Skip to content

Escrow contracts

Escrow contracts: agree the payment rules before you pay.

You and the other party agree the terms and sign. The buyer locks USDC in the contract. The contract releases the money to the seller when its conditions are met. You choose a mediator together, who can step in if you disagree. Kudu never decides a dispute.

  • You choose the mediator, a third party outside Kudu.
Contact us about a contract

Stories of people using contracts

Ousmane, importer in Dakar

He pays his supplier in Singapore in two parts, as the goods ship and arrive.

The payment waits in the contract, and each part is released when he confirms it.

Chiamaka, fashion designer in Lagos

She orders cloth from a workshop in Kumasi and pays when it arrives.

The terms are in the contract, and the contract releases the payment when she confirms the cloth has arrived.

Mireille, treasurer of a cocoa cooperative in Douala

She ships cocoa to a buyer in Antwerp, with the buyer's payment already waiting in the contract.

The contract releases the payment in two parts, when the buyer confirms the loading and the arrival.

Aïssatou, concept store owner in Paris

She orders furniture from a workshop in Abidjan, and the deal closes when both sides agree.

The order, the amount and the way it ends are written in one contract.

Wanjiru, web developer in Nairobi

She builds a site for a start-up in Berlin in three stages, and each stage is paid on its own.

The contract releases each stage when the start-up confirms it.

Nadia, natural foods importer in Montréal

She orders shea butter from a cooperative in Tamale and pays in two parts, as the lots ship and arrive.

She confirms each part, and the contract releases it.

Salimata, snack brand founder in New York

She buys cashew kernels from a plant in Abidjan and pays when the pallets arrive.

The plant ships with the payment waiting in the contract, and the contract releases it when she confirms the delivery.

Wangari, tea company owner in Nairobi

She sells packed tea to a distributor in Accra, with the payment waiting before she ships.

The contract releases the payment in two parts, when the distributor confirms the shipment and the arrival.

Story 1 of 8

How it works

Four steps.

  1. Agree the terms

    You and the other side sign the contract. Signing moves no money.

  2. Lock the money

    The buyer locks USDC in the contract on the Stellar network. The USDC stays locked while the seller delivers.

  3. Deliver and confirm

    The seller delivers. The buyer checks that the goods or the service arrived as agreed, and confirms.

  4. Release

    The contract releases the money to the seller when its conditions are met. If you disagree, the mediator you chose can step in.

What you decide in a contract

  • A mediator you choose

    Pick a third party you both accept. Kudu is not the mediator.

  • Release on your terms

    Pick how the seller gets paid: on delivery, in milestones, or by mutual agreement. The money moves when the rule is met.

  • Made for trade across borders

    Wholesale stock, vehicles, cross-border orders. Agree the terms in the contract, not in a chat.

Frequently asked questions

How does an escrow contract work?
You and the other party sign a contract. The buyer locks USDC in it on the Stellar network. The contract releases the funds when its conditions are met. You choose a mediator, a third party who is not part of Kudu. Kudu never decides a dispute.
Who is the mediator?
A third party you and the other party choose, outside Kudu. Kudu is not the mediator and never decides a dispute.
What does an escrow contract cost?
Kudu charges a fee at setup and a fee on each release. A mediator may charge a fee too. The app lists the fees before you confirm the setup.
What if the seller never ships?
Every deadline is written in the contract before you sign. If the seller has not proved shipping by that date, plus the delay written in the contract, the exit written in the contract applies. In a Simple contract, that exit is a refund of that part of the payment to the buyer.
Can the terms change after we sign?
Nothing changes unless both of you agree, by signature or by a rule you signed in advance.
Are there limits on escrow contracts?
The app refuses a contract when your country of residence is not accepted, or when the total is above the maximum amount of a contract.

Other products

Talk to us about a contract

Use the contact form to ask about an escrow contract.

Contact us about a contract