CargoWise Value Packs Pricing 2026: What Changed and What It Means for Forwarders

Most freight forwarders woke up to a fundamentally different CargoWise bill in early 2026. In December 2025, WiseTech Global transitioned most of its customer base from the previous Site Transaction License (STL) model to a new per-transaction structure called CargoWise Value Packs (CVP). The change was significant, and by many accounts, it was not gentle.

Forwarders reported receiving as little as three business days' notice. The transition was pushed during the holiday season. And the cost impact, based on publicly available information and industry discussion, has been substantial: increases of 20% on the low end to 50% or more for some operations.

If you run a freight forwarding operation on CargoWise, or you are evaluating it as a potential platform, here is what you need to understand about the new CargoWise Value Packs pricing model and what it means going forward.

What Are CargoWise Value Packs (CVP)?

Under the previous STL model, CargoWise licensing was structured around site-level licenses with relatively predictable costs. The new Value Packs model shifts to per-transaction pricing, where you pay based on the volume and type of transactions your operation processes.

Based on publicly available information, the key per-transaction rates include:

• $19.95 per full import container processed through the system
• $9.95 per standalone customs entry

These fees apply on top of any base licensing or user costs. The more shipments and customs entries you process, the more you pay.

WiseTech has positioned this as a way to align pricing with the value customers receive from the platform. In practice, it means that costs now scale directly with operational volume, which creates a fundamentally different financial equation than the previous model.

What Changed in the Transition

The shift from STL to CVP was not a gradual rollout. Based on reports from the forwarding community:

• There was no opt-out. This was a mandatory migration, not an optional upgrade
• Most CargoWise customers were transitioned to CVP
• Many received just three business days of advance notice
• The transition was executed during the December 2025 holiday period, giving operations teams limited time to assess the impact

Given CargoWise's dominant market position among large and mid-size forwarders globally, the scale of this change was felt across the industry.

How Much Does CargoWise Actually Cost Now?

The impact of CVP pricing varies based on your operation's size and transaction mix. However, the reported cost increases have been consistent in direction, if not magnitude.

Ranges below are based on industry reports and community discussion, not audited financial data.

According to third-party analysis, larger operations have estimated additional annual costs of $1.5M-$2.4M or more under CVP, though actual figures depend heavily on existing contract terms and transaction mix.

Worked Example: Mid-Size Forwarder

Consider a mid-size freight forwarder processing 200 full import containers and 150 standalone customs entries per month:

• Container fees: 200 x $19.95 = $3,990/month
• Customs entry fees: 150 x $9.95 = $1,492.50/month
• Per-transaction total: $5,482.50/month ($65,790/year)

This is the per-transaction cost alone, on top of whatever base licensing and user fees apply. For an operation that was previously paying a flat site license, this represents a meaningful jump in total cost of ownership.

Scale that to a larger forwarder processing 500 containers and 400 customs entries monthly, and the per-transaction fees alone reach over $13,950/month ($167,400/year).

All figures are estimates based on publicly available transaction rates. Actual costs depend on contract terms, volume tiers, and module usage.

The Transitional Pricing Protection Confusion

To soften the immediate impact of the CVP transition, WiseTech included "Transitional Pricing Protection" (TPP) credits on January 2026 invoices. In theory, these credits were meant to cushion the price increase during the transition period.

In practice, based on reports from the forwarding community, TPP created more confusion than clarity:

• Invoices included both the new CVP charges and TPP credits, making it difficult to determine actual go-forward costs
• Many forwarders were unsure whether the credits were one-time adjustments or ongoing protections
• The net effect was reduced pricing transparency at exactly the moment when forwarders needed to understand their new cost structure

For finance teams trying to budget for 2026, the combination of a new pricing model and opaque transitional credits has made cost forecasting significantly harder.

Why This Matters for Mid-Size Forwarders

CargoWise holds a dominant position in the freight forwarding software market among larger operations, which means this pricing change is not a niche concern. It affects the economics of a significant portion of the industry.

But the impact is not evenly distributed. For the largest global forwarders processing tens of thousands of shipments monthly, the per-transaction model may still represent acceptable value given CargoWise's unmatched compliance coverage and carrier connectivity. The cost increase is real, but so is the switching cost for a multinational operation deeply embedded in the platform.

For mid-size forwarders, the equation looks different:

Cost-to-value alignment. A 200-container-per-month operation does not use CargoWise the same way a 5,000-container operation does. But under CVP, both pay per transaction. Mid-size forwarders may find they are paying enterprise rates without using enterprise capabilities.

Budget predictability. Transaction-based pricing means your software costs now fluctuate with volume. In peak months, costs spike. In slow months, you still carry the base licensing. The financial planning simplicity of a flat license is gone.

USD pricing pressure. For forwarders operating in Latin America or other regions with local currency billing, paying per-transaction fees in USD adds exchange rate risk on top of the cost increase itself. A 30% price increase becomes even steeper when the local currency weakens against the dollar.

Active evaluation cycle. Based on industry discussion, the CVP transition has triggered the first significant wave of platform evaluation among mid-size CargoWise customers in years. Forwarders who assumed they would stay on CargoWise indefinitely are now asking whether the platform still delivers proportional value at the new price point.

If you are running that calculation, see what right-sized pricing looks like.

What Are the Alternatives?

If the CVP pricing shift has you re-evaluating your software stack, there are several directions to consider depending on your operation's size and geographic focus.

For SMB forwarders (1-50 users): Platforms built for smaller operations offer dramatically different economics. NuevaFlo, for example, starts at ~$130/month with 5 users included, with no per-transaction fees. That means a mid-size forwarder processing 200 containers monthly would pay $130/month on NuevaFlo compared to $5,000+ in CVP transaction fees alone on CargoWise.

The trade-off is that SMB platforms offer fewer advanced features like multi-country customs filing and extensive EDI networks. But for operations that do not need those enterprise capabilities, the value per dollar is significantly higher.

For mid-market forwarders (30-100 employees): Magaya remains a strong option at approximately $3,000+/month, with traditional per-user licensing that does not fluctuate with transaction volume. See our CargoWise vs Magaya comparison for a detailed breakdown.

For a broader view: Our freight forwarding software alternatives guide covers additional options across different price points and regional focuses.

The key is matching your platform to the scale of your operation. Paying enterprise pricing for mid-size needs was already questionable before CVP. After a 20-50% increase, the math deserves a fresh look.

How to Evaluate Whether to Switch

Leaving CargoWise is not a decision to make reactively. It is a significant migration that requires planning. But if CVP has shifted your cost-to-value ratio, here is a framework for evaluating whether a move makes sense.

1. Audit your feature utilization. Which CargoWise modules and capabilities does your team actually use daily? If you are paying for 45-country customs compliance but only file in two countries, you are subsidizing capabilities you do not need.

2. Calculate your true cost per shipment. Add your base licensing, CVP per-transaction fees, user fees, and any consulting or support costs. Divide by your monthly shipment volume. Compare that number against alternatives. If your cost per shipment on CargoWise is 10x what it would be on a right-sized platform, the case for switching strengthens.

3. Assess switching costs realistically. Data migration, team retraining, parallel-running period, and temporary productivity loss are real costs. For most mid-size operations, budget 4-8 weeks for a managed transition to a modern cloud platform. That is a one-time investment versus an ongoing annual premium.

4. Test before committing. Most modern platforms offer trial periods or sandbox environments. Run your actual workflows through an alternative before making a decision. See our guide to choosing freight software for a structured evaluation framework.

5. Consider the timing. If your CargoWise contract includes renewal windows or termination clauses, align your evaluation with those dates. Switching mid-contract may carry penalties that offset short-term savings.

FAQ

What are CargoWise Value Packs?

CargoWise Value Packs (CVP) are WiseTech Global's per-transaction pricing model for CargoWise, introduced in December 2025. Under CVP, customers pay fees based on the volume and type of transactions processed, including $19.95 per full import container and $9.95 per standalone customs entry, based on publicly available information.

How much do CargoWise Value Packs cost per transaction?

Based on publicly available information, the headline per-transaction fees are $19.95 per full import container and $9.95 per standalone customs entry. But total monthly costs depend on your full transaction mix, base licensing, and user fees. A mid-size forwarder processing 200 containers and 150 customs entries monthly could see per-transaction charges alone exceed $5,400/month before any base fees are added.

Can I negotiate CargoWise CVP pricing?

Based on industry reports, the CVP transition was mandatory for most customers, with limited individual negotiation. Larger customers with significant volume may have more leverage to negotiate terms. Contact WiseTech directly for your specific situation.

What is Transitional Pricing Protection (TPP)?

Transitional Pricing Protection was a set of credits included on early CVP invoices (starting January 2026) intended to cushion the impact of the pricing transition. Based on reports from the forwarding community, TPP credits created billing confusion, as it was unclear whether they were temporary or ongoing, making it difficult to determine actual go-forward costs.

What are the best alternatives to CargoWise for mid-size forwarders?

The best alternative depends on your operation's size and needs. For SMBs in Latin America, NuevaFlo offers freight management starting at ~$130/month (includes 5 users) with no per-transaction fees. For mid-market operations, Magaya ($3,000+/month) provides comprehensive forwarding and warehouse management. See our full software comparison for more options.

If the CVP pricing changes have you reconsidering your software costs, the best next step is understanding what you actually need versus what you are paying for. Compare your current CargoWise cost against NuevaFlo's pricing to see what the difference looks like for your operation.

All CargoWise pricing information in this article is based on publicly available data, industry reports, and community discussion at the time of publication. Actual pricing may vary by contract, region, and negotiation. WiseTech Global and CargoWise are trademarks of WiseTech Global Limited. Last updated March 2026.