How ArcardeMall works
Buying here works the way buying in the market works, with one difference: the money waits until the goods arrive.
1. Buying, step by step
- Find what you needBrowse by category, search, or open a vendor’s store page. Prices are in Ugandan shillings and include what the vendor charges, not a converted figure.
- Add to cart and choose deliveryPick delivery to your address or collection from a pickup point. Delivery is priced by district before you pay, not estimated afterwards.
- Pay with mobile money, card or on deliveryMost orders are paid into escrow, which means the vendor is not paid until you confirm the goods arrived. Cash on delivery is available where the vendor offers it.
- A rider collects and deliversA registered boda-boda rider picks the order up and brings it to you, usually the same day within Luweero District.
- Confirm with your delivery codeYou give the rider a one-time code from your account. That code is what releases the money to the vendor, so nothing is paid out for a delivery that did not happen.
2. What escrow actually means here
When you pay for an order, the money goes to the platform’s escrow account rather than to the vendor. The vendor can see that the order is paid and can therefore dispatch it with confidence — but cannot withdraw the money.
The delivery code closes the loop. The rider needs it from you to mark the delivery complete, and that completion is what releases the payout. If the goods never arrive, the money never moves. If they arrive and are wrong, the dispute happens while the funds are still held rather than after they have gone.
Not every vendor sells under full escrow — some settle directly, at a lower commission and with no platform guarantee. The protection level is shown on the store page before you order, and buyer protection sets out exactly what each level covers.
3. Selling and delivering
Opening a store takes a form and an approval that usually clears within a day. What it costs, and how the commission changes with the settlement tier you pick, is on the pricing page; the steps are on open a store.
Riders register the same way and take assigned deliveries from the rider dashboard. Payment is per completed trip, and completion means the buyer handed over their code — the same event that pays the vendor.
Questions buyers ask
- How long does delivery take?
- Within Luweero District, usually the same day for orders placed before mid-afternoon. Outside the district it depends on the route; the estimate is shown before you pay.
- What if the item is wrong or damaged?
- Raise it from the order in your dashboard. While the order is in escrow the money has not reached the vendor yet, which is what makes a refund straightforward rather than a negotiation.
- Do I need a smartphone?
- To buy, yes — the marketplace is a website and works in any modern mobile browser. You can sign in with your phone number and a one-time code rather than a password.
- Can I pay cash?
- Yes, where the vendor offers cash on delivery. You pay the rider on handover. Escrow protection does not apply to a cash order, because there is nothing for us to hold.
- Is there a fee for buying?
- No. Buyers pay the item price and the delivery fee. The platform’s commission comes out of the vendor’s side.