Cyprus Shipping News is delighted to announce Shipmoney as Silver Sponsor of the 2nd CSN Greece Crewing Conference “Delivering the Seafarer of tomorrow”.
Years ago, when cruise workers received their wages in cash delivered to ships by armored truck, Stuart Ostrow saw an opportunity to innovate. This old system was archaic, inefficient and risky, with billions of dollars in cash floating the oceans. Forced to protect their money on densely populated ships, with no chance of sending money home until a port was reached, crew members were both burdened and powerless.
This was the inspiration for ShipMoney. Stuart teamed up with talented digital experts and leveraged the emerging use of prepaid payroll cards, adapting them to the unique needs of the cruise industry. The new payment platform they created allowed seafarers to receive their wages digitally and send money home while still onboard.
As with all innovations, ShipMoney faced resistance. Industry gatekeepers knew relying on cash was unsustainable, but the thought of change brought its own risks. Slowly, more and more companies gave digital payments a chance, and in time the concept took hold, creating a win-win situation for both cruise lines and crews that changed how an entire industry administered payments to workers and ships worldwide.
