GeneralUnited StatesUnited Kingdomneutral
- To pay the cost of transporting goods by freight; to cover shipping or carriage charges.
GeneralUnited Statesinformal
- To bear or cover the necessary expenses for an action, project, or undertaking.
- To assume financial responsibility for enabling something to proceed.
United Statesinformalcolloquial
- Used negatively to mean that something is inadequate, insufficient, or will not achieve the desired result ('doesn't pay the freight' = 'is not enough').