Escrow Payment Policy

Purpose of Escrow

Sinnapi's escrow system is designed to protect both Clients and Vendors by holding payment funds securely until the terms of a Booking have been fulfilled. Sinnapi acts as a neutral escrow agent and does not earn interest on held funds.

How Escrow Works

• The Vendor proposes an advance schedule with their quotation, stating what percentage of their fee is released before the event and how many days beforehand.
• The Client accepts that schedule explicitly before any payment is taken.
• The Client pays the agreed amount plus the platform transaction fee and the payment processing fee into Sinnapi's escrow account.
• Sinnapi confirms receipt and notifies the Vendor of the confirmed Booking and secured payment.
• On the agreed date before the event, Sinnapi releases the advance instalment to the Vendor. The balance remains held.
• The Vendor delivers the agreed services on the date and terms specified in the Booking.
• The Client confirms satisfactory delivery through the Platform.
• Sinnapi releases the balance to the Vendor within 3–5 business days of confirmed delivery.

Escrow Fees

Sinnapi charges a platform transaction fee on all escrow-processed bookings, together with the fee charged by the payment provider. Both are added to the amount agreed with the Vendor rather than deducted from it: the Client pays the agreed amount plus these fees, and the Vendor receives the amount agreed with the Client in full. Every component is itemised before the Client confirms payment, and the applicable rates are displayed on the Platform at sinnapi.com/pricing.

Fund Release Conditions

Funds shall be released to the Vendor upon occurrence of any of the following:

• The agreed advance date is reached, in respect of the advance instalment only.
• The Client confirms satisfactory service delivery through the Platform, in respect of the balance.
• The confirmation window elapses after the event without the Client confirming or raising a dispute, in which case the Booking is referred to Sinnapi for review before any balance is released.
• Sinnapi resolves a dispute in the Vendor's favour.

Refund Conditions

Funds shall be returned to the Client upon occurrence of any of the following:

• The Vendor cancels the Booking before the event date.
• The Vendor fails to deliver the agreed services without a valid reason.
• Sinnapi resolves a dispute in the Client's favour.
• Both parties mutually agree in writing to cancel the Booking.

What is returned depends on the reason for the refund. Where the Vendor is at fault — cancellation, non-delivery, or a dispute resolved in the Client’s favour — the platform transaction fee is refunded alongside the Vendor’s fee. Where a Booking is cancelled at the Client’s election, the platform transaction fee is retained. The payment processing fee charged by the payment provider is recoverable only where that provider reverses it.

A refund can only draw on funds Sinnapi is still holding. Where an advance instalment has already been released to the Vendor under the schedule the Client accepted, any amount owed beyond the funds still held is recovered from the Vendor and is subject to Sinnapi’s dispute resolution process.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations are subject to the following schedule:

Dispute Resolution Process

If a Client raises a dispute within 48 hours of the event date, the following process applies:

• Client submits a dispute via the Platform with supporting evidence (photos, communications, receipts).
• Sinnapi notifies the Vendor and allows 5 business days for the Vendor to respond.
• Sinnapi reviews all evidence and makes a determination within 10 business days.
• Funds are released to the prevailing party within 3–5 business days of the determination.
• Either party may appeal Sinnapi's decision within 7 days. The appeal decision is final.

Force Majeure

In the event of circumstances beyond the reasonable control of either party — including but not limited to natural disasters, government restrictions, civil unrest, or pandemic — Sinnapi reserves the right to hold escrow funds until the situation is resolved and will work with both parties to reach a fair resolution.

Currency and Exchange

Payments are processed in Ugandan Shillings (UGX) for Uganda-based transactions. International transactions may be processed in USD or other supported currencies as displayed on the Platform. Currency exchange rates are determined at the time of transaction. Sinnapi is not responsible for exchange rate fluctuations.

Security of Funds

All escrow funds are held in a dedicated, segregated account separate from Sinnapi’s operating funds. Sinnapi will not use escrow funds for any purpose other than as described in this Policy. Funds are protected by bank-grade security protocols.