How to take Whish payments for online orders

Many people in Lebanon already send money with Whish from their phone. For a shop, that makes it the natural way to take payment before delivery: the customer needs no card, you need no merchant account, and the money reaches you before the parcel leaves.

The flow itself is simple. What goes wrong is usually not Whish but the steps around it: unclear amounts, screenshots taken at face value, refunds sent to the wrong number. This guide describes the general flow and the habits that keep it safe. For anything about accounts, fees or limits, the source is Whish, so check the current conditions with Whish before you rely on them.

When to ask for Whish

You do not have to ask for payment up front on every order. Whish works best for:

• made-to-order and personalised items
• orders going far from you, where a refused parcel costs a full trip
• larger orders
• customers who refused a cash on delivery parcel before
• customers who simply prefer to pay first

Plenty of shops offer both: cash on delivery for regular items, Whish for the cases above. Whatever your rule, write it in your store and in your policies so customers know before they order.

Before you start

• Decide which account receives payments. Ideally one used only for the shop, so shop money does not mix with family transfers. Ask Whish which kind of account suits a business and what they need from you.
• Make the name match. The customer sees a receiver name when they pay. If it is your personal name and your shop is called something else, say so in your instructions ("our Whish account is in the name of Rana K.") so nobody stops halfway, worried they are paying the wrong person.
• Check fees and limits. Ask Whish for the current fees and any limits that apply to your account, and decide whether you absorb the fee or include it in your prices.
• Pick your currency. Decide whether you take Whish payments in USD, in LBP or both, and say it every time.

The payment flow, step by step

1. The customer places the order in your store, or confirms it with you on WhatsApp.
2. You send the payment details in one message. Your Whish number, the receiver name, the exact amount including delivery, the currency, and the order number so the customer can mention it.
3. The customer pays from their Whish app.
4. The customer sends proof, usually a screenshot of the completed transfer.
5. You check your own Whish account and find the matching incoming payment. This is the real confirmation, not the screenshot.
6. You mark the order as paid, tell the customer, and prepare the parcel.
7. You keep a record of the order number, amount, date, sender name and transaction reference.

How to read a proof screenshot

A screenshot is a clue, not a payment. Use it to find the transaction in your own history, then compare:

• Amount and currency. Exactly what you asked for, in the currency you asked for.
• Receiver. Your number and your name, not a similar one.
• Date and time. After the order was placed, not an older transfer.
• Reference. A transaction reference you can match in your own history.
• Sender. The name of the person who paid. If a relative paid for the customer, note it on the order.

If you cannot find the payment in your own account, the order is not paid yet, whatever the screenshot shows. Tell the customer politely that you will ship as soon as the payment appears.

Mistakes that cost shops money

• Sending a rough amount. "Around $45" invites $40. Always send the exact total, delivery included.
• Mixing currencies. A customer pays in LBP when you expected USD, at a rate you never agreed on. State the currency every time.
• Two orders, one payment. If a customer pays for two orders at once, write it on both orders before you forget.
• Partial payments. If a customer pays part of the total, write the balance on the order and agree how it will be paid (the rest by Whish, or the rest in cash at delivery).
• Shipping on a promise. "I'll send it tonight" is not a payment. Ship when the money is in your account, or switch the order to cash on delivery.

Scams to watch for

Most customers are honest. The few who are not tend to use the same tricks.

• Edited screenshots. The amount, date or name changed in an image editor. The only defence is checking your own account, every single time.
• Reused screenshots. A real transfer from last month, sent again for a new order. Check the date and the reference.
• The overpayment story. "I sent $100 by mistake instead of $10, please send back $90." Check your account first. Never send money back for a payment you cannot see.
• Pressure. "The driver is already at my door, I paid, just let him hand it over." Urgency is a reason to slow down, not to skip the check.
• Fake support messages. Someone claiming to be from Whish who asks for a code, a password or a verification message. Never share these with anyone. If in doubt, contact Whish through its official channels.

Refunds, done cleanly

Returns and cancellations happen. A clean refund is part of why people come back.

• Refund to the same Whish number that paid, unless the customer asks otherwise in writing.
• Refund the amount you agreed, and say in writing whether the delivery fee is included.
• Note the refund on the order, with the date and the reference, so your totals stay right.
• If the refund is partial (one item returned out of three), say which items it covers.
• Put the rules in your returns policy: when refunds are possible, how long they take, and whether you offer an exchange or store credit instead.

A short policy you can adapt

Customers trust rules they can read before they pay. Something like this, adjusted to your shop, is enough:

"We accept Whish and cash on delivery. For made-to-order items and deliveries outside our usual zones, we ask for payment by Whish before shipping. Send the exact amount to the Whish number shown at checkout, then send us the screenshot with your order number. We ship as soon as the payment appears in our account. Refunds go back to the Whish number that paid."

Where Mahallat fits

In a Mahallat store, Whish is part of the checkout. The customer picks Whish, sees your Whish number, your name and the exact amount, pays from their Whish app and uploads the proof. You get a notification on your phone, check your account, and confirm the payment from the order in one tap.

There are no transaction fees on any Mahallat plan. The money goes from your customer to your Whish, and Mahallat never touches it. See payments for the details, and our guide to cash on delivery for the other half of the story.