Payment Protection Benefits
The main objective of Digital Freight Alliance is to build a stable and long-term partnership between all members of the network, in which all premium participants enjoy the luxury of financial confidence when conducting business with other premium members in the group under the most complete guarantees.
DFA transactions are guaranteed between enrolled member offices in the case of non-payment. In this respect, we are happy to announce the launch of the DFA Protection Plan, as part of the benefits of being a premium member of the network.
DFA payment protection
covers only ocean freight invoices related to the offices/cities that are registered/listed in the Directory. We encourage you to list all your offices and branches with DFA to get the maximum coverage.
Premium insurance
Premium DFA members are automatically covered by a best in class credit risk insurance. The insurance starts at US$10.000 per year, and can accumulate to a maximum of US$100.000 for same period.
PaymentProtection
Scheme
Premium 
DFA members are automatically covered by a best in class credit risk insurance. The insurance starts at US$ 10.000 up to US $100.000 per year. Example: you haven’t received a payment in amount of $100.000 from another DFA premium member for earlier acknowledged and approved by DFA team deal. In the case you are a premium member, DFA will cover the amount from US$10.000 up to US$100.000 per year as per passed PP verification .
Standard Active DFA members - PPP is temporarily in development.
Standard Inactive DFA members are not covered by the network credit insurance.
What is covered
- Payment default arising form a trade transaction between DFA Premium Members.
What will not be covered
- Intercompany transactions despite being members would not be covered.
- Subsidiaries of members that are not part of the DFA PCM (Each local office of a group must also be a paid member).
- Claims relating to cargo value/loss of earnings from freight (demurrage costs).
- Payment for the cost of the cargo, lost or damaged, or cargo.
- Containers, or lost or damaged cargo containers – Issues arising with actual cargo which fall under cargo insurance.
- Losses caused by intervening acts of third parties, such as fraud, false documentation, or other criminal or tortious acts.
- THE MEMBER SENDING THE PAYMENT IS RESPONSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT HE IS SENDING IT TO THE CORRECT BANKING ACCOUNT AND BANKING FACILITY.
- Cybercrime is NOT covered.
Claims Document
Checklist
Note – The above points are important but NOT the only few & there could be more information/supporting documents requested during the claims assessment. – DFA Payment protection is extended only for the paid members who have provided all the required KYC, onboarding documents & have been successfully confirmed to be covered by the DFA team after necessary credit risk assessment processes & subsequent approvals.
- Current account (Signed and with corporate seal).
- Invoices (Signed and with corporate seal).
- Sales agreement (If any; signed and with corporate seal).
- Purchases order / LPO (Signed and with corporate seal).
- Delivery forms (Signed and with corporate seal).
- Trading history of past 12 months with the counterparty reflecting at least 2 positive transactions on credit.
- Please ensure there are NO overdues beyond the 60 days from payment due date for.
- Copies of bounced cheques, bank reports and police reports.
- All documents concerning the debt (if any) (contract, commercial bill).
- Copies of any correspondence (Emails, fax etc) between buyer and creditor about the debt.
- Written notice (signed and with corporate seal) indicating that related invoices have been fully declared to us by the “turnover declaration” for the specific period.
Credit Management
Key Points for members to follow as a good practice
- Ensure that the Company Name on DFA’s portal is as per the Trade License
- Keep a tab on the Trade License Expiry Date of your counterpart
- Payment terms/Due date always need to be mentioned on the invoice
- An invoice without payment terms is deemed to be a cash transaction
- Invoice value needs to be mentioned with the right currency
- There always needs to be an acknowledgment of delivery of goods/services
Claims timeline process for DFA
Obtain settlement within 90 days after filing all necessary paperwork. This is the market's fastest option.
PPP does not cover demurrage and detention charges, or other transportation charges outside ocean freight . PPP also does not cover charges which may arise as a result of a commercial dispute between the buyer and seller of goods.