The part of your price that covers the transport itself is paid to the carrier, usually when the driver hands over the vehicle. This is the collect on delivery, or COD, balance shown on your order confirmation.
Accepted forms of payment
Cash, certified funds, a cashier's check or a money order, made payable to the carrier. These are the forms carriers accept because they clear immediately. Personal checks, debit cards and credit cards are not accepted at delivery, and our Terms and Conditions ask you not to offer them.
Plan it before delivery day
Delivery windows can land on a weekend or outside bank hours, so have the funds ready as soon as the driver confirms a delivery day. If someone else is receiving the car for you, give them the payment in advance.
What happens if payment is refused?
If the carrier is not paid, it can place the vehicle in storage at your expense and hold it under a carrier's lien until the balance is settled, with storage and redelivery charges added. That is a bad outcome for everyone, and it is entirely avoidable by having the agreed amount ready in an accepted form.
If the driver asks for an amount that differs from your order confirmation, do not pay the difference on the spot. Call Rivalane on +1 855-748-2526 and we will resolve it with the carrier.
Why carriers do not take cards at the truck
A card payment can be charged back for weeks after the transaction, and a personal check can bounce after the car has been handed over. A driver who releases a vehicle against a payment that later fails has no way to recover it. Cash, certified funds, a cashier's check and a money order settle on the spot, which is why Section 7c of our Terms and Conditions lists those four forms and asks you not to offer the others.
If a carrier offers another payment method at the truck, that is the carrier's choice and not something to plan on. Have one of the four accepted forms ready regardless, so the handover does not depend on it.
Getting the amount exactly right
Your order confirmation shows the COD balance. Bring that figure, not a round number near it. Carriers do not usually carry change, and an overpayment is awkward to recover. If you are paying by cashier's check or money order, make it payable to the carrier company named when we confirmed your assignment, not to Rivalane and not to the driver personally, and get a receipt or a signed note of payment on the Bill of Lading.
Banks place holds on large cash withdrawals and may need notice for a cashier's check, so arrange the funds as soon as the driver confirms a delivery day rather than on the morning of delivery.
What the Terms say: all payments for the balance due to the Carrier must be made on or before delivery, in cash, certified funds, cashier's check or money order payable to the Carrier (Section 7c). If the customer refuses to pay or to accept delivery, the Shipment may be placed in storage at the customer's expense under the Carrier's lien (Section 7b).
If the amount the driver asks for is different
Pay what the confirmation shows and call Rivalane on +1 855-748-2526 before paying anything more. There are legitimate reasons for a difference, such as an inoperable fee for a car that would not start at pickup or a declared add-on, and those will already be on your paperwork. An unexplained increase at the truck is not something you should settle on the curb. We resolve it with the carrier while the driver is there.
Paying through an agent
If someone else is receiving the car, give that person the exact funds in advance, tell them the carrier's name for the payee line, and explain that payment comes after the inspection and the Bill of Lading notation, not before. A storage facility or dealership receiving the car may be able to pay from its own account, but confirm that with them and with us before dispatch.
What a carrier's lien means in practice
Under federal law a motor carrier can hold goods until its transportation charges are paid, and Section 7b of our Terms says so plainly. If the balance is not paid, the car goes to a storage yard, daily storage accrues, and a redelivery charge is added when it finally moves. The FMCSA's Protect Your Move resources describe the same mechanism for household goods. It is entirely avoidable by having the agreed amount in an accepted form when the truck arrives.
After you pay
Keep the signed Bill of Lading and the payment receipt with your order confirmation. If you later need to file a claim with the carrier, or dispute anything about the move, those three documents show what was agreed, what was delivered and what was paid.
Special cases
For an auction or dealer pickup with delivery to you, the payment is the same. For a snowbird delivery into a gated community, the meeting point is where payment happens, so bring the funds to it. Federal law recognizes the carrier's right to payment before release, as the Carmack framework in 49 U.S.C. 14706 and the carrier's lien in Section 7b reflect.
Related questions
- When do I pay for car shipping with Rivalane?
- What should I check when my car is delivered?
- Can someone else accept delivery of my car for me?
Go deeper: What Happens After You Book Car Shipping.
