Escrow & Payment Hold Policy

Effective Date: July 21, 2026 Version: 2.0.0

1. What is Escrow?

When a buyer pays for an order on Ventrix Marketplace, the payment does not go directly to the merchant. Instead, the funds are held in a secure escrow account managed by Ventrix. This holding period is called the escrow period. The purpose of escrow is to ensure that buyers have the opportunity to inspect their order and raise any concerns before the merchant receives payment.

Escrow is a standard consumer protection mechanism. It protects buyers from receiving goods that do not match their order, and protects merchants because payment is guaranteed once delivery is confirmed.

2. When Does the Escrow Period Begin?

The escrow hold period begins automatically the moment an order is marked as completed. An order is considered completed when the merchant enters the customer's valid 6-digit delivery verification code into the Ventrix dashboard, confirming that the customer has physically received the order.

3. How Long is the Hold Period?

The duration of the escrow hold depends on the merchant's verification status and their subscription plan:

• Unverified merchants (any plan): 36 hours from the time the order is completed.
• Verified merchants on the Free plan: 24 hours.
• Verified merchants on the Plus plan: 12 hours.
• Verified merchants on the Pro or Custom plan: 6 hours.

Merchant verification is carried out by the Ventrix team and involves confirming business identity, bank account ownership, and compliance with our Merchant Agreement. Merchants can apply for verification through their dashboard. Once approved, the shorter hold period is applied to all future completed orders.

4. What Happens After the Hold Period?

Once the escrow hold period has elapsed, the disbursement becomes eligible for settlement. Ventrix administrators review eligible disbursements and initiate payouts to the merchant's registered bank account or mobile money number. Merchants should allow up to 3 business days from the end of the hold period for funds to appear.

Ventrix does not automatically push payouts the moment the hold expires. Merchants can check their Payouts dashboard to view the current status of any pending disbursements.

5. Can the Hold Be Extended?

Yes. In the event of a customer complaint, a reported dispute, or suspected fraudulent activity, Ventrix may extend the hold on an order's escrow funds indefinitely while the matter is investigated. Merchants will be notified by email when a hold is extended. Funds on extended hold will only be released once the dispute is resolved.

6. Payment Processing Fee

A payment processing fee of 1.95% of the order total is charged by our payment gateway partner at the time the customer's payment is processed. This fee is deducted from the gross order amount before the merchant's payout is calculated. It is non-refundable under all circumstances, including cancellations, refunds, and disputes, because the payment gateway charges this fee regardless of the final outcome of the transaction.

7. Auto-Cancellation and Partial Refunds

If an order remains in a shipped or ready-for-pickup state for 14 consecutive days without the customer providing a delivery verification code, the order will be automatically cancelled:

• The merchant retains their product, as no delivery was completed.
• The customer receives a refund equal to the original order total minus the 1.95% payment processing fee.
• The merchant's escrow disbursement is cancelled and no payout is issued for that order.
• Both the customer and merchant receive notification emails explaining what happened.

8. Contact and Questions

If you have questions about a pending disbursement or believe an escrow hold has been applied incorrectly, contact us at support@ventryman.com with your order number. We will investigate and respond within 3 business days.