A real commodity sourcing agent is paid for work: defining a requirement, finding counterparties that can be checked, coordinating offers and supporting a contract. A fake "agent" is paid for a story. The invoice arrives early, the cargo never does, and the fee is explained as a deposit, a procedure charge, an allocation cost or a payment to "release" supply that was never there.
The difference is visible in writing. A legitimate mandate says what the fee covers, when it is earned and what happens if no suitable supplier can be contracted. A scam invoice says the product is already waiting, and that money must move first.
Reviewed: 13 November 2026.
Two honest ways a sourcing agent gets paid
Most genuine buy-side mandates combine some form of engagement fee with a success element. The engagement fee pays for time, screening and coordination whether or not a particular supplier is ultimately contracted. The success element, often called a finder's fee, is earned only if a qualifying transaction is completed under the mandate. That structure is ordinary professional work. It is not a ticket to discounted cargo.
Financely's commodity sourcing page is the service page for that work. The desk is paid advisory, and an upfront retainer applies. Commercial terms are confirmed in the engagement, after a consultation on the requirement, destination and timeline. This article does not republish a price list. Product-specific desks, such as refined petroleum or jet fuel sourcing, also publish their own mandate terms on their own pages. Do not mix those pages together and invent a blended rate.
A related process page, Financely's physical commodity sourcing platform, describes the same buy-side sequence (requirement, supplier identification, screening and contracting). Read the commodity sourcing page for the service itself, and read this article for how a legitimate fee should be structured, and how it differs from an advance-fee invoice.
| Fee type | What it is | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement fee or retainer | A written fee, agreed in advance, for a named sourcing scope: specification review, supplier search, screening, RFQ coordination, offer comparison and documentation support | A deposit for cargo, a tank reservation, a customs payment, or a fee that "unlocks" a hidden allocation |
| Success or finder's fee | A success element earned only if a qualifying transaction is completed under the mandate, on the terms of the engagement agreement | A commission that is due because someone forwarded a soft offer, or a percentage of a deal that never closed |
| Advance-fee or "release" invoice | A demand for money because cargo, a tank or an allocation is supposedly already waiting and must be unblocked | A legitimate sourcing mandate. If the story is "pay now to release the product," stop. |
What a sourcing retainer actually buys
A legitimate engagement fee is not a payment for title, freight or insurance. On Financely's commodity sourcing page, the firm describes itself as a transaction-led advisory and sourcing desk, not a producer, freight forwarder, insurer or bank. The retainer pays for the agreed sourcing scope, on a best-efforts basis. It does not guarantee that a commodity will be available, that a supplier will perform, that a price will be obtained, or that a shipment will close.
That limit is the point of a professional retainer. You are paying for a controlled process, not for a promised cargo. If the requirement is incomplete, if the payment structure cannot survive a bank review, or if no suitable supplier can be placed, the honest outcome is a clear no, not a larger invoice.
A success or finder's fee should be equally specific. It should apply only to qualifying completed transactions sourced through the mandate, and only on the terms written in the engagement agreement. If there is no completed transaction, there is no basis to treat a success fee as earned. An agent who demands the "success" element before there is a contract, or who invents a percentage on a fictional cargo value, is not applying those terms.
When a fee is a warning, not a mandate
Advance-fee fraud uses the opposite story. The victim is told that something of much greater value, a cargo, a tank, a discounted parcel, even a funding line, is already waiting. A document or a screenshot is produced. Then a large payment is demanded so the goods or the money can be "released." The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation describes the pattern in general terms: the victim pays in anticipation of receiving something of greater value, then receives little or nothing. We have already applied that warning to cargo pitches in cheap commodity scams and to instrument pitches in the 10 most common commodity and instrument scams.
In physical trade the invoice labels change, but the demand does not. You may be asked to pay for a "procedure," a "past performance," a tank-storage reservation, an SGS "blocking," a letter of invitation, or a discounted allocation that will vanish this afternoon. The documents are often forged. The supplier cannot be independently confirmed. The price is too good, which is the hook, not the bargain.
A legitimate sourcing retainer does not require you to pay a stranger so that cargo can be downloaded, unblocked or secretly assigned. It is paid under a named engagement, for a named scope, to a firm you can identify. If you cannot explain the fee to your own bank or counsel in one sentence, do not pay it. Keep the correspondence, the invoice and the supposed proof of cargo or funds. If you have already paid and the goods have not appeared, tell your bank and, where the conduct is criminal, report it. The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov accepts complaints about internet-enabled fraud, including advance-fee schemes.
How to read a sourcing fee in context
Ask four questions before any money moves. Who is the client, and is the agent clearly working for you? What work will be done for the engagement fee, in writing? When, exactly, would a success fee be earned? What is excluded, including supply, pricing and closing guarantees? If those answers are missing, you do not have a mandate. You have a pitch.
Also keep the agent's role in view. A sourcing agent is not a trader taking title, and is not a bank issuing a letter of credit. Financely is an advisor and arranger. Payment for goods, inspection, freight and insurance remains with the parties to the sale. Mixing those costs into an informal "agent fee" is how buyers lose track of what they are actually paying for.
Fee transparency is one of the tests in how to choose a commodity sourcing agent. The role itself is described in what a commodity sourcing agent does. Verification of the supplier, which no fee can replace, is covered in how to verify a commodity supplier.
Eligibility still matters. Financely's commodity sourcing desk asks for a clear product requirement, a destination, preferred delivery terms, buyer identity and signing authority, and a payment approach that can survive compliance review. Advisory work is reserved for operating, post-revenue companies that can support professional underwriting. If you cannot support a real procurement and a real compliance file, a paid mandate will not invent one.
If you have a live requirement and want the mandate terms in writing, take the specification, volume, origin, destination and payment structure to Financely's commodity sourcing page and book a consultation.
Frequently asked questions
How does Financely charge for commodity sourcing?
Financely's commodity sourcing work is paid advisory, and an upfront retainer applies. Commercial terms are confirmed in the engagement, after a consultation on the requirement, destination and timeline. This article does not quote a price. Read the commodity sourcing page for how the desk runs, and ask for terms in writing before work starts.
What does a sourcing retainer cover?
A legitimate retainer covers the agreed sourcing scope, which typically includes specification review, supplier identification, counterparty screening, RFQ and commercial coordination, offer comparison and transaction documentation. It is not a payment for the goods and it does not guarantee that supply will be found or that a deal will close.
When is a success or finder's fee payable?
Only on qualifying completed transactions sourced through the mandate, and only on the terms of the engagement agreement. It is not earned by circulating a soft offer or by promising a cargo that has not been contracted.
Is a sourcing retainer the same as an advance-fee scam?
No, provided the retainer is paid under a written mandate for a defined scope, to an identified firm, without a promise that hidden cargo or funds will be released once you pay. An advance-fee scam demands money because a much larger cargo or sum is supposedly already waiting. If the story is "pay now to unlock the product," stop.
Do all Financely product desks use the same commercial terms?
No. Some product-specific service pages publish their own mandate terms. Read the page that matches the product, and do not assume a blended or discounted rate. For general commodity sourcing, start with the commodity sourcing page and get the engagement terms in writing.
This article is general information, not a fee quote, an offer or legal advice. Financely is an advisor and arranger. Commodity sourcing is paid advisory, and an upfront retainer applies. Work is best efforts and remains subject to KYC, AML, sanctions screening, counterparty diligence and the engagement agreement. No supply, price, quality, shipment or closing is guaranteed. Last reviewed 13 November 2026.
