How Bandobast protects your payment

Why not just pay the vendor?

Most families in Lahore have heard at least one story about an advance that vanished. A caterer takes a deposit months ahead, then the phone stops being answered. A decorator turns up with half the flowers. Once the money is in someone's personal account, getting it back means chasing them, and that usually happens in the busiest weeks of your life.

Bandobast sits in the middle so that never has to happen. The vendor knows the money exists and is waiting for them, which is enough to commit to your date. You know the money is not theirs to spend until they have delivered. Both sides have a reason to keep their word.

How does paying through Bandobast work?

Once you accept an offer, the booking appears on your booking page with the total and the advance needed to lock the date. Each vendor sets their own advance share, and you see it before you pay. Then:

• Send the amount from your own bank app to the Bandobast account shown on the booking page.
• Upload the screenshot of the transfer and its transaction ID.
• Our team checks it against our bank statement and marks it verified.
• The booking page shows what you have paid, what is waiting on a check and what is left.

You can pay the rest in one go or in parts before the event. Every transfer you report stays on the booking page with its status, so you never have to dig through WhatsApp chats to remember what you sent.

When does the vendor get paid?

In stages, so the vendor can prepare without you paying for work that hasn't happened. The booking page shows each step:

• When the booking is confirmed, a first part goes to the vendor, so they can buy what your event needs.
• When the vendor arrives on the day and checks in from their phone, a second part is released.
• About two days after the event, the rest is released, unless you report a problem first.

If something goes wrong, tap "Something went wrong?" on your booking page any time from the day of the event until that last part is released. We hold whatever hasn't been paid out, look at the chats and call recordings, talk to you both and settle it: the vendor is paid, part of the money comes back to you, or all that's held comes back.

What if I need to cancel?

Every vendor shows their cancellation policy on their profile before you book, so read it before you send any money. If you cancel from your booking page, we return what we hold for you according to that policy. Some vendors keep part of the advance when you cancel close to the date, because they turned down other work for you. That is fair, and it is why the policy is shown up front.

If the vendor cancels or declines, the money you paid for that booking comes back to you. You can then post a fresh request from the request page and get new offers for the same date.

What should I do if a vendor asks me to pay them directly?

Say no, and tell us. A vendor might offer a small discount for cash or a direct transfer. It can sound harmless, but the moment the money goes to them, it leaves our protection. If the event goes wrong, we cannot return money we never held.

Vendors agree to take payment through Bandobast when they join, so a direct-payment request breaks their own terms. You can report it from the booking chat. Families who pay outside Bandobast also lose the right to leave a verified review for that booking, because reviews only come from bookings that ran through the platform.

Does Bandobast charge families a fee?

No. Posting a request, comparing offers and chatting with vendors is free for families. Vendors pay a registration fee, a monthly plan while they are active and a commission on completed bookings. You can read more about how vendors are charged on the vendor page.

If you are new to how offers come in, read how name-your-price offers work next. It explains the step before payment.