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Escrow is the safest way to buy and sell online in Nigeria. Here's exactly how it works, step by step — with a real Nigerian example.
Escrow is a financial arrangement where a trusted third party holds payment from a buyer until specific conditions are met. In online shopping, this means: your money is held safely by ZaeloHub until you confirm you received exactly what was promised.
Let's use a real example. Emeka wants to buy an iPhone 14 Pro from Tunde (a seller in Lagos). The price is ₦350,000.
If Emeka discovers the phone has a cracked screen inside the box (not disclosed), he raises a dispute within 7 days. ZaeloHub's dispute team reviews evidence and issues a full refund to Emeka. Tunde's account is flagged.
ZaeloHub charges a 2% escrow fee from the seller. Buyers pay no fees. This means ZaeloHub's interest is always aligned with buyers — we only earn when sellers fulfil orders successfully.
If Emeka doesn't confirm or dispute within 7 days, ZaeloHub automatically releases payment to the seller. This prevents buyers from holding sellers' funds indefinitely. You always have 7 full days to inspect.
Yes. Escrow payment services are legal in Nigeria. ZaeloHub's financial operations are powered by Flutterwave and Paystack, both licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). ZaeloHub acts as a licensed agent holding funds on behalf of both parties.
ZaeloHub charges a 2% fee from the seller only. Buyers pay zero fees. For a ₦100,000 transaction, the seller receives ₦98,000 after ZaeloHub's 2% (₦2,000) commission.
No — the seller cannot access funds until the buyer confirms delivery, or 7 days pass without a dispute (auto-release). This protects buyers completely.
ZaeloHub's dispute resolution team targets 48–72 hours for standard cases. Complex cases involving physical inspection or police reports may take up to 7 business days.
Yes. Even for in-person handovers in Lagos, Abuja, or other cities, escrow still applies. The buyer pays into escrow, meets the seller, inspects the item, then confirms delivery via the app to release payment. Never pay cash at meetups.