Marketplace / Escrow Payments

Escrow & Payments: Money Held Up Front, Released on Delivery

Escrow is how FreightConnect eliminates the 30–90 day payment chase that defines traditional freight. The shipper funds the load before the truck rolls; the carrier gets paid when the POD clears.

How the Flow Works

Shipper accepts a carrier on a load posting
Shipper funds escrow for the load amount — the money is held, not charged
Carrier hauls the load knowing payment is already secured
POD clears — proof of delivery is uploaded and verified
Escrow releases to the carrier

Refunds are supported for cancelled postings — a held amount that never releases goes back to the shipper.

Payment Rails

| Rail | How it works | Status | |------|-------------|--------| | Stripe | The escrow hold is an uncaptured payment authorization — no money moves until release is triggered at delivery | Live | | Branch | Instant-payout rail: released funds land in the carrier's wallet same-day, spendable immediately on the FreightConnect card | Rolling out — partner onboarding in progress |

Until Branch credentials are live, releases settle through Stripe. The instant-wallet experience described on the homepage is the Branch rail and will light up per-account as the partnership completes.

What Carriers Get

No factoring fees. Traditional factoring costs 1–5% and puts a second company between you and your money. Escrow release costs carriers nothing beyond the platform's standard economics.
No payment terms. Payment isn't net-30; it's on-delivery.
No liens or contracts. There's nothing to sign away.

What Shippers Get

Premium capacity. Escrow-backed loads get picked up first because carriers trust them.
Leverage without risk. Funds only release when delivery is proven.

Viewing Escrow Activity

Each load posting has an escrow ledger — every hold, release, and refund with timestamps — visible to the posting shipper from the posting detail view.