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 MaritimeOur mission is to make payments simpler, safer, and fairer across the global maritime industry.
Teams Across
5 Continents
15+
years in Maritime
THE PRINCIPLES THAT
GUIDE EVERYTHING WE DO
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.
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.
Wire Service Innovation:
We were the first company in the world that integrated a wire service enabling crew to send money home while onboard.
Onboard Printing Pioneer:
We solved the problem of card logistics by developing onboard card personalisation, eliminating the mailing of cards.
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.
ShipMoney Launches:
Targeting both cruise and commercial shipping, ShipMoney was founded using a state-of-the-art digital platform.
First Client:
Based on our experience, vision, and technology platform, we successfully acquired a major cruise line as our first client.
Leading in Security:
ShipMoney was the first company to introduce account security enhancements using one-time passwords and Visa security codes.
Supporting Crew:
We launched a secure, PCI-compliant, two-way customer service messaging platform, enhancing crew support and communication.
Synchronised Data:
Achieved real-time, bi-lateral data sync with a client—an industry first.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Members
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.
THE TEAM BEHIND SHIPMONEY.
Our leaders are not career technologists. They are maritime and finance professionals who have spent their working lives in and around the shipping industry, and who built ShipMoney because they saw a problem worth solving.
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.
Oklahoma, USA
Robert Merrick . Founder & Chairman
35 + Years· Financial Services
Co-founder of ShipMoney with extensive experience in financial services and payments. Founded and scaled multiple companies in prepaid processing and account management, serving global clients across banking and commerce.
Oklahoma, USA
Jennifer Ray . EVP of Operations
15 + Years· Operations & Payments
Leads global operations at ShipMoney, overseeing client services, vendor management, and account operations. Played a key role in the company’s growth, bringing deep expertise in payment processing, reconciliations, and financial operations.
Oklahoma, USA
Megan Cook . Chief Accounting Officer
15 + Years· Accounting & Finance
Leads accounting, reporting, treasury, and HR at ShipMoney. Progressed from Accounting Clerk to Chief Accounting Officer, with extensive experience in financial operations and supporting company growth, including transitions to public structures.
Oklahoma, USA
Raj Ganesan . EVP, Product & Tech
25 + Years· Product & Technology
Leads the development and evolution of the ShipMoney platform, overseeing product innovation and system integrations. Brings deep expertise in payment processing technology, data systems, and business intelligence to drive platform performance and insights.
Madrid, Spain
Matt Sankary . Chief Strategy Officer
25 + Years· Payments & Strategy
Leads strategic initiatives at ShipMoney, driving growth and client-focused solutions across the business. Brings extensive experience in financial services and payments, with a strong focus on optimizing customer experience and operational efficiency.
Oklahoma, USA
Lee Ann Brinkley . Chief Compliance Officer
15 + Years· Compliance & Risk
Leads compliance, risk, and information security at ShipMoney, overseeing AML/CTF programs, data protection, and regulatory operations. Brings extensive experience across banking, IT, and telecommunications, with a strong focus on governance and security.
GLOBAL PLATFORM.
LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS.
We are present in major maritime hubs around the world. Our regional teams are part of the local shipping community, building long-term relationships, attending the same events, and working in the same time zones as our clients.
Tulsa & Miami, USA
Our global headquarters is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, home to executive leadership, treasury operations, and global financial operations supporting clients and crew worldwide.
London, UK
Our London team works with European shipping companies, maritime financial institutions, and industry partners in one of the world’s leading centres for maritime finance, insurance, and law.
Manila, Philippines
Our teams in the Philippines support crew programmes, operations, and client services across major global crew supply markets.
Madrid, Spain
Our teams in Spain support European operations, client services, and technology development, helping support ShipMoney’s global platform and European clients.
Mumbai, India
Our teams in India support crew programmes, operations, and client services across major global crew supply markets.
Athens, Greece
Our Mediterranean team works closely with shipowners and managers in Greece and Cyprus, two of the world’s most important shipping centres.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Our Rio de Janeiro team supports clients across Brazil and South America.
HOW WE WORK.
WHO WE ARE.
ShipMoney was built for the maritime industry and shaped by the people who work in it. Shipping is a relationship business built on trust, reliability, and the understanding that when money needs to move, it needs to move correctly and on time.
We operate globally across time zones, cultures, and regulatory environments, but we do not operate like a large corporation. Our clients know us by name, and our team understands the realities of vessels, crew changes, payroll deadlines, and operations that never stop.
We believe financial services in shipping should be simple, transparent, and dependable. We believe seafarers should have secure access to their money wherever they are in the world. And we believe shipping companies should be able to move money efficiently, without unnecessary cost, complexity, or risk.
This is how we work, and this is who we are.
Global
Thinking
Shipping is global and so are we. We operate across time zones, currencies, regulations, and cultures every day.
Maritime
Expertise
We understand shipping because we come from shipping. Our products and services are built around the realities of vessels, crew, and global maritime operations.
People
First
Behind every payment is a person. We support seafarers, finance teams, and operators with real people, real support, and real responsibility.
Trust &
Integrity
In financial services and in shipping, trust is everything. We operate with integrity, transparency, and responsibility in every transaction.
“In shipping, reputation takes years to build and moments to lose. We build for the long term, in our technology, our relationships, and the way we treat people.”
PART OF THE MARITIME
COMMUNITY, NOT JUST A VENDOR
We participate actively in the maritime industry, attending leading conferences, contributing to industry discussions, and working with the organisations that shape the future of shipping.
WHERE YOU WILL FIND US IN 2026
MT Everest
Climbing Mount Everest for Sailor’s Society
Geneva Dry
The world’s premier commodities shipping conference. Where dry bulk deals are sealed
Posidonia
The world's leading shipping event. We have attended every edition since 2012.
Seafarer Social Summit
One-day summit celebrating Filipino maritime heritage at the Museo del Galeón.
Crew Connect Global
The leading conference for crew management, central to our focus to seafarer welfare.
MEMBERSHIPS & CERTIFICATIONS
Plastic Bank
Official Supporter
ISWAN
International Seafarers Welfare & Assistance Network
PCI DSS Level 1 Certified
Highest level of payment card security
IMPA SAVE
Maritime sustainability association
Sailor’s Society
Official Suporter
WHERE YOU WILL FIND US
MEMBERSHIPS & CERTIFICATIONS
Plastic Bank
Official Supporter
ISWAN
International Seafarers Welfare & Assistance Network
PCI DSS Level 1 Certified
Highest level of payment card security
IMPA SAVE
Maritime sustainability association
WORK AT THE CENTRE OF
MARITIME FINANCE
ShipMoney is a global financial services company built exclusively for the maritime industry.
We support crew payments, payroll, and corporate payments for shipping companies worldwide with the practical understanding of a maritime partner.
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