Pass-through / disbursement
Money the provider advanced. The standard is a receipt at cost, plus any separately agreed advancement fee.
What it is calculated on
At the amount actually paid to a third party, evidenced by a receipt.
What it appears as on real documents
Providers write the same charge many different ways. All of these mean this charge:
- disbursement
- disbursement fee
- advancement fee
- outlay
- cash advance fee
- third party charges
- pass through
- pass-through charge
- agency disbursement
- reimbursable
- recoverable charge
- out of pocket
- advance fee
What settles it when you question it
This is money your provider advanced to somebody else on your behalf. They cannot quote a third party's fee in advance, so comparing it to your quotation is the wrong test. The right one is a receipt: the amount charged should match the amount actually paid, plus any advancement fee stated separately.
Ask for:
- Third-party receipt for the advanced amount
- Terminal invoice
- Government receipt or payment confirmation
- Line-by-line calculation breakdown
Before you book
This cannot be quoted in advance, because the amount is not your provider's to set. What you can pin down is how it will be billed and what evidence you will be given.
Ask: Confirm that advanced amounts are billed at cost with receipts, and what advancement fee is charged on top.
Check a pass-through / disbursement on your own invoice
Free, and no account needed to start.
Upload your quotation and final invoice. ChargeBasis pairs every charge on its normalised type rather than its wording, reports which part of the difference your documents actually explain, and names the document that would settle the rest.
Charges that travel with this one
- StorageDay-counted. Needs a start date, a free-time allowance, and an end date to be checkable.
- DemurrageContainer sitting inside the terminal past free time. Requires availability date, last free day, and gate-out …
- DetentionContainer held outside the terminal past free time. Requires gate-out and empty-return dates.
- ChassisDay-counted equipment rental. Same date evidence as detention.
Common questions
- What is a pass-through / disbursement on a freight invoice?
- Money the provider advanced. The standard is a receipt at cost, plus any separately agreed advancement fee.
- What is a pass-through / disbursement calculated on?
- At the amount actually paid to a third party, evidenced by a receipt.
- What should I ask for if I question a pass-through / disbursement?
- Ask for third-party receipt for the advanced amount, terminal invoice, government receipt or payment confirmation, line-by-line calculation breakdown. This is money the provider advanced on your behalf, so the test is a receipt rather than a quoted rate.