Mitsui O.S.K. Lines to introduce electronic seafarer payments on all managed vessels

MOL to introduce electronic seafarer payments on all managed vessels
Rob O'Dwyer November 7, 2023 https://smartmaritimenetwork.com/2023/11/07/mol-to-introduce-electronic-...

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has announced plans to introduce the MarTrust payment service for all seafarers onboard vessels managed by MOL Group ship management companies, allowing payroll to be delivered electronically to a mobile app.

MarTrust is an international payroll remittance service for seafarers developed by Marcura of Dubai. Seafarers are provided with an e-wallet account and an international debit card, allowing them to transfer funds to bank accounts and between e-wallets using their mobile device.

The system also supports cash withdrawals from ATMs almost anywhere in the world, so that payments received electronically can be converted to cash.

Seafarers’ salaries are required by international convention to be paid into a bank account, but a portion of salaries are received onboard the vessel, typically paid in cash. MOL will use the MarTrust service to move to electronic onboard payments in place of that cash disbursement, to allow crews to more easily manage and move their funds.

MOL conducted a series of trials of the system from April to July 2023 on its group company-managed vessels, and the decision to fully introduce the service was based on feedback from its participating seafarers.