Dataservice Discharge Confirmation

Quick Start Guide – Dataservice Discharge Confirmation

This Quick Start Guide sets out the most important information related to the Data Service Discharge Confirmation. Connection to this service requires an API link. A technical explanation of how to create this link is provided here. The process from requesting a discharge confirmation to actually receiving the data is described below.

Request for discharge confirmation

Request for discharge confirmation

Once a customer is subscribed to the Data Service Discharge Confirmation and an API link has been enabled, there are two ways to actually request a discharge confirmation for a container:
1. Entering a container number in combination with a Bill of Lading number (B/L number).
2. Entering a container number in combination with a Call Reference Number (CRN). A CRN is a unique visit number for a ship to the port.

A discharge confirmation can only be requested with one of these two combinations. The request may be made at any time, as soon as the required ‘input keys ‘ are known to the customer. Applications will be accepted up to 30 days after a container has been discharged. Applications with a CRN are checked to ensure that the CRN complies with a fixed format . If the CRN entered does not comply with this format, a message is immediately sent to the customer that the request cannot be fulfilled. No such a check can be performed for BL/numbers and container numbers. As such, incorrect entry of any of these values will not be recognised and a customer will receive an automatic message after two months that the request cannot be met.

Receiving discharge confirmation

Receiving discharge confirmation

As soon as the terminal sends a notification that the container has been discharged, Portbase sends a discharge confirmation to the requester in real time. This message is received in the requester’s in-house system via an API link. It may be that the container has already been discharged before the request is made. In this case, a customer receives the discharge confirmation immediately after the request. A request remains valid for two months. If no discharge confirmation can be issued for a container for two months after a request, the request becomes void and the customer is sent a closure message to this effect.

A received discharge confirmation contains the following data fields:
– Call Reference Number: this is a unique visit number for a ship to the port.
– Container number
– Time of discharge: the time at which the container is discharged at the terminal.
– Terminal name
– Terminal address
– Terminal postcode
– Name of the quay: the name of the specific quay at the terminal where the container is discharged.
– Subscription ID: a unique ID which is assigned to the appropriate discharge confirmation request.

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