Carriage paid to

CPT (Carriage Paid To) is the Incoterms 2020 rule where the seller contracts and pays for carriage to the named destination, but risk transfers earlier, when the goods are handed to the first carrier. This split between the cost point and the risk point is the defining feature of the C-group rules and a frequent source of dispute when cargo is lost in transit: the buyer carries the risk even though the seller arranged and paid for the main carriage.