Ocean Independence has instituted an electronic way to pay for charter gratuities, a prepaid debit card.

The debit card, issued through one of the founding banks of the VISA card system, Swiss-based Corner Bank, owners and captains can manage charter client funds and the Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA).

The card can be used as any standard VISA card, except that it is only possible to spend up to the preloaded amount. It is possible to have multiple cards for each yacht, so the chief stewardess or chef can also have their own cards to go shopping for provisions and supplies. The card account can be managed online with a summary provided to the charter client enabling added transparency.

Set up and administration costs of about 2 percent on the total spend using the card, but that “compares most favorably” with the cost incurred with delivering large sums of cash to the yacht , the company said in a news release.