PayKeeper

PayKeeper is a licensed and regulated escrow company that holds funds during private boat sale transactions. Funds are kept in dedicated trust accounts at established banks, backed by required surety bonds and liability insurance, with international payments routed through JP Morgan Chase in New York. As a licensed Utah escrow provider, PayKeeper is subject to state regulatory oversight, including regular reporting and annual independent financial audits.

On the security side, PayKeeper is SOC 2 Type II compliant and encrypts data at rest and in transit using 256-bit encryption and TLS 1.2 or higher. Card payments are processed through PCI-compliant partners, and bank transactions require dual authorization with full audit trails. The company states it does not sell customer data and maintains data processing agreements consistent with privacy laws such as CCPA and CPRA.

Escrow fees are typically paid by the buyer at closing and scale with the vessel's sale price, and a cancellation fee usually applies if a deal falls through after a deposit has been made. Exact fee schedules and terms vary by platform or broker offering the service, so buyers and sellers should confirm current pricing with whoever is facilitating the transaction.

Current Yachts recently recorded a podcast episode with Kelly Curtis, co-founder of Paykeeper, watch it here.

In partnership with Current Yachts, the escrow fee schedule is as follows

• Up to $100,000: $249

• Up to $499,999: $349

• Up to $999,999: $449

• Up to $1,499,999: $549

• Up to $1,999,999: $649

• Up to $2,999,999: $749

• Up to $5,000,000 $849

To support their clients, Paykeeper's customer support is available by phone, text, email, and live chat, Monday through Friday during business hours.