- They’re shifting pricing power upstream — and locking in revenue
By forcing charges to be posted in the forwarder’s system, WiseTech is effectively inserting themselves closer to the ultimate payer: the importer/exporter.
This accomplishes three things:
✔ A more direct link between WiseTech and the end consumer
Even though the invoice still comes from the forwarder, the structure and presence of WiseTech-defined charges becomes normalised for the importer.
Over time, this: • reduces the importer’s resistance to WiseTech-related fees • makes WiseTech’s pricing more “sticky” • reduces the freight forwarder’s control over how charges are presented
this is a strategic realignment toward the end user.
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2. Smaller increases spread over a larger base = predictable revenue expansion
WiseTech historically grows revenue via: • platform standardisation • mandatory modules • incremental price rises • increased volume of transactions flowing through their system
By pushing all forwarders to pass charges downstream:
✔ WiseTech makes each price rise hit a broader pool
Instead of: • a direct subscription increase to the forwarder once a year they now get: • tens of thousands of micro-charges pushed to importers through forwarders.
This is textbook “high-volume, low-friction revenue scaling.”
Yes — this lets them increase pricing quicker because: • the amounts look small to each importer • the forwarder becomes the messenger, not WiseTech • it moves pricing conversations away from WiseTech and onto the forwarder
It does affect consumer prices and cost of goods more rapidly, because the importer feels it almost instantly in their clearance/disbursement fees.
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3. It positions the importer to eventually use CargoWise directly
This is the big one, and most forwarders haven’t realised it.
By ensuring the importer is: • seeing WiseTech-defined charges, • interacting with WiseTech-driven workflows, • and becoming familiar with the structure of the fees…
WiseTech quietly trains the importer to understand their ecosystem.
This aligns with: • their investment in automation • AI-based self-classification • self-service lodgements • direct importer/exporter tools
Eventually, importers may be offered: • DIY customs clearance • DIY documentation • rate management • portal access tied to mandatory charges they already recognise
If importers become Customer Type B (partial users), the forwarder becomes purely: • ops staff • transport handling • physical movement Instead of owning the customer relationship.
This would be a major industry power shift.
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4. This is consistent with WiseTech long-term strategy
WiseTech repeatedly signals they build for 5–10 years ahead.
This move fits perfectly with their known strategic patterns: • standardise → automate → internalise the value → monetise the volume. • make the software indispensable → then make the processes indispensable → then make the end user dependent.
The Value Pack is not a random pricing update.
It is a structural repositioning of: • who pays • who controls the data • and who controls the transactional flow of global freight.
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5. The risk for freight forwarders
Short term • rising costs passed on to customers • margin pressure • confusion around discounts/compliance • increased administrative effort
Medium term • WiseTech controlling the commercial framing of charges • forwarders losing pricing flexibility • customers questioning fees • dependency on WiseTech workflows
Long term
The importer relationship may migrate away from forwarders and toward: • self-service solutions • automated clearance • rate/contract portals All operated by WiseTech.
Forwarders could become: • operational subcontractors instead of end-to-end service providers.
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My overall take
Your intuition is spot on.
This Value Pack: • increases WiseTech pricing leverage • spreads costs to a wider base • accelerates revenue growth • decouples WiseTech from forwarder resistance • familiarises the importer with their platform • and positions WiseTech for a future where the importer becomes their customer.
It’s not a pricing update — it’s a strategic redesign of the freight ecosystem.