How CartFlow works
Shop together with clear commitments, transparent costs, and dependable fulfilment records. We do not publish savings percentages or delivery guarantees without measured evidence.
Step 1
Create or join a group
A coordinator starts a Group Cart and invites households. Joining with an invite code adds you as a participant — it does not expose payment records or other households’ private details.
Step 2
Select the shopping cycle
Each Living Cart runs in cycles with a configured timezone (pilot default Africa/Nairobi), order cut-off, payment deadline, and fulfilment window.
Step 3
Add household items
You edit your household’s lines until cut-off. Coordinators can override with an audit trail. You cannot change another household’s allocation by accident.
Step 4
Review costs and commitments
See merchandise subtotal, disclosed fees, delivery or collection charges, your household amount due, group total, cut-off, and expected fulfilment window before you confirm.
Step 5
Pay according to configured rules
Households pay their own share, or the coordinator pays for the group — not both for the same obligation. A phone prompt or browser success screen is not confirmed payment; CartFlow waits for the licensed PSP callback.
Step 6
Close, pack, deliver or collect
After cut-off, confirmed demand is locked with price snapshots. Operators pack by household, record shortages, and complete delivery or collection with proof of handover.
Step 7
Resolve exceptions and reorder
Shortages, substitutions (per your preference), missed collections, and refunds follow explicit programme policies — the coordinator is not silently liable for another household’s unpaid share.
Common questions
Who can see and change items?
Participants see the shared cart and their own household totals. Only your household (or a coordinator with audited override) can change your allocation before cut-off.
When do orders become commitments?
When you confirm your allocation and the cycle locks at cut-off. Locked prices and quantities are snapshotted so later catalogue changes cannot rewrite history.
How does payment work?
CartFlow is not a bank, payment institution, escrow provider, or lender. Contributions and settlements are processed by licensed payment service providers. Balances shown are ledger views over PSP-held or PSP-processed funds.
What if goods are unavailable?
Your substitution preference applies: no substitution, ask first, or accept an alternative within an authorised limit. Adjustments are recorded audibly against the confirmed order.
How are delivery and collection arranged?
The programme sets delivery, collection, or hybrid mode with a window and (where applicable) a collection point. Tracking uses configured fulfilment records — not invented transport partnerships.
How are disputes and refunds handled?
Raise an issue from your order. Refunds use the configured PSP path when credentials and policy allow. PIP refunds remain unavailable until that rail is production-ready; wallet reversals apply when Daraja initiator credentials are set.