The Predominant Ways to Pay for Car Shipping

Auto transport pricing and payment have changed a lot over the years. Where cash-on-delivery and driver-collected payments used to be the norm across the industry, more shippers today expect the same secure, cardholder-protected payment experience they get everywhere else. Contactless, digital payment has become the standard for auto shipping too — and that’s exactly how Mercury handles it.

This guide explains how Mercury’s one-payment model works, why it’s safer than the old deposit-plus-cash-on-delivery approach still used by some companies, and how your final price is determined.

Learn how Mercury’s one-payment model keeps car shipping simple and secure.

Key Takeaways:

• Mercury uses a single payment, made by card or secure bank transfer directly to Mercury
• There’s no deposit and no cash paid to the driver at pickup or delivery
• You’re only charged once your carrier is assigned — never before
• This model protects both the customer and the carrier from common shipping scams

Why the old deposit-plus-cash model created risk

For years, the industry standard was a small deposit paid to the broker up front, followed by the remaining balance paid to the driver in cash or certified funds at delivery. Brokers preferred this because it was easy to collect; drivers preferred it because they got paid immediately without waiting on a check to clear.

But this model put a lot of risk on the customer. A deposit paid before a carrier is even assigned can be difficult to recover if plans change. Handling cash or a cashier’s check at delivery removes the fraud protections that come standard with card payments. And any disagreement over final price at the moment of delivery — with your vehicle already on the truck — puts the customer at a disadvantage.

Mercury does things differently.

How Mercury’s one-payment model works

With Mercury, there’s no deposit and nothing charged upfront. You provide payment information — card or secure bank transfer — when you book, but you aren’t charged until a carrier is officially assigned to your shipment. If you cancel before that point, you’re never charged.

Once your Mercury agent confirms your price and a carrier is assigned, that single payment covers the full cost — no cash at delivery, no split payments between broker and driver, and no additional fees. You never hand cash or a check to a driver, and the driver never collects payment directly from you.

This protects you the same way a card purchase anywhere else does — through your payment method’s fraud protection and dispute process — something the old cash-at-delivery model never offered.

How your final price is determined

Several factors go into your final shipping price: current market demand for your route, time of year, the type of vehicle being shipped, and the selected carrier type. Your Mercury agent reviews these factors and confirms your price before your carrier is assigned and dispatched.

Once that price is confirmed, it won’t change — no hidden charges or fees added later.

Contact Mercury Auto Transport for shipping prices you can bank on

We provide a full-service auto shipping brokerage that sources carriers through Central Dispatch and other national dispatch tools, then screens every carrier through Mercury Shield. We make the pricing process transparent from beginning to end, so you know what you’ll pay with no surprises.

Our knowledgeable team can help ship your vehicle reliably with a minimum of fuss. Contact us today at info@mercuryautotransport.com or call 800-553-1828 to speak with the car shipping professionals.