Invoice audits for US forwarders and NVOCCs
Your carriers quoted one rate. Check what they billed.
Send up to 10 carrier and agent invoices from the last 30 days with the rates behind them. Within 48 hours you get the lines billed above what was agreed, each with its source page, and a draft dispute email for each carrier. The first audit is free.
See a sample report (fictional data). NDA before you send anything. No commitment.
To Carrier A, re invoice TEST-0002: please credit USD 500.00. BAF is included in all-in quote RC-0001; chassis was not approved.
| Ocean freightmatches quote | 1,000.00 |
| Bunker surcharge (BAF)Quote RC-0001: all-in, BAF included | |
| Documentation feematches quote | 50.00 |
| Chassis, 3 daysNo approval on file | |
| Billed | USD 1,550.00 |
| To dispute | USD 500.00 |
01What we check
- Base freightabove the agreed rate, per container, kg or cbm
- Surchargesquoted as included but billed on top
- Feeshandling and documentation above what was agreed
- Quantitiescontainer count or type, weight, air chargeable weight
- Exchange rateswell off the reference rate for the invoice date
- Duplicatesthe same invoice or line billed twice
- Unapprovedstorage, chassis or waiting time nobody approved
- Arithmeticlines and totals that don't add up
Demurrage and detention invoices are also checked for the 20 items 46 CFR 541.6 requires. Under 541.5, “failure to include any of the required minimum information in this part in a demurrage or detention invoice eliminates any obligation of the billed party to pay the applicable charge.”
02Process
- 1Mutual NDAOne page, signed before any document changes hands.
- 2Up to 10 invoicesWith the quotes or rate confirmations your carriers and agents gave you. PDFs or exports.
- 3Report in 48 hoursEach difference with its source page. A person checks every finding. Sample.
- 4You decideYou send the disputes you choose. We never contact your carriers or agents.
03Your documents
- Access
- No access to your inbox or systems. You share only what the audit needs.
- Processing
- Read with a paid business AI service (Anthropic's Claude API or Google's paid Gemini API), never a free consumer tier.
- Deletion
- Our copies of your files and extracted data are deleted when the audit is delivered, and you receive a deletion certificate for them. The AI provider's copy follows its business terms: Anthropic deletes API data within 30 days; Google keeps paid-API logs for a limited period, only to detect misuse.
04Rates
| Plan | Volume | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Free audit | Up to 10 invoices, last 30 days | USD 0 |
| Starter | About 50 shipments a month | USD 149 / mo |
| Growth | About 150 shipments a month, plus a mid-month container-charge check | USD 249 / mo |
A shipment is one house bill of lading or air waybill (the master bill when there is no house bill). Every plan includes the report and a dispute draft for each carrier or agent.
If a month's audit finds less than that month's fee, the next month is free. A free month does not earn another. Cancel any time.
05Questions
We already check our invoices.
Then the free audit is a quick outside check. If we find nothing, it cost you nothing.
We use CargoWise or another system.
Exports or PDFs are enough. Nothing to install, no logins to share.
Is this legal advice?
No. We find differences and draft emails; you decide what to send.
Who does the work?
The founder of RateGuard Freight, based in Morocco. A person reviews every finding before it reaches you.
Start with your last 10 invoices.
Email us and we reply with the NDA. Once it is signed, you send the invoices and rate confirmations.