When orders come in — fulfilling and getting paid

The seller side of the order — notification, preparing, dispatching, PIN handshake, payment release.

What happens when someone buys

This is the moment everything you've set up starts paying off. Someone tapped Buy, paid, and the order is now yours to fulfill. This guide walks through every step from the buyer's tap to the money landing in your wallet.

The order lifecycle from your side

A buyer's order moves through these stages from your side:

Refunded, Disputed, and Cancelled are off-path stages — they happen when something goes wrong. We cover them too, lower down.

Stage 1 — You get a notification

The moment a buyer pays, you get a push notification:

🟡 New order from @username — 1× Black Kitenge Wrap Dress — UGX 75,000

If you have the app open, the Orders tab in the Seller Hub updates immediately. There's also a small badge with the count of open orders.

Do this first:

1. Open the order.
2. Read what they ordered (item, quantity, any notes).
3. Check the delivery address.
4. Check the delivery option they picked (standard, pickup, etc.).
5. Tap Acknowledge to confirm you've seen it.

Acknowledging doesn't commit you — it just lets the buyer know you're on it.

What if the order doesn't fit (out of stock, can't ship there)?

If you can't fulfill, cancel within 24 hours. Open the order → Cancel order → pick a reason from the list:

• Out of stock.
• Can't deliver to that location.
• Buyer requested cancellation.
• Other (specify).

Cancellation refunds the buyer's money immediately (back to their MoMo or card within 24 hours). It also costs you a small dent in your shop's reliability score, so don't make a habit of it. But honest cancellation is better than failing to deliver.

Stage 2 — Prepare the item

You have a default 48 hours to dispatch the order after it's paid. The clock starts at "Paid" and ends when you mark "Dispatched."

If you don't dispatch in 48 hours, the order auto-cancels and the buyer is refunded.

You can extend the window by chatting with the buyer. Tap the WhatsApp button on the order page → message them ("Hey, I'm out of stock on this size but I'll have it by Thursday — can you wait?"). If they agree on WhatsApp, the system gives you more time before auto-cancel kicks in.

Packaging tips

• Use clean, undamaged packaging. A torn plastic bag undermines the whole shop.
• Add a branded touch if you can — a small thank-you note, a business card with your shop name. Makes buyers more likely to re-order.
• Include the invoice printed (some buyers want it for their own records).
• Don't include things they didn't order. Free samples sound nice but they can confuse buyers and trigger disputes.

Stage 3 — Dispatch (hand off to a rider or take it yourself)

When the item is on its way to the buyer:

1. Open the order.
2. Tap Mark as dispatched.
3. Add a note if useful ("Rider is Sam, +256 78x xxx xxx").
4. Tap Save.

The buyer gets a notification: "Your order is on the way."

Picking a rider

Most sellers in Uganda use:

• Their own delivery — they hand it to a boda directly.
• A third-party rider they've used before.
• A logistics service (SafeBoda, Tugende, Glovo, etc.).
• Themselves if the buyer is nearby.

KampalaSnap doesn't book the rider for you. You pick.

The buyer confirms receipt — you don't chase a PIN

There's a Delivery PIN on every order, but you don't collect it from the buyer or the rider. When the item arrives and the buyer is happy, they tap "Confirm receipt" in their app (or on the web order page). That does two things:

• it reveals the PIN on your Orders tab, and
• it authorises the money to be released to you.

So the rider doesn't need any code, and you never have to phone the buyer for it. Just deliver, and watch for the order to show "Buyer confirmed."

Stage 4 — Release your money

Once the buyer confirms receipt:

1. Open the order in your Orders tab — it now shows the 4-digit PIN.
2. Tap Release funds (the PIN is already filled in).
3. The order flips to Completed and your cut lands in your wallet.

If the buyer confirmed but you don't get around to releasing, the order auto-completes after 24 hours — you're paid either way.

What if the buyer never confirms?

If you delivered but the buyer hasn't tapped Confirm receipt — they forgot, they're travelling, or they're being difficult — open the order and tap "Delivered — no PIN? Report it." Add a note, and (in the app) a photo of the delivered item. That:

• notifies the buyer again with a deadline to confirm or report a problem, and
• puts the order in front of our team.

It doesn't speed up your payout by itself — it gets a human involved and puts your delivery on record. Established sellers with proof can be released automatically after the buyer's deadline passes; newer sellers go to admin review. Money is never released just because time passed in silence, which protects everyone.

Don't pressure or threaten the buyer. If the hold-up is a real problem with the item, fixing that is what gets you paid.

Stage 5 — Money in your wallet

When the order completes, your cut lands in your wallet — but it's held for about 7 days before you can withdraw it. During that hold it shows as maturing: you can see it in your total balance and even spend it on ads, you just can't cash it out yet. The hold is a safety net so a buyer who hits a problem right after delivery can still be made whole.

After the hold passes, the money moves to your withdrawable balance automatically, and you can request a withdrawal.

Withdrawals happen Tuesdays and Fridays only. See The path to verification for why withdrawals are gated and how the schedule works.

Where to see your earnings

Seller Hub → Insights tab → Earnings section. You'll see:

• Maturing — completed sales still in the ~7-day hold.
• Withdrawable — money you can request a withdrawal for.
• Withdrawn — total you've taken out over time.

Off-path stages

When the buyer opens a dispute

If something went wrong, the buyer can open a dispute. The order status flips to Disputed. Money stays frozen.

You'll get a notification: "Buyer opened a dispute on order #X." Open the dispute thread inside the order and reply with your side.

You have 48 hours to respond. If you don't, the case escalates to an admin who decides without your input.

In the dispute thread:

• Stay polite, even if you disagree.
• Attach evidence — delivery photos, chat screenshots, photos of the item before dispatch.
• Offer a fix if a fix makes sense (refund, replacement).

If you and the buyer can agree (e.g. partial refund), the buyer can close the dispute and the order resolves.

If you can't agree, an admin reviews and decides. They take 2-3 business days for most cases.

When you cancel an order

If you have to cancel after acknowledging:

1. Open the order.
2. Tap Cancel order.
3. Pick a reason and add a note.

The buyer is refunded automatically. The order doesn't count toward your reliability metrics if the reason is legitimate (out of stock, honest mistake). If you cancel many times in a short period, your account flags for review.

When the buyer cancels before dispatch

The buyer can cancel any order that's still in Paid state (before you mark it Dispatched). You get a notification; the order moves to Cancelled; money is refunded to the buyer. Nothing you need to do.

If they cancel after you marked Dispatched, the cancel request goes into a dispute flow — you can accept the cancellation (refund) or contest it (deliver as planned, ask buyer to receive).

Vacation / pause mode

Going out of town, sick, supply chain hiccup? Pause your shop instead of letting orders pile up.

Seller Hub → Edit → Pause shop → pick how long (1-30 days) → add a reason.

While paused:

• Your shop page shows "On break — back on [date]" to buyers.
• They can still see your products but the Buy buttons are disabled.
• Existing orders continue normally (they don't pause).
• Your videos stay in the feed.

Resume manually any time before the date, or it auto-resumes on the date you set.

Common questions

What if a buyer messages me on WhatsApp asking for a discount AFTER paying?

Up to you. Most sellers don't. The price they paid is the price. "Hi, the price you saw was the price. I can include a small bonus item with the order if you'd like."

If you do give a discount, refund the difference through Pesapal, NOT through MoMo directly. Open the order → message us via support asking for a partial refund, and we'll process it through the correct path.

A buyer offered me the PIN before I shipped. Can I use it?

There's nothing to use — the PIN doesn't exist for you until the buyer taps Confirm receipt after the item arrives. That's deliberate: it removes any way to be paid before delivering. If a buyer says "I trust you, just take it," tell them to confirm receipt once the item is in their hands — that's the only path.

How long do I have to release after the buyer confirms?

No rush. Once the buyer confirms receipt, the PIN sits on your order ready to release. If you don't get to it, the order auto-completes 24 hours after their confirmation and you're paid anyway. If the buyer never confirms, use "Delivered — no PIN? Report it" so our team can follow up.

Why is my withdrawable balance lower than my completed sales?

Three reasons:

1. Platform fee — about 5% per sale is taken before the money lands in your wallet.
2. Recent completed orders — your latest sales are in the ~7-day maturity hold (shown as "maturing"), not yet withdrawable.
3. Past withdrawals already taken — the withdrawable balance is what's left after past withdrawals.

Check the Insights tab for a breakdown.

A buyer paid but the order is "stuck" in Paid for hours. What do I do?

The buyer paid; you got the notification. From their side it shows Paid; from your side it shows Paid. The order is yours to fulfill. The clock is running on your 48-hour dispatch window.

Acknowledge the order, prepare the item, mark Dispatched when you hand it over. Don't wait for the order to "advance" automatically — the advance is on you.

Do I have to use Pesapal? Can I just take MoMo directly?

No. KampalaSnap's escrow exists because direct MoMo creates two problems: buyers have no protection if you don't deliver, and you have no protection if they claim they paid but didn't. Pesapal escrow protects both sides.

Sellers who try to redirect buyers to direct MoMo (text them on WhatsApp saying "send to this number instead") violate our community guidelines and get suspended on first complaint.

What's next

• Setting up delivery — get the delivery options dialed in.
• The path to verification — unlock the affiliate program, withdrawals, and verified perks.