How it works
One account. Every service. Payment held until the job is done.
HubCart brings commerce, transport, rentals and work into a single application. This page explains the two things that make that safe to use: how your money is handled, and how one account can be a customer and a business at the same time.
How your money is handled
When you pay for something on HubCart, the money does not go straight to the seller, the driver or the host. It is held by HubCart until the job is confirmed, which protects both sides: you are not exposed before delivery, and they are not exposed to non-payment.
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You pay
Choose what you want and pay by M-Pesa or card. Every charge is itemised before you confirm, including the M-Pesa transaction fee, so there is no figure you did not see.
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We hold it
The money sits in escrow. The seller is told to prepare the order, the driver is dispatched, or the host's calendar is booked - but nobody has been paid yet.
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You follow it
Track the order or the trip as it happens, and message the driver or the seller from inside the job rather than swapping phone numbers and hoping.
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It is confirmed
You check what arrived - the items, the meal, the condition of the vehicle - and completion is recorded by the parties involved.
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Everyone is paid
Escrow releases. The seller receives the price they set, the driver receives the transport, and every movement is written to a wallet statement with its date and reason.
Where escrow applies, and where it does not
Held in escrow
Goods, food, rides, inter-city travel, equipment and vehicle hire, and short stays. Anything you pay for through HubCart is held until the job is confirmed.
Not held, by design
Long-term property rental. Those listings introduce you to the owner and you arrange rent directly with them, so no money passes through HubCart and there is nothing for us to hold. We charge the owner to advertise, and take no commission on your rent.
The simple test: if you are paying HubCart, the payment is in escrow. If you are paying a landlord directly, it is not - and you should never send a deposit for a property you have not seen.
What you can do
Shop products
Everyday goods, wholesale quantities and bundle deals from shops, farms and suppliers nationwide. Delivery is priced by distance and load, itemised before you pay.
Order food
Eateries and kitchens near you, with live menus and their own trading hours, so you only see places that are open. Follow the order from the kitchen to your door.
Rideshare
A boda or a car, on demand. See the fare estimate before you confirm, drop a precise pin if your pickup has no street address, and follow the trip live.
Vehicle market
Cars, pickups, tractors and heavy machinery from private sellers and dealers. Sellers can attach the paperwork buyers ask for, and anything a seller has not had verified is labelled as such.
Property rentals
Rooms, houses, land and commercial space. Ask the owner about lease terms or request a viewing in the app, free of charge, then deal with them directly.
Short stays
Book a furnished place by the night from a host's own calendar. The nightly rate, cleaning charge, minimum stay and cancellation terms are all shown before you pay.
Equipment hire
Construction plant, farm tools and vehicles for a set period. The condition is photographed at handover and at return, so a disagreement has evidence behind it rather than two opinions.
Road travel
Reserve specific seats on inter-city trips, see the vehicle and operator before booking, and board with a scannable pass. Cancel before departure and the refund is worked out per seat.
Jobs and talent
Job openings with the commitment, level, salary range and deadline stated up front - or list your own skills in the talent pool for contract and casual work.
One account, as many roles as you need
Everyone joins as a customer. Adding a role is how you start earning, and it is additive: you never lose the account you already use to shop, and your wallet and history stay where they are.
Roles that open immediately
Supplier, eatery, equipment and car rental, and property or short-stay host. Apply and the workspace appears on your dashboard - making a seller wait for no reason helps nobody.
Roles we check first
Driving. It needs your licence, insurance and a valid NTSA inspection certificate reviewed by our team, because that role carries passengers and cargo. If your vehicle already holds a valid NTSA certificate, that is what we ask for - there is no second paid inspection.
If something goes wrong
Raise it on the order
A problem is reported against the job itself, not into a general inbox. That creates a record and routes it to the team responsible, tracked against a response time.
Refunds come back the way they went out
An approved refund returns to the M-Pesa number that paid, or to your HubCart wallet. Partial refunds are worked out against what was actually collected, and every step appears on your statement.
Full detail, including what happens to rewards on a refunded order, is in the help centre.