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How Smart Market works

Buying and selling with escrow, step by step.

Smart Market is a marketplace where every payment goes through escrow: the buyer pays Smart Market, not the seller, and the money is only released once the order is confirmed by both sides. Here is exactly what happens.

Buying

  1. 1

    Find a listing

    Browse categories, deals or search. Every listing belongs to a verified store with a public profile.

  2. 2

    Buy now

    Choose a quantity and pay with MTN Mobile Money or Orange Money. You approve the payment on your phone with your PIN.

  3. 3

    Smart Market holds the money

    The amount sits in escrow. The seller can see the order is paid but cannot touch the funds.

  4. 4

    The seller delivers

    The seller hands over or ships the item and confirms delivery in their dashboard.

  5. 5

    You confirm receipt

    Check the item, then confirm receipt in My orders. Only then is the seller paid.

Escrow, in plain words

Escrow means a trusted third party keeps the money while a deal is being completed. On Smart Market that third party is the platform itself.

Because both the buyer and the seller have to confirm before funds move, neither side can be cheated: a buyer never pays for something that never arrives, and a seller never delivers something that never gets paid.

Selling

  1. 1

    Create your account and store

    Sign up, verify your email, then open your store with a name, logo, location and contact details.

  2. 2

    Choose a plan

    Starter, Business or Premium — each plan gives you a number of listings for a period. Pay with Mobile Money.

  3. 3

    Publish listings

    Add photos, a price, a description and the condition. Business and Premium sellers can feature a listing in the hero.

  4. 4

    Deliver, confirm, get paid

    When an order is paid, deliver it and confirm. Once the buyer confirms too, the money lands in your wallet, ready to withdraw.

When something goes wrong

  • Either side can open a dispute while an order is paid and not yet completed.
  • A dispute freezes the order: nobody can confirm or release funds until Smart Market reviews it.
  • Our team looks at the evidence from both sides and either releases the money to the seller or refunds the buyer.

Payments and payouts

  • Buyers pay with MTN Mobile Money or Orange Money (Cameroon).
  • Sellers withdraw their wallet balance to their own Mobile Money number.
  • All amounts are in FCFA. Prices shown are the final prices.

How escrow works

Your payment stays protected until you receive your order.

Every purchase on Smart Market goes through escrow. Nobody gets paid until both sides confirm.

  1. 1

    You Pay

    Checkout with Mobile Money or Orange Money.

  2. 2

    Smart Market Holds Funds

    Your money is kept safe in escrow.

  3. 3

    Seller Delivers

    The seller ships or hands over your order.

  4. 4

    You Confirm

    You check the item and confirm receipt.

  5. 5

    Seller Gets Paid

    Funds are released to the seller's wallet.

Something wrong? Open a dispute and our team steps in.

Ready to sell?

Create your account, open your store and choose a plan — it takes about five minutes.