Escrow Coming

Paid now. Released on delivery.

Name: PediWave Escrow
Brand: PediWave

Your buyer pays by bank transfer, QR or cash at an agent, with card and USSD coming. The money is held in escrow, not in your balance, and released to you gate by gate when the buyer approves or the agreed condition is met.

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Escrow is coming to PediWave. Talk to sales to plan your launch.

Escrow

ESC-7RT2 · Acme Stores

₦85,000

Paid by Ada Obi · Gate: Received as described · Policy: mutual vote

Paid 12 Nov, 10:42 Bank transfer Paid
Held ₦85,000 in escrow Not in the seller's balance Held
Delivered 14 Nov, 16:05 Seller claimed: Delivered, POD 77821 Claimed
Released 14 Nov, 18:20 Ada Obi approved by SMS code Released

Acme Stores balance In escrow ₦0 Released ₦85,000, less the escrow fee

Illustrative. A ₦85,000 order paid by transfer, held in escrow, claimed as delivered and released when the buyer approved.

Protection for the buyer. Certainty for the seller.

Escrow gives each side the one thing they need before they will trade with a stranger.

For the buyer	For the seller
Your money is held until you approve or the agreed condition is met.	You know the money is paid and held for you before you ship.
You see the terms, the gates and the dates before you pay, and they cannot change after.	You cannot be reversed outside the agreed process: release, refund or a case.
You can approve or object from any phone: a link, an SMS code or at an agent, with USSD coming.	Large jobs are paid in stages, as each milestone is approved.
If something is wrong, you object and a case team decides on the evidence.	Buyers who would not pay you in advance can pay you now.

How escrow works.

1
Set the gates and the terms.

Split the order into one or more gates, each with a name, an amount and a date, and choose how each gate is released. The gates add up to the order.
2
The buyer pays on a real rail.

Bank transfer, QR or cash at an agent, with card and USSD coming. The buyer reads and accepts the terms first. The money goes into escrow, and your dashboard shows it as in escrow.
3
You claim, the buyer approves.

When a gate is met, you claim it with a reason and evidence. The buyer approves or objects. Under some policies an attestor or a deadline decides.
4
The gate is released to you.

The released amount, less the escrow fee, joins your balance and is paid out on your usual settlement schedule.

Four ways to release a gate.

Choose one per escrow. The buyer sees it in the terms before paying.

mutual_vote Default

The buyer says yes.

Released when: you claim the gate and the buyer approves it.

Buyer protection: nothing moves without the buyer's yes. A no becomes a case.
1. Seller claims
2. →
3. Buyer approves
4. →
5. Released
payee_claim_with_window

Silence releases, after notice.

Released when: you claim the gate and the buyer does not object within the challenge window, for example 48 hours.

Buyer protection: the buyer gets the notice by SMS or email with a link to object. Allowed only when the buyer's phone or email has been proven.
1. Seller claims
2. →
3. Notice sent
4. →
5. 48 h, no objection
6. →
7. Released
attested

An independent party confirms.

Released when: a named third party, such as an inspector, a courier or a school, attests that the gate is met.

Buyer protection: every attestor is checked for independence. An attestor connected to the seller cannot release a gate alone; the buyer must also approve.
1. Attestor confirms
2. →
3. Independent?
Yes → Released No → Buyer approves → Released
auto_release

The date passes without an objection.

Released when: the gate's due date passes and the buyer has not objected.

Buyer protection: the same objection link, and the due date must be far enough away to give the buyer time.
1. Due date
2. →
3. No objection
4. →
5. Released

When silence cannot count. If we cannot prove we can reach the buyer, a claim-with-window or auto-release escrow becomes a mutual vote when it is funded, and the escrow record shows why. The same applies to a seller barred from silent release after too many objections. Checkout asks the buyer to confirm their phone with a one-time code, so the policy you chose can stand.

Read the release rules

Two votes on every gate.

A gate closes when both sides agree. When they disagree, it becomes a case.

Two votes on every gate
Seller	Buyer	Result
Claims it is done	Approves	Released to the seller
Agrees to a refund	Confirms the refund	Refunded to the buyer, no case
Claims it is done	Objects	Disputed : a case is opened
Agrees to a refund	Approves the release	Disputed : a case is opened
Claims it is done	Silent past the window	Released , under claim with a window or auto release only
Either side has not voted yet		Waiting for the missing vote

A seller's refund vote never refunds on its own: the buyer confirms, or the gate goes to a case.

Illustrative. Escrow offered as one option at Checkout; the buyer accepts the terms before paying.

Escrow at checkout

Let cautious buyers choose protection.

Offer escrow next to transfer and QR. A buyer who has never bought from you picks "Escrow-protected", then pays by transfer or QR, with card and USSD coming. A regular customer pays you directly. Or make escrow the only option for an order. You decide who pays the escrow fee.

Escrow at Checkout ↗

Escrow ESC-3MW9 · Attested

Acme Stores · Solar installation

₦3,000,000

Client: Chiamaka Eze · Attestor: Lekki Inspections (independent)

₦1,200,000 released · ₦1,800,000 held

1 · Panels delivered₦1,200,000 Released Attested by Lekki Inspections, 3 Nov
2 · Installation complete₦1,200,000 Awaiting attestation Requested 18 Nov
3 · System commissioned₦600,000 Pending Due 15 Dec

Illustrative. A three-stage project; each stage is released when an independent attestor confirms it.

Milestones

Big jobs, paid stage by stage.

Split a project into gates, one for each milestone, and name an independent attestor, such as a site inspector, to confirm each one. When the attestor confirms, that stage is released and the rest stays held. The client can still object to any stage within its window, which opens a case.

Milestones and attestors ↗

Lekki Agent 14 · Till 2

Held in escrow

₦85,000

Ref ESC-7RT2

Paid in cash · Buyer phone confirmed

Slip printed

PEDIWAVE ESCROW RECEIPT       ESC-7RT2
Paid to     Acme Stores
Paid by     Ada O. · 0801***5678
Amount      NGN 85,000.00
Escrow fee  Paid by seller
Funded      12 Nov 2026 10:42
Agent       Lekki Agent 14
Gate 1      Received as described
            Due by 19 Nov 2026
APPROVE     reply YES 482915 to 3366
            or at this agent's counter
OBJECT      reply NO 482915 <reason>
            to 3366

Track

Funds stay in escrow until you approve
or the case is decided.
Keep this slip. Never share the code
before you receive the goods.

Illustrative. Cash paid into escrow at an agent; the slip carries the buyer's approval code and is the buyer's copy only.

At an agent

Pay cash into escrow. Approve at the counter.

A buyer brings the escrow code and cash to an agent. The agent's POS confirms the buyer's phone with a one-time code, takes the cash into escrow and prints an escrow slip. When the goods arrive at the same agent, the buyer inspects them and approves at the counter. Buyers can also pay by transfer or QR on the same POS, with card and USSD coming. The agent takes the payment but is never a party: it cannot claim, approve or release.

Escrow at an agent POS ↗

Illustrative. A single-use escrow link; terms are shown and accepted before payment.

Escrow links

No website? Send a link that pays into escrow.

Create a link for the item, the price and the gate, and share it in a chat. The buyer opens it on any phone, reads the terms, confirms their phone and pays on any rail you allow. You both get the escrow reference, and you can follow it from "awaiting your claim" to "awaiting buyer" to released.

Escrow links ↗

3366: Acme Stores says 'Received as described' is done. Reply YES 482915 to release ₦85,000 or NO 482915 to object by 19 Nov 18:00.

YES 482915

Released. Ref ESC-7RT2.

Link: tap Approve in the notice or on the escrow page
SMS code: reply YES or NO with the code
USSD (coming): dial, pick the escrow, enter the code
Agent counter: the agent types the code you give
Escrow slip: codes printed on your copy

Illustrative. A buyer on a feature phone releases a gate by SMS.

Approvals

Every buyer can approve, from any phone.

When you claim a gate, the buyer gets a notice with a single-use code. They approve or object by tapping a link, replying to an SMS, giving the code to an agent at the counter, or using the slip from their cash payment, with USSD approval coming. Each code works for one gate and one phone, and locks after five wrong tries. You never see it.

Link
SMS code
USSD Coming
Agent counter
Escrow slip

Approval channels ↗

Nobody can quietly take the money.

Six rules built into escrow, for buyers, sellers and anyone reviewing them.

Sellers cannot release their own escrow.

Only the buyer, an independent attestor, the buyer's silence after a proven notice, or the case team can release a gate. No seller key can approve, vote for the buyer or release.

Silence counts only after a proven notice.

Silent release needs a proven phone or email for the buyer. Without it, the escrow becomes a mutual vote and says why.

Attestors are checked.

Each attestor's connection to the seller is classified. A connected attestor cannot release a gate alone.

Terms are fixed before payment.

The terms and their version are shown and stamped before the buyer pays. Gates cannot be changed once the escrow is funded.

Escrow is never spendable balance.

Money in escrow shows as in escrow. Payouts, transfers and sweeps cannot draw on it until a gate is released.

Approval codes go only to the buyer.

Six digits, single use, bound to one gate and the buyer's phone, locked after five wrong tries. Never sent to the seller, never in webhooks or logs. An agent can type a code it is given, never fetch one.

Security & compliance

Every ending is defined.

The buyer never pays.

An unpaid escrow expires like any payment request. Nothing was held, so nothing needs undoing. Before funding, you can also cancel it.
The order is cancelled after payment.

You vote to refund and the buyer confirms. The money goes back down the rail it came from. A buyer who paid cash gets a cash-out code to collect it at an agent.
The two sides disagree.

The gate becomes a case. Both sides' evidence is kept, and the case team decides: release to the seller or refund to the buyer.
Nobody acts.

An escrow with no activity past the dormancy limit is flagged and, where your terms say so, returned to the buyer. A release that fails to post is retried automatically.

One escrow fee, and you decide who pays it.

Escrow adds a fee to the normal price of the rail the buyer pays on.

Who pays: You or the buyer, set per escrow. If the buyer pays, Checkout shows the fee before they choose escrow.
When it is taken: From each gate as it is released to you. Nothing is charged to your balance while money is held.
Agent payments: When an agent takes cash into escrow, the agent's commission is paid from the escrow fee at funding, not from the buyer's money.
Minimums: Minimum amounts and fees per currency are shown in your dashboard's escrow settings.

See pricing

Build escrow

One block on a payment intent.

Add escrow to payment_method_types and describe the gates. The buyer still pays on a real rail.
The intent succeeds when the escrow is funded; your balance moves only when a gate is released.
Claim a gate with a reason and evidence. Your key can never approve or release.
Follow every step with escrow.* events, signed like every other webhook.

Get a test key Escrow docs

1 Create 2 Claim 3 Webhook

const intent = await pediwave.paymentIntents.create(
  {
    amount: 8500000, // ₦85,000.00 in kobo
    currency: "NGN",
    payment_method_types: ["escrow"],
    escrow: {
      required: true,
      funding_methods: ["bank_transfer", "qr", "agent_cash"], // card and USSD: coming
      gates: [{ name: "Received as described", amount: 8500000,
                due_at: "2026-11-19T18:00:00Z" }],
      release_policy: "mutual_vote",
      fee_bearer: "merchant",
      terms: { text: "Funds are released when you approve…", version: "2026-10" },
    },
  },
  { idempotencyKey: "order-A-2207" }
);

const escrow = await pediwave.escrows.claimGate(
  "esc_01J9ZQ…",
  "gate_01J9ZQ…",
  {
    reason: "Delivered, POD 77821",
    evidence: "file_01J9ZR…", // uploaded proof of delivery
  }
);

// escrow.gates[0].status === "awaiting_payer"
// The buyer is notified with approve and object options.

POST /webhooks/pediwave
PediWave-Event-Type: escrow.gate.released
PediWave-Signature: t=1763144400,v1=0c1b9d…

{
  "type": "escrow.gate.released",
  "data": { "object": {
    "id": "esc_01J9ZQ…", "object": "escrow",
    "status": "released", "held": 0, "released": 8500000,
    "gates": [{ "name": "Received as described",
      "status": "released",
      "votes": { "merchant": "approved", "payer": "approved",
                 "payer_channel": "sms_code" } }]
  } }
}

Shapes from the API reference. Amounts are in kobo. Approval codes never appear in webhooks.

Questions about escrow

Who holds the money while it is in escrow?

It sits in a dedicated escrow account, separate from your balance and from the buyer. It is shown in your dashboard as in escrow, and it cannot be paid out, transferred or swept until a gate is released. Released money joins your balance and settles on your usual schedule.

Can a seller release the money themselves?

No. A seller can claim that a gate is met, or agree to a refund. Only the buyer, an independent attestor, the buyer's silence after a proven notice, or the case team can release a gate.

What happens if the buyer never responds?

It depends on the policy in the terms. Under a mutual vote, silence never releases money, and an unanswered gate can be escalated to the case team. Under a claim with a window or auto release, the gate is released once the window or the date passes without an objection, but only if the buyer's phone or email was proven; otherwise the escrow runs as a mutual vote.

What if the buyer says the goods are wrong?

The buyer objects with a reason and the gate becomes a case. Both sides' evidence is kept, and the case team decides whether to release the money to the seller or refund the buyer. If you agree the buyer should be refunded, you can vote to refund and the buyer confirms, with no case.

Can buyers without a smartphone or bank account use escrow?

Yes. A buyer can pay cash into escrow at an agent and receive a printed slip, then approve or object by replying to an SMS with their code or at the agent's counter. Approving by USSD is coming.

Which payment methods can fund an escrow?

Bank transfer, QR and cash at an agent, where the rail allows escrow funding. Card funding, once our PCI DSS certification completes, and USSD are coming. Escrow is switched on per business and currency, and you choose the funding methods for each escrow.

What does escrow cost?

An escrow fee is added to the price of the rail the buyer pays on, and you decide whether you or the buyer pays it. See Pricing for current rates, or talk to sales about volume.

Can a marketplace use escrow for its sellers?

Yes. Escrow works on payments taken on behalf of a seller, and your platform fee and splits are applied when each gate is released, not when the buyer pays. See Platforms & marketplaces.

Is escrow available now? (Coming)

Escrow is coming to PediWave. Create an account to build with the rest of the API today, and talk to sales if you want to plan an escrow launch.

Take the order today. Get paid on delivery.

Create an account in minutes, or talk to us about escrow for your platform.

Get started Talk to sales

Paid now. Released on delivery.

Protection for the buyer. Certainty for the seller.

How escrow works.

Set the gates and the terms.

The buyer pays on a real rail.

You claim, the buyer approves.

The gate is released to you.

Four ways to release a gate.

The buyer says yes.

Silence releases, after notice.

An independent party confirms.

The date passes without an objection.