BunkerPay connects ship owners, agents, and bunker traders to regulated payment partners across Europe, LATAM, and Africa. EUR, USD, USDC or USDT — settled through SEPA, SWIFT, or supported local rails. Access interbank-level FX rates. Settle transactions in as little as 8 hours.
Every bunker fuel transaction carries a hidden cost that never appears on your invoice — your bank's exchange rate markup. Combined with payment delays, a single refuelling stop can cost your operation tens of thousands of euros in unnecessary charges.
High street banks apply a 1–2% markup above the real interbank rate on every currency conversion. On a $1,080,000 bunker transaction at current April 2026 prices, that gap costs over €8,400 on a single transaction. Across a fleet, this is a structural cost that compounds every voyage.
Traditional bank transfers for bunker payments take 48–72 hours through correspondent banking chains. Every day your vessel waits at port for payment confirmation costs €2,500 in port fees at Las Palmas alone. Payment delays are a direct threat to charter party obligations and voyage profitability.
Major banks have withdrawn from African and Latin American payment corridors. Operators working West African routes, the Canary Islands triangle, or Latin American ports are left with no reliable payment channel — or forced to double-convert through USD at significant cost.
From 2026, the EU Emissions Trading System requires operators in European waters to pay 100% of carbon costs. In this environment every basis point saved on exchange rates and every hour saved in port directly reduces the overall compliance burden on your voyage P&L.
Access your BunkerPay account from any browser, on any device — 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. No software to install.
Input the currency pair, transaction amount, and payment destination. Works across 53+ currencies including emerging market corridors.
Within seconds, receive a real-time institutional rate — locked the moment you confirm. No negotiation. No hidden fees. No surprises.
Your payment is processed and the recipient receives confirmed funds within 8 hours via SWIFT and local payment rails.
Whether you are a ship owner settling a bunker invoice in Las Palmas, a ship agent coordinating payments across three currencies, or a bunkering company that needs funds confirmed before fuel delivery — BunkerPay has the infrastructure to move your money faster and more cheaply than any bank.
Access over 53 currencies at rates that consistently outperform the high street. Supported pairs include USD, EUR, GBP, NOK, CHF, CAD, and a full range of exotic currencies serving African and Latin American ports. Rates are agreed individually per client.
€8,400+ saved per major transactionBunkerPay settles payments in as little as 8 hours via SWIFT and domestic rails — compared to 48–72 hours through traditional banking. For port operations at Las Palmas, where port fees run approximately €2,500 per waiting day, a single day saved justifies the switch immediately.
8h vs. 72h bank averageProtect your operation against FX volatility. Spot transactions for immediate settlement, or forward contracts to lock in an exchange rate for future bunker payments — particularly valuable for voyage estimates and charter party obligations planned in advance.
Lock rates before your next voyageAn intuitive dashboard for your finance or treasury team. Request live quotes, confirm transactions, monitor payment status in real time, manage multiple currency balances, and generate full payment records for compliance and audit — from one interface, on any device.
24/5 online accessOne of the most underserved needs in maritime payments is access to African and Latin American currencies. BunkerPay was built specifically to serve this gap — enabling operators to pay suppliers in-country and avoid double-conversion costs where major banks have withdrawn entirely.
West Africa · East Africa · LATAMAccept incoming funds in multiple currencies from international counterparties. Shipping agents and bunkering companies can receive payments from overseas clients directly, with full settlement tracking and instant notification on cleared funds.
Multi-currency receipt capabilityBunkerPay was created because no existing payment provider was built for the specific demands of the maritime sector. Here is an honest comparison of the options available to ship owners, operators, and agents.
| Feature | BunkerPay | High Street Banks | Revolut / Wise | Western Union |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maritime-specific platform | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Institutional-level FX rates | ✓ | ✗ | ~ | ✗ |
| Settlement in 8 hours or less | ✓ | ✗ | ~ | ✗ |
| 24/5 online platform | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ~ |
| FCA regulated infrastructure (UK) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| USD / EUR / GBP + exotic currencies | ✓ | ~ | ~ | ~ |
| African & LATAM corridor access | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ~ |
| Forward contracts | ✓ | ~ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Stablecoin / USDT settlement | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Dedicated maritime support | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
✓ Full capability ~ Partial or limited ✗ Not available
A single maritime payment can combine FX conversion, stablecoin-to-fiat settlement, multi-currency IBAN holding, and SEPA or local rail delivery — all under one BunkerPay relationship. No correspondent bank chain. No 72-hour wait. No hidden markup.
A vessel can change jurisdictions faster than a payment can clear. BunkerPay connects customers to regulated partners able to handle the corridors that matter in maritime — and orchestrates the route end to end.
See the full interactive corridor map — Europe, LATAM, and Africa routes with payment rail detail.
Every other option gives you one layer — a bank, an FX broker, or a crypto exchange. BunkerPay orchestrates all three regulated layers under one client relationship. No stitching together five different providers. One onboarding. One dashboard. One point of contact.
Regulated payment processing, FX execution, multi-currency IBAN issuance, SEPA and SWIFT settlement. Client funds held in safeguarding accounts in line with FCA requirements. This is the layer that makes BunkerPay a credible counterparty for institutional maritime finance teams.
USDT and USDC acquisition, custody, and conversion to fiat. The stablecoin bridge that no bank can provide. A West African shipping company funds in USDT — this layer converts it to EUR or USD, which then flows into the FCA IBAN for SEPA settlement to a European shipyard. This is the inbound corridor that was previously impossible.
EUR-corridor FX execution and EU-onboarded client services. Local payment rails across supported LATAM and African markets — in-country settlement to port agents, repair providers, and local-currency suppliers where correspondent banks charge deductions and add days. The coverage that emerging market maritime operators have never had access to.
"Europe, LATAM and Africa run on different rails. BunkerPay connects customers to the regulated partners who run them — and orchestrates the route across all three."
BunkerPay was not designed in a fintech lab. It was designed by someone who personally operated a merchant vessel, experienced payment delays at port, and understood the financial damage that slow banking infrastructure causes in real time.
Our founder spent 25 years managing cross-border payments across Africa, Latin America, and Asia through Beltcastle-FX in London — and personally operated a 2,316-tonne, 67-metre merchant icebreaker based in Rostock, Germany.
"I operated a 2,316-tonne merchant icebreaker. I have personally experienced the frustration of waiting for payments to clear while port fees accumulate and charter obligations are at risk. BunkerPay exists because that problem deserved a serious solution."Lubin Betancourt Reyes — CEO & Founder, BunkerPay
Our rates are consistently and significantly better than those offered by high street banks. The gap between what banks charge and what you actually pay goes directly back into your operation. Contact us for a tailored rate proposal for your specific currency pairs and volume.
BunkerPay settles in as little as 8 hours. For operators at Las Palmas — where port fees run €2,500 per day — this is not a marginal improvement. It is a fundamentally different financial outcome on every single vessel call.
BunkerPay Ltd is not a regulated financial institution. The regulated activity — IBAN issuance, FX, stablecoin conversion, SEPA and SWIFT settlement — is performed by partners authorised by the FCA (UK), Banco de España (EU), or the Financial Services Commission of Bulgaria. Client funds are held in safeguarding accounts at the relevant regulated partner institution. BunkerPay orchestrates; partners deliver.
Where major banks have withdrawn from African and Latin American payment corridors, BunkerPay has built access. Our platform enables local currency payments across West Africa, East Africa, and Latin America — corridors the traditional banking system can no longer reliably serve.
BunkerPay Ltd is not a regulated financial institution. BunkerPay is an introducer and payment-orchestration platform that connects clients with regulated partners. The regulated activity — IBAN issuance, FX, stablecoin conversion, SEPA and SWIFT settlement — is performed by partners authorised by:
BunkerPay orchestrates; partners deliver the regulated services. Client funds are held in safeguarding accounts at the relevant regulated partner institution. All enquiries are subject to onboarding, compliance review, and applicable law.
All regulated payment processing, IBAN issuance, SEPA and SWIFT settlement is carried out by our FCA-authorised UK Payment Institution partner. Client funds are held in safeguarding accounts at the relevant regulated partner institution.
Stablecoin conversion and cryptoasset services — including USDT and USDC to fiat — are performed by our Virtual Asset Service Provider partner, registered with the Financial Services Commission of Bulgaria. The resulting EUR or USD is held in a multi-currency IBAN ready for SEPA or SWIFT settlement.
European payment operations are also supported through Banco de España-authorised infrastructure, providing additional EU regulatory coverage for clients operating within the eurozone and Spanish maritime markets.
BunkerPay Ltd is not a regulated financial institution. The regulated activity — IBAN issuance, FX, stablecoin conversion, SEPA and SWIFT settlement — is performed exclusively by our regulated partners. BunkerPay connects clients with those partners and orchestrates the route end to end.
BunkerPay was founded in London in 2022 by Lubin Betancourt Reyes — a financier, former merchant vessel owner, and specialist in cross-border payments for emerging markets.
Lubin's career spans 25 years at the intersection of international finance and trade. As CEO and founder of Beltcastle-FX, he managed cross-border payment transactions amounting to billions of dollars across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. He personally operated a 2,316-tonne, 67-metre merchant icebreaker — the Stefan Jantzan, based in Rostock, Germany — giving him first-hand understanding of the operational pressures vessel operators face every day.
The idea for BunkerPay was born from that direct experience. Lubin saw that the people most harmed by slow, expensive banking infrastructure were often those least able to challenge it — ship owners and agents in emerging markets, operating time-sensitive vessels with no alternative payment channel. BunkerPay was built to change that.
"To give every maritime operator in the world — regardless of size, geography, or currency — access to fast, fair, transparent payment infrastructure that was previously only available to the largest institutions."Our Mission
A senior member of our team will respond within one business day. All enquiries are confidential and subject to compliance review by BunkerPay and our regulated partners.