When provisioning in Palma and fuelling in Fort Lauderdale, you expect seamless yacht payment systems: cards that work worldwide, instant approvals and no delays caused by missed emails. That’s the baseline for modern yachting. But on one small sailing yacht, mid-charter, that expectation was about to be tested.
The yacht was immaculate, run by an experienced crew who anticipated guests’ needs effortlessly. The captain was in control, guests were happy and everything looked like the perfect luxury yacht charter.
Beneath the surface, though, something was off – the kind of tension you recognise after enough seasons at sea. Quick, hushed conversations. Slight hesitations before decisions. A missing link in the smooth operation.
It turned out they had lost the yacht’s payment card.
When you’re managing countless moving parts on board, it’s easy for something small but vital to vanish. No backup, no shared access, no streamlined system. And now the card was gone.
The owner was ashore, dealing with other matters. Meanwhile, the crew still had to cover fuel, provisions, berthing fees – none of which could wait. Without the card, they covered the onboard expenses with their own funds, discreetly and professionally. But the stress was unnecessary. This is exactly why Starboard Card was created.
Combining a Visa Infinite Debit Card with powerful expense management software built for the yachting industry, Starboard Card offers multi-currency accounts, real-time spending control, custom reporting and simplified APA tracking. Accessible via web and mobile, even offline, it syncs automatically when reconnected. Lose a card? Freeze it instantly. Need a replacement? Starboard will ship, track or hand deliver anywhere in the world.
Starboard merges Visa Infinite’s global benefits with deep expertise in yachting and finance, setting a new standard for secure, reliable onboard payments.
While Visa provides the world-class payment backbone, Starboard Card’s white-glove service makes the real difference. In yachting, where plans change in a heartbeat, you need both technology and people you can trust. Starboard Card’s support team is made up of former yacht crew and private banking experts who understand the pressures of life at sea - and respond accordingly.
“Our customers provide the absolute highest levels of service to yacht owners and their guests, so it’s only right that we commit significant resources to providing our customers with the absolute best service, not just best in class, but the best anywhere,” says Dan Lane, Starboard Card founder and CEO. “That’s why our customer relations team hires exclusively from high-end private banking and ex-yacht crew, and why we partnered with Visa to bring Visa Infinite Debit Cards to the industry.”
With Starboard Card, even the unexpected – like a lost card mid-charter – becomes a non-issue. Secure payments, expert support and Visa reliability mean your yacht operations never skip a beat.
The Starboard Card team will be at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show – contact them to book a meeting or request a software demo. Learn more at starboardcard.com.
Sponsored content created for Starboard Card