Frequently Asked Questions

ShipScout.ai is an AI-powered trade intelligence platform that helps exporters, importers, and businesses discover global buyers, verify suppliers, and track competitors using real shipment data.

We aggregate publicly available customs data, port records, and trade documentation from 100+ countries. Our AI analyzes this data to help you:

• Find buyers actively importing your product
• Verify supplier reliability and shipment history
• Monitor competitor activities and market trends
• Access verified contact information for decision-makers

It's like having a personal export researcher working 24/7 for you.

Absolutely! ShipScout.ai is designed for exporters at every level — including first-timers.

We also provide:

• Step-by-step onboarding guides
• Video tutorials for every feature
• 24/7 support to answer your questions
• Pre-built search templates for common scenarios

Instantly. The moment you sign up, you can start searching for buyers, suppliers, and competitors.

Most users find their first 5-10 potential buyers within the first 15 minutes of using ShipScout.ai.

No technical skills required. If you can use Google, you can use ShipScout.ai.

Our interface is intuitive, our AI understands natural language, and our support team is available 24/7 if you need help.

For Pro and Business users, we offer a complimentary 30-minute onboarding call to walk you through the platform and answer any questions.

Simple: We believe trade intelligence shouldn't be locked behind $5,000+ annual contracts.

While legacy platforms charge enterprise prices and lock you into yearly commitments, we offer:

• Monthly billing — cancel anytime, no strings attached
• Transparent pricing starting at just $44/month
• No hidden fees or surprise charges
• Same data quality from official government sources

Absolutely. Let's do the math:

If ShipScout.ai helps you close one buyer generating $10,000 in annual revenue:

• Your annual cost (Starter Plan): $708
• Your revenue from that buyer: $10,000
• ROI: 1,260%

Most users discover 10-20 qualified leads in their first month. Even if only one converts, you're massively profitable.

Yes, you can cancel anytime. Zero lock-in. Zero penalties.

We operate on monthly billing with a simple cancellation policy:

• Cancel from your account dashboard in one click
• No phone calls or paperwork required
• Access continues until the end of your billing period
• No questions asked, no hassle

Annual plans? They save you 56%, but you can still cancel and receive a prorated refund for unused months.

Everything in the Starter Plan — with no credit card required.

During your 7-day trial, you get:

• 2 searches per day
• Access to 100+ countries of trade data
• 1 saved watchlist for tracking competitors or buyers
• Basic reports and analytics
• Email support

No automatic billing. No hidden charges. Just a risk-free way to explore the platform and see if it's right for you.

Starter ($44/month): Perfect if you're a solo exporter, testing new markets, or just getting started with 1-3 products.

Pro ($119/month): Best for growing SMEs with multiple products, regular export activities, and a need for deeper insights.

Business ($374/month): Ideal for teams, high-volume exporters, or businesses that need unlimited searches and dedicated support.

100% from legal, publicly available sources.

We aggregate data from:

• Government customs offices — official import/export declarations
• Port authorities — shipment manifests and bills of lading
• International trade organizations — transparency initiatives
• Public trade registries — published under global transparency laws

Extremely accurate. Our data comes directly from government and port authorities — the same sources customs officials use.

We process over 1 billion+ shipment records using AI to:

• Verify data consistency across sources
• Flag anomalies and outliers
• Normalize company names and addresses
• Cross-reference with multiple databases

Real-world proof: Our users have closed millions in deals using this data. If it wasn't accurate, they wouldn't be renewing every month.

Continuously. We update our database as soon as new shipment data is published by customs authorities.

Update frequency varies by country:

• Some countries publish daily (e.g., USA, India, China)
• Others publish weekly or monthly
• We aggregate the freshest data available

You're always seeing the most recent trade activity — giving you the edge over competitors relying on outdated reports.

Most likely, yes. We cover:

• 100+ countries including major markets like USA, EU, India, China, UAE, etc.
• All product categories with detailed HS code classifications
• 1 billion+ shipment records across industries

100% legal. And no, we're not selling private data.

Shipment data we aggregate is publicly available under international trade transparency laws. Governments publish this data to:

• Ensure fair trade practices
• Monitor economic activity
• Enable business discovery

Your personal account data? We never sell it. We never share your searches with competitors. Your privacy is sacred.

No. Your searches, watchlists, and account activity are 100% private and confidential.

We don't share user information with anyone — including your competitors. What you search, who you track, and which buyers you discover stays completely private.

Extremely secure. We use industry-leading payment processors (Stripe/PayPal) that are:

• PCI-DSS Level 1 certified
• Trusted by millions of businesses worldwide
• Encrypted with bank-grade security

We never store your credit card details on our servers. All payment processing happens through secure, third-party gateways.

Fair concern. We verify contact details through multiple sources:

• Cross-referencing with company websites
• Matching with business registries
• AI-powered validation of email formats and phone numbers

That said, email addresses and phone numbers can change. We recommend:

• Checking company websites for updates
• Using LinkedIn to verify contacts
• Starting with a professional introduction email

Real-world feedback: Our users report a 15-25% response rate — far higher than cold outreach without verified contacts.

Yes, for Business plan users. Our API allows you to:

• Pull trade data directly into your CRM, ERP, or BI tools
• Automate shipment monitoring and alerts
• Build custom dashboards and reports
• Integrate ShipScout data into your existing workflows

API documentation is available to Business subscribers. Contact us at support@shipscout.ai for API access and integration support.

Yes. You can export data in multiple formats:

• PDF reports: Professional formatted reports for presentations
• CSV/Excel: Raw data for further analysis
• Custom reports: Tailored exports for specific needs (Business plan)

Export capabilities vary by plan. Starter users get basic PDF reports, while Pro and Business users have access to full CSV exports and custom reporting.

We maintain 99.9% uptime with redundant servers and regular backups.

In the rare event of downtime:

• Our team is notified immediately and works to restore service
• Status updates are posted on our website and social media
• Business plan users receive priority alerts and dedicated support

We schedule maintenance during off-peak hours and notify users in advance.

Yes, we offer 24/7 support.

Response times by plan:

• Starter: Email support — typically within 24 hours
• Pro: Priority email support — typically within 4-8 hours
• Business: Priority call and email support — typically within 1-2 hours

Urgent technical issues are prioritized across all plans. Contact us at support@shipscout.ai anytime.