Introduction — The Truth About Upfront Fees in EN590/Jet A1 Deals

In 2025, the petroleum market is full of misinformation, fake mandates, and fraudulent “sellers” asking buyers for:

• “Reservoir fee”

• “Tank booking fee”

• “Activation fee”

• “Q&Q fee upfront”

• “DIP test fee before POP”

• “Pre-inspection fee”

• “Courier fee”

• “Verification fee”

Real sellers NEVER request upfront fees.
This practice is a red flag for fraud.

Real sellers:

• Already own the tank

• Already pay terminal fees

• Already control the injection rights

• Already passed refinery compliance

• Need NOTHING from the buyer before POP & SPA

This article exposes:

• Why real sellers hate upfront fees

• What a legitimate seller will NEVER ask you

• Why upfront fee requests = fraud

• Institutionally correct procedure (TTT/FOB)

• Why POP cannot be conditioned on payment

• How NNRV screens fake sellers and protects buyers

This is the 2025 definitive anti-fraud guide.

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SECTION 1 — Understanding the Real Industry Context (Macro + Compliance)

1.1 Real Sellers Operate Under Strict Terminal & Refinery Rules

Refineries, terminals, and port authorities follow:

• OFAC/EU sanctions

• FATF AML regulations

• Basel III liquidity compliance

• Terminal KYC/ATV/CPA protocols

• ICS/ISPS port security rules

Under these frameworks:

👉 Sellers are forbidden from charging buyers any upfront fee before POP or SPA.

Why?

Because:

• It violates AML

• It creates fraud patterns

• It indicates no product ownership

• It indicates no tank lease

• It indicates the “seller” cannot pay terminal charges

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1.2 Real Sellers Already Paid All Operational Costs

A real EN590 or Jet A1 seller already paid:

• Tank storage

• Injection

• Movement

• Terminal access

• Q&Q lab

• Insurance

• Port charges

If a seller is real, they have already covered every cost.

A seller who needs your $3,000, $30,000, or $300,000 to cover operational fees
➡️ is not a seller.

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1.3 Fake Sellers Target Inexperienced Buyers

Scammers know:

• New buyers don’t understand POP

• Brokers don’t understand DIP test

• Buyers confuse real procedures with fake methods

• Buyers are eager and impatient

• Buyers fear losing opportunities

Thus fake sellers create pressure:
“Pay this fee now so we release POP.”

This is never the practice of a legitimate supplier.

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SECTION 2 — What Real Sellers Will NEVER Ask You Before POP

Below are the things real sellers will NEVER request before releasing POP.

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1. No Real Seller Will Ever Ask for “Tank Activation Fee”

Terminal tanks are activated by:

• Tank farm

• Operator system (Vopak/Oiltanking/VTTI)

• Seller’s lease contract

NOT buyer funds.

Any request for tank activation fee = fake seller.

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2. No Real Seller Will Ask for “Q&Q Fee Before POP”

SGS/Intertek/Saybolt are paid:

• After SPA

• After DTA

• After terminal clearance

Never before POP.
Never by buyer.
Never before compliance.

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3. No Real Seller Will Ask for “DIP Test Fee Upfront”

DIP test is scheduled after POP:

• Buyer’s inspector enters

• Terminal confirms

• Seller authorizes

• SGS performs Q&Q

No legitimate seller asks for DIP fee before POP.

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4. No Real Seller Will Ask for “Courier Fee for POP Delivery”

POP is issued electronically:
PDF → Seller email → Buyer email → Buyer’s bank

Couriers are not needed.

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5. No Real Seller Will Ask for “Reservation Fee to Lock the Tank”

Real tank leases are long-term contracts.
Seller pays.
Not buyer.

If a seller cannot hold a tank without buyer’s fee → FRAUD.

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6. No Real Seller Will Ask for “POP Fee”

POP is never sold.
POP is never monetized.
POP is never conditional on money.

If someone asks, it’s a scam.

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7. No Real Seller Will Ask for “Document Release Payment”

TSR
Q&Q
Injection report
CPA
ATV

These are FREE for buyer — issued only after compliance.

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SECTION 3 — NNRV Expert Analysis: Why Real Sellers Hate Upfront Fees

3.1 Upfront Fees Destroy Seller’s Compliance Standing

Real sellers must demonstrate:

• No fraud exposure

• No financial manipulation

• No upfront monetization

• No illegal prepayment

• No suspicious transactions

Upfront fees trigger:

• AML red flags

• Terminal compliance blocks

• Refinery investigations

• Bank audit alerts

Institutional sellers avoid ANY upfront structure.

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3.2 Upfront Fees Signal Buyer Inexperience

When a buyer accepts:

• POP fee

• DIP fee

• Reservation fee

• Tank activation fee

Sellers immediately know the buyer is non-institutional.

Real buyers NEVER pay fees before POP.

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3.3 Real Sellers Are Paid Through MT103 — Nothing Else

Payment flow:

1. SPA signed

2. Partial POP issued

3. DIP test

4. CI (Commercial Invoice)

5. MT103 payment

6. Title transfer

No step involves ANY upfront fee.

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3.4 Upfront Fee = Fake Allocation or Broker Chain

A real title holder:

• Has tank

• Has allocation

• Has refinery paper

• Has real POP

• Has real Q&Q

• Has CPA

Anyone asking fees:

• Lost allocation

• Has no tank

• Has no product

• Needs your money to create fake POP

This is how 99% of scammers operate.

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SECTION 4 — Full Institutional Timeline (Showing When a Fee Is Never Requested)

Step 1 — ICPO

Buyer submits official interest.

Step 2 — SCO

Seller responds with commercial offer.

Step 3 — NCNDA/IMFPA

Commissions aligned.

Step 4 — SPA Signature

Legal framework created.

Step 5 — Partial POP Issued

TSR (redacted), Q&Q, ATV/CPA.

Step 6 — DTA

Terminal access for buyer’s inspector.

Step 7 — DIP Test (Paid by Seller)

Seller pays Q&Q cost.

Step 8 — MT103

Buyer pays for product ONLY.

Step 9 — Injection / Loading

Transfer executed.

In NONE of these steps does buyer pay any upfront fee.

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SECTION 5 — Buyer & Seller Questions (20 Total)

10 Buyer Questions

1. Should I ever pay before POP? No.

2. Why do sellers say fees are needed? They’re fake.

3. Can I trust sellers asking for DIP fees? Never.

4. Do refineries charge activation fees? No.

5. Why do buyers get scammed? Lack of knowledge.

6. Who pays SGS? The seller or SPA-defined.

7. Can real sellers ask for a performance bond? Rarely, only CIF.

8. Why is POP never free? It is free.

9. Why do some sellers insist on fee-first? They aren’t sellers.

10. Can NNRV verify real POP? Yes.

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10 Seller Questions

1. Should I let buyer pay DIP? No.

2. Does buyer paying fees make me suspicious? Yes.

3. Should I ask for reservation fee? Never.

4. How do I prove my seriousness? POP + CPA.

5. How to avoid fake buyers? KYC + POF.

6. Should I accept buyer procedure? No.

7. What if buyer demands early POP? Reject.

8. When should I release tank coordinates? After DTA.

9. Should brokers request fees? No — scam behavior.

10. Should I accept payment for “POP courier”? Never.

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SECTION 6 — Proof of Institutional Standards

These rules match the protocols of:

• Vitol

• Trafigura

• Glencore

• Gunvor

• Mercuria

• Shell Trading

• TotalEnergies

Terminals:

• Vopak

• Oiltanking

• VTTI

• Koole

Compliance:

✔ OFAC/EU
✔ FATF AML
✔ Basel III
✔ SGS / Intertek / Saybolt
✔ Rotterdam & Fujairah terminal rules

This is global petroleum industry law:
NO UPFRONT FEES. EVER.

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SECTION 7 — Professional Call to Action (CTA)

📌 Avoid Scams — Let NNRV Verify Your Seller Before You Engage

NNRV Trade Partners provides:

• Seller legitimacy checks

• POP/document verification

• Allocation/tank validation

• SPA & procedure structuring

• Complete anti-fraud analysis

• Buyer & investor protection

📩 info@nnrvtradepartners.com
🌐 www.nnrvtradepartners.com

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Mini FAQ (5 Questions)

1. Should I ever pay before SPA?
   Absolutely not.

2. What if seller insists?
   Walk away — 100% fake.

3. Can I see tank numbers before POP?
   Never. Red flag.

4. Who pays SGS?
   Seller pays under real procedures.

5. Can NNRV protect me from fake sellers?
   Yes — instantly.

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Why Choose NNRV Trade Partners?

• Institutional anti-fraud protection

• Expert POP verification

• Real refinery & title-holder access

• Global compliance expertise

• Transparent and ethical

• Trusted by buyers & sellers worldwide