Payment terms

When you book, Samia charges a real 50% advance — not a hold. The remaining 50% is collected the day before your event. Both payments are held by Samia in escrow and released to the venue after your event has taken place.

• The 50% advance is charged when your booking is confirmed.
• The remaining balance is charged the day before your event, with reminders beforehand.
• 30% of the booking value becomes available to the venue immediately, so they can start preparing.
• The rest is released to the venue after your event has taken place.

Nothing is charged before your booking is confirmed — an enquiry or quote costs nothing.

You can pay by mobile money — EVC Plus, ZAAD, or SAHAL — or by card. Payments are processed by WaafiPay.

Searching and booking is free for clients. Samia earns a commission from each booking, taken from the amount you pay through the platform — it doesn’t change the price you see when you book.

What happens to your money depends on what happens with the booking:

• Cancel: what's refunded follows the Cancellation & Refund Policy — a full refund more than 2 days before the event, 30% of the booking back within 48 hours, and the advance forfeited within 24 hours.
• Event goes ahead: the escrowed funds are released to the venue after your event has taken place, less Samia's commission.
• Something went wrong, or a cancellation is contested: the funds are frozen while we resolve it. See the Dispute Resolution Policy.

Escrowed and released funds are handled under those two policies, not on their own — this page just explains the mechanics of the money.

Payment involves the same three parties as the rest of our service:

• Samia holds and secures your funds in escrow, coordinates the booking, and earns a commission — but is not a bank.
• WaafiPay processes the transactions themselves.
• The venue delivers the service the payment is for.
• You, the client, provide accurate payment details and pay on time.

This mirrors the responsibility split in our Terms of Service.