How to get verified as a seller

The steps

1. 1

   On Home, tap Verify

   The ID sheet opens.

2. 2

   On a computer, scan the code to use your phone’s camera

   Or carry on where you are.

3. 3

   Pick your ID, check your name, and add the number

   Use a national ID or a passport. We keep its last four digits and a one-way fingerprint of the number. We never keep the number itself.

4. 4

   Take a photo of the front of your ID, then one of you holding it

   For a national ID, we ask for the back too. You can skip it.

5. 5

   Check it and send it for review

   A person reviews it. We usually reply within a day.

Buyers see the green Verified seller mark once two things are true. Your ID is approved, and your payouts go to an account in that same name.

The playlist

1. 1How to add your first product
2. 2How to share your product link on WhatsApp and Instagram
3. 3How to add your WhatsApp number
4. 4How to set delivery areas, fees and pickup
5. 5How to get paid to your M-Pesa
6. 6How to get verified as a sellerThis video
7. 7How to change your branding with a headline, look and logo
8. 8How to send a paid order with a rider
9. 9How to run an offer and send it to your email list

Questions

Do I have to get verified before I can sell?

No. You can sell from day one. Online payments wait until your ID is approved. Then M-Pesa prompts and payouts begin.

What do you keep from my ID?

We keep the kind of ID and the name on it. We also keep its last four digits and a one-way fingerprint of the number. This way, one ID cannot be used for several businesses. We delete the photos once a person has reviewed them.

Does getting verified help with pay on delivery?

Yes. A new business can have up to five cash orders waiting at a time. One cash order also has a top amount. Both limits grow once your ID is approved. They grow again once your payout account is checked.

When will buyers see the Verified seller mark?

Once your ID is approved and your payouts go to an account in that same name. Buyers tap it to see what was checked.

Read next

• How to change your branding with a headline, look and logo
• Your online duka
• Sell jewellery online in Kenya