❓ Before you trade

Selling to a foreign buyer for the first time: how do I know the money is there before I ship?

You do not ship on a promise, a PO or a bank letter you cannot verify. You ship when the money is already held somewhere the buyer cannot pull it back from.

The exporter's version of going first is shipping against a promise: a purchase order, a "payment sent" email, a bank letter from a bank you cannot call. The goods leave, the money does not arrive, and the goods are now in a port on another continent. The only safe trigger for shipping is money that is already held, by someone who is not the buyer, and that releases to you on the condition you agreed.

The order that protects an exporter

  1. 1Agree what releases the payment: shipping documents, or a passed inspection, or delivery. Write it down.
  2. 2The buyer funds the escrow with the full amount (in USDT or another crypto on iEscrow). You see it locked. Until this, you do not produce or ship anything you cannot afford to keep.
  3. 3You ship and upload the documents. The buyer confirms, or the condition is met, and the escrow releases to you. If the buyer goes silent after delivery, the trade does not stay frozen; after the window, a delivered stage releases.
  4. 4If the buyer claims the goods are not as agreed, an arbiter decides on the description and the evidence.

Signs the buyer is not a buyer

What this does not replace: your own due diligence on the buyer, and the shipping terms (Incoterms) you agree. Escrow holds the money; the contract defines the delivery.
Was this article helpful?

Related articles

I paid and the seller won't release my crypto. What now?
What you can do when you already sent the money and the other side went quiet, is asking you to cancel, or says the payment never arrived.
The buyer sent a screenshot but the money isn't in my account. Do I release?
No. The only payment that counts is money you can see in your own account, for the exact amount, from the person you are trading with.
Which payment methods can be reversed after you sell crypto (and why PayPal and Venmo aren't on iEscrow)
Crypto leaves and does not come back. The danger for a seller is a fiat payment that can be pulled back weeks later. Here is which rails can do that.
Buying USDT from someone on Telegram or WhatsApp without getting scammed
The problem is not the chat app. The problem is paying a stranger first. Here is how to take that same deal somewhere the crypto is locked before you pay.
Still have questions?
The support team is here to help.
Contact support