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Escrow comparison

Kudu, Alibaba Trade Assurance, Escrow.com, TradeSafe — which one actually protects a group order?

All four lock money until delivery is confirmed. Only one of the four can do it for a group of buyers pooling a single order: Kudu. Here's the comparison, line by line.

Provider Fee KYC friction Disputes Group orders
Kudu 0.5% (min €1, max €25) Standard, built for Europe and Africa Resolved in-app, funds frozen while a dispute is open Yes
Alibaba Trade Assurance Free Standard Alibaba account Often resolves in the seller's favour No
Escrow.com Published, tiered fee schedule Sometimes rejects non-US identity documents Funds can get stuck in 'reviewing payment' for weeks No
TradeSafe Insurer-backed fee schedule (South Africa) Built for the South African market Not publicly detailed No

Comparison based on each provider's published terms and publicly reported user feedback — always check current rates and terms before choosing.

Why it's different

Non-custodial escrow, built for more than one buyer.

Alibaba Trade Assurance, Escrow.com and TradeSafe all protect one buyer and one seller — a single pair. None of the three can lock the shares of several buyers pooling the same order, then split the payout separately to the supplier, the organiser and the platform once delivery is confirmed.

Kudu locks funds on-chain (Stellar), not in a proprietary internal ledger — so the money is never in Kudu's hands, only held until the agreed terms are met. It's the same mechanic protecting a cross-border group order today as protects a single deal between two strangers.

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Frequently asked

Answers to the common questions.

Is Alibaba Trade Assurance safe to use?
It's free and does offer basic protection, but coverage is capped, disputes often resolve in the seller's favour, and it only covers a single buyer and seller — there's no support for pooled or group orders.
Is Escrow.com safe to use?
Escrow.com is a licensed provider, but users report funds getting stuck in a 'reviewing payment' state for weeks and KYC checks that reject non-US identity documents — a real friction point for African and European buyers.
How is Kudu different from these escrow providers?
Kudu's escrow is non-custodial — funds are locked on-chain (Stellar), not held in an internal ledger — treats both sides symmetrically, and is the only one of the four that supports pooled, multi-buyer group orders alongside single-deal escrow.
Does Kudu charge more than these providers?
Kudu's escrow costs 0.5% of the amount (minimum €1, maximum €25), shown before you fund it — additional fees only apply if a dispute is filed. Compare that against each provider's own published fee schedule for your deal size.
Which of these providers actually supports group or pooled orders?
Only Kudu. Alibaba Trade Assurance, Escrow.com and TradeSafe are all built for a single buyer and a single seller — none of them can hold and release funds for a group of buyers pooling one order.

Try an escrow built for more than one buyer.

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