How payments work
on Snapitup.
You pay Snapitup. Snapitup pays the seller after delivery is confirmed.
That's the whole model in one sentence. Below — how it works, why it works, and why we chose this shape over the more familiar word.
The flow
Every Snapitup transaction is two transactions wearing a trench coat — one from you to Snapitup, one from Snapitup to the seller.
Buyer pays Snapitup
Stripe (card), DigiWallet, Atlantic Bank transfer, or Ekyash. Every route lands the money in Snapitup's account. The seller doesn't see your card, your bank, or your address.
Courier picks up + delivers
EZ Delivery, Tropic Air Cargo, or Belize Water Taxi collects the item from the seller and brings it to you. The seller never has your address, you never share theirs.
Snapitup pays the seller
After the courier confirms delivery + a short dispute-resolution window (24h–7 days, depending on the seller's track record), Snapitup pays the seller from its own balance.
Your contract is with Snapitup
Legally, you bought the item from Snapitup. The seller is invisible to you. If anything goes wrong — wrong item, broken on arrival, never showed up — you talk to us, we sort it out. Refunds come straight from Snapitup's balance, not from chasing a seller who's gone quiet.
Snapitup is your buyer
You're not chasing a buyer's bank transfer or hoping the cash they handed you isn't counterfeit. Snapitup is your counterparty. You hand the item to a courier, the buyer accepts it, and Snapitup pays you on a predictable schedule. If the buyer files a chargeback against Snapitup, that's our problem, not yours.
Why we don't call this "escrow"
Escrow in Belize is a regulated banking activity — running an escrow service requires a licence and a substantial capital deposit with the Central Bank of Belize. Snapitup doesn't hold that licence and doesn't intend to.
Instead, we use a different legal shape: Snapitup buys the item from the seller and resells it to the buyer in the same transaction. Same buyer protection, same seller protection — different legal structure. It also keeps Belize ecommerce competitive without having to wait for fintech licensing reform.
Frequently asked
Where does my money go?
Straight to Snapitup's account with the payment provider (Stripe / DigiWallet / Atlantic Bank / Ekyash). It does not sit in a separate trust account; Snapitup is the party you paid.
What if I want a refund?
Open a dispute within 48 hours of delivery. If the item never arrived, the refund is automatic. Refunds come from Snapitup's balance — we don't have to chase the seller for the money.
What if the seller cancels?
Your card was never charged after pickup if the seller doesn't confirm. If Snapitup already paid and the seller backs out, Snapitup refunds you in full.
How long until the seller is paid?
Depends on the seller's tier: 7 days for new sellers, 48 hours for verified sellers, 24 hours for trusted sellers — all measured from when the courier confirms delivery. This is a dispute-resolution window, not a custody-of-funds period.
Is this the same as PayPal Goods & Services?
Mechanically similar — you pay a platform, the platform settles with the seller. The legal shape differs because Belize regulates these models differently than the US/EU. The user-facing effect is the same: you're protected by your contract with Snapitup, not by hoping the seller behaves.