Handing a parcel to a stranger is not something you can simply ask people to accept. Here are the six guarantees that frame the exchange, and how they work in practice.
Verified identities
Identity verification relies on an official document — national ID card, passport, residence permit or driving licence, African as well as European. It is required before publishing any ad, as a sender or as a traveller, and again to pay or withdraw funds. Every file is reviewed by the Peercel team.
In practice, the person you hand a parcel to — or whose parcel you accept — has committed their real identity. An unverified account can browse ads, but can neither send, nor carry, nor get paid.
Payment held in escrow until delivery
The sender's payment is taken as soon as both parties agree, but held by Peercel: it never moves directly between the two people. The traveller knows, before even travelling to the meeting point, that the money exists; the sender knows it will not leave without a delivery.
The release is triggered by entering the delivery code. The agreed amount, minus the fee displayed before acceptance, then lands in the traveller's balance, withdrawable by mobile money or bank transfer. If a dispute is opened, the funds stay locked for as long as it is investigated.
Single-use handover codes
Two codes frame the delivery: one at pick-up, before departure, the other at drop-off. The code is held by whoever receives the parcel and entered by whoever hands it over — so nobody can declare a handover that never happened on their own.
On arrival, the recipient receives their code by SMS, without needing to install the app. Entering it is the proof of delivery: that is what releases the funds.
A trust level you build up
Every member has a trust level built on completed deliveries, ratings received and their cancellation history. It is not a simple review average: it is earned over time, and cancellations and disputes bring it back down.
It is visible before every match, in both directions: the sender picks a traveller knowingly, and vice versa.
Encrypted in-app messaging
From negotiation to the meeting, conversations happen inside the app, with content encrypted server-side. You never have to share your phone number or home address before deciding to go ahead.
Messaging also keeps a record: if a dispute is opened, the team can rely on the conversation history. Any request to continue the conversation — or to pay — outside Peercel is a red flag.
Disputes arbitrated by a team
Parcel not handed over, damaged contents, a major delay: a dispute is opened from the delivery concerned, and the escrowed funds stay locked throughout the investigation.
The Peercel team reviews what both sides provide — message history, photos, entered codes — and decides: full refund, partial refund, or release of the funds to the traveller.
The transport rules
The guarantees protect those who play fair; these rules apply to everyone so they keep working.
Prohibited contents
Illegal or dangerous goods, perishables without suitable packaging, and cash are prohibited. The detailed list is in the terms of service.
The traveller's responsibility
The traveller must inspect the contents of the parcel before accepting it: they remain legally responsible for it during the delivery, including at customs.
Reporting a problem
Suspicious behaviour, a request to pay outside the platform or any attempt to bypass it should be reported from the app. Outside Peercel there is no escrow, no code and no recourse.