Order glossary
Each definition stands on its own and assumes none of the others have been read.
Holding the money
Escrow. Holding an order payment so neither side can take it unilaterally until the transaction concludes.
Multisig. An address needing more than one signature to move funds. A two of three arrangement is held by buyer, vendor and platform separately, so no single party can spend.
Auto release. The timer that releases escrow to the vendor if a buyer neither confirms nor disputes. It runs whether or not anybody is watching.
Ending an order
Finalise early. Confirming receipt before goods arrive. Releases the payment and closes the dispute route in the same action.
Dispute. A submission asking the platform to decide the outcome. Opening one pauses the release timer.
Arbitration. The staffed process that reads both submissions against the platform record and decides.
Partial outcomes
Partial refund. Returning part of the payment where part of the order was delivered correctly. Usually the proportionate outcome.
Reship. A vendor sending again rather than refunding. A second timeline instead of money back.
Money movement
Confirmation. A block added on top of the block containing a transaction. Platforms wait for several before crediting a deposit.
Network fee. What the chain charges to move a transaction, paid to miners rather than to the platform, which cannot waive it.
Balance. Funds held on the platform outside any order. In no contract and protected by nothing.
Timing
Handling time. How long the vendor takes to dispatch after payment clears. It describes the interval before the parcel moves, not the delivery, and confusing the two produces most avoidable disputes.
Transit. The carrier interval after dispatch. Domestic transit is measured in days and reasonably predictable. Anything crossing a border adds a stage nobody controls.
Escrow window. The period between funding and automatic release, inside which a buyer can still confirm or dispute.
Two pairs people mix up
Escrow and balance are not the same thing. Escrow holds money attached to an order under a contract requiring multiple signatures. A balance is money on the platform under no contract at all, and the difference is the difference between protected and exposed.\n\nA dispute and a complaint are also different. A dispute is a formal submission that pauses the release timer and reaches arbitration. A message expressing dissatisfaction does neither, however strongly it is worded.