How we keep your money safe

How funds move

When a buyer pays, the M-Pesa payment goes into our escrow holding — not to the seller. The funds stay there until one of two things happens: the buyer releases them after confirming delivery, or a dispute resolution determines where they go. The seller can see the payment is locked but can never touch it early.

M-Pesa integration

Payments are collected via M-Pesa STK push — the same secure prompt you use for any Lipa na M-Pesa payment. Releases are paid out to the seller's M-Pesa immediately on confirmation. There are no M-Pesa transaction charges for users; paybill costs are on us.

Private transaction links

Each order generates two separate links:

• Buyer link — controls the funds: release, dispute, extend. This link is the key to the money — it's shown once and must be kept private.
• Seller tracking link — view-only: status, amount, deadline. It cannot move funds.

Anyone holding the buyer link can release payment, so we warn every buyer never to share it — including with the seller.

Action & security protections

• CSRF-protected actions — every status change requires a valid session token, blocking forged requests.
• Duplicate-action prevention — actions are logged and re-submissions are rejected, so a payment can't be released twice.
• Atomic status updates — release uses database row locking, so funds can't be double-released even under race conditions.
• Immediate notifications — every payment, release, dispute and extension triggers SMS & WhatsApp alerts to both parties.

Disputes

If delivery fails or the item isn't as agreed, the buyer raises a dispute from the escrow page. The order freezes, our team contacts both parties on WhatsApp, reviews evidence (chats, receipts, delivery proof), and the outcome determines where funds go — including refunds where warranted. Neither party can move the money on their own: a disputed payment leaves escrow only through a decision by our team.

Transaction limits & fees

Transactions from KSh 50 up to KSh 240,000 (seller receives) are supported — keeping the buyer's total within the KSh 250,000 M-Pesa limit. A small escrow service fee applies — always displayed before payment. See pricing.

Transparency

Every order carries a complete record: parties, amounts, status history, and timestamps. Buyers and sellers both receive SMS & WhatsApp notifications at every step — nothing happens silently.

Contact

Questions or a problem with a transaction? Reach us at info@kenyaescrow.com, +254 703 301 870, or WhatsApp support.