the parties and the money: broker, carrier, deposit and balance. The acquirer reads the structure, and the offer is built around the role you actually play.

The file

How we underwrite an auto transport merchant account

The file must show the timeline, the money and the evidence chain. These are the documents the underwriter reads before any bank sees the file.

Transport authority registration

Your broker or carrier registration, with proof of the bond or cargo insurance where the market requires it. In the US, that usually means FMCSA operating authority, with the MC or USDOT number in the file. Required at onboarding.

Order form and contract terms

The deposit amount, the cancellation window and the delivery window language. The acquirer reads these before it reads anything else.

Bill of lading and condition reports

The documents that prove pickup and delivery and record the vehicle condition. They are submitted to the dispute file as evidence when a chargeback arrives.

Processing history

Three to six months of volume, refunds and chargebacks from your current or previous processor. Dispute history is read for its pattern first: what caused it and whether the structure can absorb it.

Buyer verification for export

How you verify an international buyer before booking: identity documents, vehicle documents and the destination details. Evaluated before activation.

Payment methods

Payment methods for auto transport and export

Deposits are card-heavy, balances are bank-heavy, and export buyers pay in their own currency. The rails are split to match.

See every capability

  • Cards (Visa/Mastercard)

    Deposits with 3DS2 authentication on first and high value orders, holding the cardholder to the booking.

  • Pay-by-link

    Deposit and balance invoices sent by email or SMS, with the order and the vehicle attached to the payment record.

  • Bank transfers

    Balance payments and dealer settlements at lower cost than cards, where your market and your offer support the rail.

  • Virtual terminal

    Phone quotes and bookings entered by your team, with fraud scoring applied before the deposit settles.

  • Multi-currency settlement

    Export buyers pay in their currency, and settlement runs in the currency your offer specifies.

The process

Start with the application at /apply and describe your contract terms, your registration and your processing history. An underwriter replies within 1 business day with an offer, a document list or an honest no. The four-step process is described on /how-it-works.

See the 4-step process

FAQ

Auto transport payment processing FAQ

Can I use Stripe or PayPal for auto transport?

Not reliably. In the US, Stripe lists shipping brokers and freight forwarders as prohibited without prior authorization, and both platforms treat payment taken long before delivery as higher risk. Accounts that open are often frozen when the first delivery disputes land. Send the application with your contract terms, and an underwriter checks which acquirers fit a deposit-to-delivery model.

What documents do I need for an auto transport merchant account?

Transport authority registration, the order form and contract terms, bill of lading and condition report templates, buyer verification steps for export, and three to six months of processing history. Send what you have; the underwriter lists the gaps within 1 business day.

Why do transporters need a rolling reserve?

The gap between payment and delivery, plus high ticket disputes, points the acquirer to a reserve. A percentage of volume is held and released on the schedule in your offer. The mechanics are in /guides/rolling-reserves-explained.

How are deposits and balances handled?

The deposit charges at booking, and the balance charges at pickup or delivery through a payment link or a bank transfer. The split is documented in the file so the acquirer sees the money flow, not a single blind invoice.

What happens when a delivery window slips?

Alert feeds flag a dispute when the cardholder first raises it with the bank, so you can refund or contact the customer before it becomes a chargeback. If it goes to representment, the signed order and the updated timeline are filed as evidence.

Can I accept payments from international buyers?

Yes. International orders run through 3DS2, address checks and fraud scoring, and settlement runs in the buyer's currency where your offer specifies it.

How long does onboarding take for an auto transport company?

A complete file can go from first review to go-live in as little as two weeks. The contract terms and the delivery window language are where files usually stall.

Why did my processor close my auto transport account?

Future-delivery classification or a dispute ratio spike are the usual reasons. A new file documents the timeline, the contract and the evidence chain, so the next acquirer reads the structure instead of the category.

Can I pay carriers and drivers through the gateway?

Yes, where your offer includes payouts. Payments go to carriers and partners after delivery, on the schedule and within the limits written into the offer.

Related guides

Read all guides
Guide10 min read

What Is a High-Risk Merchant Account? The Complete Guide

A plain-language walkthrough of high-risk merchant accounts: the classification, the account structure, the application, and the habits that keep it open.

Getting approvedExplainer9 min read

Rolling Reserves Explained: The Math, the Release Schedule, the Negotiation

How rolling reserves work: the percentage, the cap, the release math, and a worked example so you can read your own offer like an underwriter.

Reserves & cash flowComparison11 min read

Offshore Merchant Account vs EU Acquiring: How to Choose

Licensed European acquirers and offshore jurisdictions both accept high-risk files. The differences that matter are licensing, cost, stability, settlement rails and how each fits your customer base.

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Auto Transport & Export

Open your transport gate.

Send the file with your contract terms and your processing history. An underwriter reads it within 1 business day and replies with an offer, a document list, or an honest no.

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