Passport
Passport is a cross-border ecommerce logistics and compliance platform serving 1,300+ D2C brands with unified shipping, customs brokerage, tax compliance (Seller/Merchant of Record), in-country fulfillment, and AI-powered classification across 200+ countries, generating approximately $100 million in projected 2026 revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Passport does
Passport (Passport Global Inc.) is a cross-border ecommerce logistics and compliance platform founded in 2017 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The company serves more than 1,300 direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecommerce brands, primarily those doing $10M+ in annual revenue, shipping approximately 5 million parcels worth $500M+ annually to 200+ countries. Its core proposition unifies what would otherwise be a fragmented vendor stack — cross-border shipping, customs brokerage, HS-code classification, duty drawback, Seller of Record / Merchant of Record tax compliance, in-country fulfillment, and marketplace management — into a single platform branded Passport Global. The company reaches the market through a sales-led motion targeting high-growth D2C brands in beauty/personal care, apparel/footwear, and health & wellness, supplemented by partner referrals and 170+ 3PL/carrier integrations including ShipBob, Flexport, Capacity, Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.
Under the hood, Passport operates an asset-light, multi-carrier shipping network combined with AI-powered compliance automation. The Winter 2026 Product Release introduced AI-driven customs classification and real-time landed-cost intelligence to help brands navigate shifting tariff and de minimis rules. The platform includes Passport Shipping (standalone cross-border parcel service with DDP/DDU options), Cross-Border Management, In-Country Enablement (local fulfillment via the Brand Access acquisition in 2025), Marketplace Management (Amazon, TikTok Shop, Mercado Libre), and standalone Compliance, Seller of Record, and Duty Drawback modules. Pricing is hybrid: bundled monthly subscriptions for Passport Global, transaction-based fees for shipping, and contingency-based pricing for duty drawback (no upfront fees, with up to 99% recovery).
In May 2026, Global-e Online Ltd. announced its acquisition of Passport for $350 million in upfront consideration (cash and ordinary shares) plus up to $75 million in contingent consideration tied to 2026 performance, expected to close in early July 2026. Passport's projected 2026 revenue was disclosed at approximately $100 million with break-even Adjusted EBITDA. Following close, founder and CEO Alex Yancher joined Global-e's executive management team to lead the integrated Passport business. The company had previously raised a $39M Series B led by TCV in January 2022 and acquired Access Worldwide Inc. in 2021 and Brand Access in 2025 to build out its operational footprint.
Passport firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Passport
- Legal name
- Passport Global Inc.
- Website
- https://passportglobal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Passport is a cross-border ecommerce logistics and compliance platform serving 1,300+ D2C brands with unified shipping, customs brokerage, tax compliance (Seller/Merchant of Record), in-country fulfillment, and AI-powered classification across 200+ countries, generating approximately $100 million in projected 2026 revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Passport industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cross-border ecommerce logistics and compliance
- NAICS
- Couriers and Express Delivery Services (492110), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (4921), Couriers and Messengers (492)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cross-Border Parcel Direct Entry / Destination Hubs (In-Country Induction) (TLAAANAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Export Customs Clearance (Export Declarations & AES/EEI) (TLACAFAB)
Keywords
Where Passport is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Passport business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cross-border shipping services: Revenue generated from international parcel delivery services including DDP and DDU shipping options, with multiple speed tiers (Economy, Priority, Expedited, Express). Integrated into Passport Global bundled solution.
- Seller of Record (SOR): VAT/GST compliance services where Passport manages tax collection, reporting, and remittance using its tax IDs. Brands retain control of checkout and cash flow.
- Merchant of Record (MOR): Legal seller responsibility internationally for larger brands fulfilling in-country or selling on marketplaces, managing compliance end-to-end.
- Compliance services: Global trade compliance including customs brokerage, HS code classification, duty drawback recovery (up to 99%), and tariff optimization.
- Duty Drawback recovery: Contingency-based duty drawback service with no upfront costs. Brands can recover up to 99% of duties paid on exported/returned goods, with service fee deducted from recovered refunds.
- In-country enablement: Local fulfillment operations management including freight forwarding, warehousing, returns processing, and compliance for markets requiring local presence.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Monthly | Passport Global - End-to-end internationalization solution |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Passport Shipping - Standalone cross-border shipping |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | Duty Drawback - Contingency-based service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Passport product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Passport provides international shipping, compliance, and localization services for direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands. The company combines cross-border parcel delivery, customs brokerage, HS code classification, VAT/GST compliance via Seller of Record, duty drawback recovery, and in-country fulfillment into a unified platform serving over 1,300 D2C brands across 200+ countries.
Product overview
Passport is a cross-border ecommerce logistics and compliance platform offering a unified solution under the Passport Global umbrella. The core product portfolio includes Passport Global (the main platform combining all capabilities), Passport Shipping (in-house parcel carrier), and modular add-on services including Cross-Border Management, In-Country Enablement, Marketplace Management, Compliance Services, Seller of Record, and Duty Drawback. The platform serves over 1,300 DTC brands shipping to 200+ countries, combining logistics, AI-powered intelligence, and expert support to enable brands to expand internationally without building local operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Passport Global Unified end-to-end internationalization platform for D2C ecommerce brands combining localization, cross-border shipping, in-country fulfillment, compliance, and marketplace management. Includes Passport Shipping, Seller of Record, and full compliance services under one bundle.
- Passport Shipping Standalone in-house global parcel shipping service providing cross-border delivery to over 180 countries with DDP and DDU options, branded tracking pages, and real-time visibility.
- Compliance Services Global trade compliance support including AI-enabled HS classification, customs valuation, tariff optimization, duty drawback, and regulatory monitoring across cross-border and in-country fulfillment.
- Passport Seller of Record Seller of Record (SOR) solution for VAT/GST compliance allowing brands to collect taxes at checkout while maintaining control of payments and customer data. Available in EU, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, and Switzerland.
- Duty Drawback Full-service duty drawback solution enabling brands to recover up to 99% of duties paid on exported or returned goods, with contingency-based pricing and end-to-end CBP filing support.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5M+ parcels delivered per year; $500M+ worth of goods delivered annually
- +10 more outcomes
Companies that use Passport
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Passport technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration15 records
AI capability7 records
Feature5 records
Passport partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Global-e Online Ltd.coreGlobal-e, a platform powering global direct-to-consumer e-commerce, acquired Passport for $350 million in upfront consideration plus up to $75 million contingent on financial performance. The acquisition deepens Global-e's logistics capabilities and expands offerings to merchant segments requiring non-Merchant of Record solutions. Expected to close early July 2026. Passport founder/CEO Alex Yancher to join Global-e's executive team.
- Brand Accesscore2025 acquisition expanded Passport's capabilities to include in-country fulfillment and operations, enabling brands to serve customers faster and operate more efficiently in key markets.
- ShipBobcoreLeading 3PL partner integrated with Passport's platform, enabling seamless international shipping for ShipBob's ecommerce merchant clients.
- FlexportcoreIntegrated freight forwarding partner enabling coordinated international logistics and supply chain visibility for ecommerce brands.
- ShopifycoreNative platform integration enabling Shopify merchants to access Passport's international shipping, localization, and compliance solutions directly within their Shopify stores.
- WooCommercecorePlatform integration allowing WooCommerce merchants to leverage Passport's cross-border solutions for international expansion.
- BigCommercecoreIntegration partner enabling BigCommerce merchants to access Passport's international ecommerce solutions and global shipping capabilities.
- Capacityminor3PL partner integrated with Passport's network to provide fulfillment services for international ecommerce brands.
- 170+ 3PLs and Logistics PartnerscoreExtensive network of third-party logistics providers integrated with Passport's platform for global fulfillment, including regional specialists for US, UK, EU, Canada, Mexico, and Australia markets.
- Drive ResearchminorResearch partnership conducting studies on ecommerce brand sentiment regarding international growth, tariffs, and AI adoption in logistics and compliance operations.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Passport competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Global-e Online: Global-e is the closest direct peer in cross-border ecommerce enablement, offering Merchant of Record, localization, and checkout solutions for global DTC brands. It is also Passport's acquirer, combining overlapping capabilities.
- ESW (formerly eShopWorld): ESW provides end-to-end cross-border ecommerce solutions including pricing, duties, shipping, and returns for global brands. Directly comparable in target customer (enterprise DTC) and bundled service model.
- Flow Commerce: Flow Commerce offers a cross-border ecommerce platform with localized checkout, duty calculation, and logistics orchestration for DTC brands. Directly comparable product offering and target market.
- Zonos: Zonos provides cross-border ecommerce tools including landed cost, duty calculation, and checkout localization. Comparable in serving mid-market DTC brands with similar international compliance and shipping pain points.
- FlavorCloud: FlavorCloud offers cross-border shipping and customs solutions for ecommerce merchants, including DDP/DDU options and a merchant portal. Direct competitor in cross-border parcel delivery and duty management.
Broad incumbents
- Avalara: Avalara is a broader tax compliance incumbent covering sales tax, VAT, and GST. Overlaps with Passport's Seller of Record and compliance services, but serves a wider enterprise tax stack beyond cross-border ecommerce.
- TaxJar (Stripe): TaxJar provides sales tax calculation and filing, now part of Stripe. Adjacent in tax compliance, overlapping with Passport's VAT/GST SOR capabilities but primarily focused on U.S. sales tax for SMBs.
- DHL eCommerce: DHL eCommerce offers international parcel delivery, customs handling, and returns for online retailers. A broad incumbent logistics provider with overlapping cross-border shipping capabilities.
- FedEx Cross Border: FedEx Cross Border (including its acquisition of ShopRunner) provides international shipping, customs clearance, and trade management for ecommerce. Comparable logistics and compliance capabilities from a global carrier incumbent.
Emerging players
- ShipBob: ShipBob is a fulfillment partner integrated with Passport for international shipping, but also expanding into its own cross-border and global fulfillment capabilities. Overlaps in merchant relationships and last-mile/international fulfillment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Passport social profiles
Digital presencePassport financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Passport leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Passport subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Passport funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors22 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Passport M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Passport
What does Passport do?
Passport provides international shipping, compliance, and localization services for direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands. The company combines cross-border parcel delivery, customs brokerage, HS code classification, VAT/GST compliance via Seller of Record, duty drawback recovery, and in-country fulfillment into a unified platform serving over 1,300 D2C brands across 200+ countries.
Is Passport a public or private company?
Passport is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Passport founded?
Passport was founded in 2017. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Passport based?
Passport is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Passport make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Cross-border shipping services are the primary driver. The others are seller of Record (SOR), merchant of Record (MOR), compliance services, duty Drawback recovery and in-country enablement.
Who are Passport's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Global-e Online, ESW (formerly eShopWorld), Flow Commerce, Zonos and FlavorCloud. Broad incumbents are Avalara, TaxJar (Stripe), DHL eCommerce and FedEx Cross Border. ShipBob is listed as an emerging player.
Does Passport have an API?
Yes. Passport offers custom APIs that were expanded in the Winter 2026 Product Release. The company provides a PartnerPage portal at partners.passportglobal.com for partner integrations and a merchant portal at portal.passportglobal.com. No formal public API documentation, SDK, or rate limits were explicitly documented in the reviewed sources. Developer documentation is at partners.passportglobal.com/integrations.
What industry is Passport in?
Passport's product category is Cross-border ecommerce logistics and compliance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAAANAG, Cross-Border Parcel Direct Entry / Destination Hubs (In-Country Induction), with a secondary code of TLACAFAB, Export Customs Clearance (Export Declarations & AES/EEI). Its NAICS code is 492110 and its SIC code is 4731.