Merchant Guide

Caramel is open to individual entrepreneurs, registered businesses, restaurants, hotels, event organisers, salons, gyms, spas, and service providers of all sizes. All merchants must meet the following baseline requirements before listing.

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Hold a verified Caramel merchant account with a confirmed mobile number and email.
• Operate a legitimate business that provides a real product or service to customers.
• Have a valid payment disbursement account on file (MTN MoMo, Airtel Money, or bank account).
• Agree to and comply with this Merchant Guide and the Caramel Terms of Service.

All merchant applications are reviewed by the Caramel team before any listing goes live. Verification typically takes one business day. The documents required vary by merchant type.

Individual / sole trader

• National ID or passport.
• Mobile number and active email address.
• A brief description of your business and the products or services you intend to offer.

Registered business

• Certificate of registration or incorporation.
• Trading licence (where applicable).
• Business TIN (for VAT-registered merchants).
• Named contact person with a verified national ID.

Food businesses (restaurants, cafés, caterers)

• All documents above plus a valid health / food operating permit.
• Physical address of the premises where food is prepared.

Event organisers

• Business or individual ID as above.
• Venue booking confirmation or permission letter from the venue owner for each event listing.
• Relevant local authority permit where required by law.

The following business types and activities may not be listed on Caramel under any circumstances:

• Businesses operating without the legal licences required for their activity under Ugandan law.
• Sale of counterfeit, stolen, or unlicensed goods.
• Sale of controlled substances, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, or items that require special permits not held by the merchant.
• Financial services, money lending, or investment products (other than those offered in partnership with Caramel's licensed partners).
• Adult content of any kind.
• Gambling, betting, or related services.
• Businesses whose primary purpose is to collect personal data from customers for third-party use.

Every listing on Caramel must accurately represent what a customer will receive. Customers make purchasing decisions based on what they see — misrepresentation is the single largest cause of disputes, negative reviews, and merchant suspensions.

• Product descriptions must match the actual item sold — including brand, model, size, colour, condition, and any limitations.
• Menu items must reflect what is currently being served. Prices must be current.
• Hotel room types, amenities, and photos must match what guests will actually experience.
• Event listings must state the correct date, time, venue, and performer/speaker lineup.
• Service listings must describe exactly what is included in the price (e.g. whether a spa treatment includes products or just the service).
• Any terms that apply to the purchase — cancellation policies, delivery areas, minimum orders — must be clearly stated in the listing.

High-quality, authentic photos are mandatory on Caramel. Images must represent what the customer will actually receive — not an idealised, heavily edited, or stock version of it.

Minimum image requirements by merchant type

• Products: minimum 3 photos — hero shot, side/detail, and in-use or lifestyle context.
• Food & dining: minimum 5 photos — at least 3 dish photos and 2 venue or ambience shots.
• Events: minimum 2 photos — hero banner (1920×1080px minimum) and venue or performer image.
• Hotels: minimum 8 photos — 2 room photos, bathroom, view, and at least 2 amenity/common area shots.
• Beauty & wellness: minimum 4 photos — 2 work portfolio samples and 2 environment/premises shots.

• All images must be a minimum of 1200 × 900 pixels.
• Images must be authentic photographs of the actual product, venue, or service — not stock photos, downloaded images, or AI-generated content.
• Caramel reserves the right to remove listings with non-compliant images and request resubmission.

Prices and availability on Caramel must reflect reality at all times. Customers trust that what they see is what they will pay and receive.

• Prices displayed on Caramel must be the final price the customer pays — no additional charges that are not disclosed in the listing.
• Where a service charge applies (e.g. a restaurant cover charge), it must be stated clearly in the listing.
• Availability calendars for bookable services — restaurants, hotels, salons, gyms — must be kept up to date. Accepting bookings for unavailable slots is a serious breach of these guidelines.
• Price changes must be reflected on the listing immediately. Customers who have confirmed a booking or order at a stated price are entitled to that price.
• Promotional prices must be genuine — artificially inflating a price to create a false discount impression is prohibited.

The following may not be listed on Caramel regardless of the merchant's account status:

• Counterfeit, replica, or pirated goods — including clothing, electronics, software, or media.
• Products that infringe any third party's intellectual property rights.
• Any item or service that is illegal under Ugandan law.
• Alcohol sold directly to consumers without a valid liquor licence. (Restaurants and bars with valid licences may list alcohol as part of a meal or experience package.)
• Wildlife products or items made from protected species.
• Services that promise guaranteed medical, financial, or health outcomes.
• Any listing designed to mislead the customer about the identity of the merchant or the nature of the service.

Confirmed orders must be fulfilled promptly and completely. Customers who purchase on Caramel do so on the expectation that they will receive exactly what was described, on time.

• Acknowledge all orders within 4 hours of placement during business hours.
• Dispatch orders within the timeframe stated in your listing.
• Package products safely to prevent damage in transit.
• Confirm dispatch in the Caramel merchant dashboard — this triggers customer tracking notifications.
• Mark orders as fulfilled once the customer has confirmed receipt.
• Maintain accurate stock levels in your listing at all times. Do not accept orders for out-of-stock items.

Delivery

• If you offer delivery, clearly state your delivery area, estimated delivery time, and cost in your listing.
• For same-day delivery commitments: orders placed before your stated cut-off time must be dispatched that day.
• If you cannot fulfil an order for any reason, notify the customer and Caramel support immediately. Caramel will process a full refund to the customer. Unexplained non-fulfilment is treated as a breach of these guidelines.

A confirmed booking on Caramel is a commitment between you and the customer. Honouring it is a fundamental obligation and a condition of your right to list on the platform.

• Honour all confirmed bookings at the stated time, date, and location.
• Set and maintain accurate availability — do not accept bookings you cannot accommodate.
• Notify customers of any unavoidable changes (such as a temporary closure) as soon as possible through the Caramel messaging system.
• For restaurants: ensure the table or menu items booked are available at the stated time.
• For hotels: ensure the room type and amenities booked match what is received. Do not substitute inferior room types without customer consent.
• For beauty and wellness services: ensure the specific service and practitioner booked are available. If a substitution is necessary, notify the customer in advance.

Event organisers on Caramel accept specific obligations that arise from the public nature of events and the trust customers place in their ticket purchase.

• Events must run on the confirmed date, at the confirmed venue, with the confirmed lineup.
• If a performer, speaker, or key element of the event changes materially, customers must be notified immediately and offered a full refund.
• If an event is cancelled, Caramel will automatically refund all ticket holders within 5 business days. The organiser is responsible for any costs associated with the cancellation.
• Event access must be granted to all ticket holders — digital QR code tickets must be accepted at the door.
• Venue capacity must not be exceeded. Do not sell more tickets than the venue can legally accommodate.
• Maintain a way for ticketed customers to contact the event team on the day of the event.

Merchants are responsible for setting and clearly communicating their cancellation policies. Policies must be fair and must be stated in the listing before a customer confirms a booking or order.

Setting your cancellation policy

• Cancellation policies must be stated in plain language — not buried in fine print.
• Products: you may require customers to initiate returns within 24–72 hours of delivery for most categories.
• Restaurants: you may apply a no-show fee of no more than 50% of the reservation deposit for cancellations within 2 hours of the booking time.
• Hotels: non-refundable rates must be clearly labelled. Flexible rates must allow cancellation with at least 24 hours' notice.
• Events: tickets are generally non-refundable unless the event is cancelled by the organiser.
• Beauty & wellness: you may apply a partial charge for same-day cancellations.

Processing refunds

• Approve eligible refund requests within 24 hours of the customer's request.
• Do not delay, dispute, or deny refunds to which the customer is entitled under your stated policy.
• Caramel may process a refund directly on your behalf if you fail to respond to a legitimate refund request within 48 hours. This amount will be deducted from your next disbursement.

Responsive, professional, and honest communication is a core merchant obligation on Caramel. Customers trust Caramel merchants to respond promptly and transparently.

• Respond to all customer messages via the Caramel in-app messaging system within 24 hours on business days.
• Do not attempt to move communications off the Caramel platform to circumvent any policies or the escrow system.
• Be honest in all communications — do not make promises you cannot keep or misrepresent your products or capacity.
• If you cannot fulfil an order or booking, communicate this proactively before the fulfilment deadline — not after.
• If a customer has a legitimate complaint, engage with it constructively. Disputes that escalate to Caramel are more likely to be decided against merchants who failed to engage in good faith.

Caramel Escrow holds all customer payments and releases them to you only after confirmed fulfilment. This protects both the customer and you — it means customers can trust Caramel merchants and that disputed funds are handled fairly.

• Proceeds are disbursed to your nominated account (MTN MoMo, Airtel Money, or bank) within 1–3 business days of confirmed fulfilment.
• For products: disbursement is triggered when the customer confirms receipt or 24 hours after confirmed delivery without a dispute being raised.
• For bookings and services: disbursement is triggered when the customer confirms the service was received as described.
• Active disputes pause disbursement for the disputed transaction until resolved.
• Disbursements are made net of Caramel's commission and any applicable charges or deductions.

Accepting or soliciting payment from a Caramel customer outside the Caramel platform is strictly prohibited.

• You may not share your personal phone number, Mobile Money number, bank account, or any other payment details with customers for the purpose of completing a Caramel transaction outside the platform.
• You may not instruct customers to pay via WhatsApp, direct bank transfer, or any other channel outside Caramel.
• This prohibition applies whether initiated by you or the customer.

Caramel merchants are responsible for their own tax compliance. Caramel is not responsible for calculating, collecting, or remitting taxes on behalf of merchants, except where required by applicable law.

• VAT-registered merchants must ensure their Caramel listing prices are VAT-inclusive or clearly state that VAT is excluded.
• Caramel will provide a monthly sales summary to merchants upon request to assist with VAT filing.
• Merchants are responsible for declaring and paying income tax on proceeds received through the platform.
• Caramel may be required by Ugandan law to share transaction data with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) upon request.

Customer data shared with you through Caramel — including names, phone numbers, and email addresses — is provided solely to enable you to fulfil the specific order or booking. It may not be used for any other purpose.

• Do not add Caramel customers to marketing lists or contact them for any purpose other than fulfilling their specific order or booking.
• Do not share customer contact details with any third party.
• Do not retain customer personal data beyond what is reasonably necessary for the fulfilment.
• Comply with Uganda's Data Protection and Privacy Act in your handling of all customer data.

Caramel is a shared marketplace. Every merchant's behaviour reflects on the platform and on the broader community of merchants and customers. The following conduct is prohibited:

• Manipulating your own ratings or reviews — including soliciting fake positive reviews or reporting competitor listings in bad faith.
• Creating multiple merchant accounts, particularly to circumvent a suspension or to disguise a prohibited business.
• Using Caramel to drive traffic to a competing platform or to convert Caramel customers into direct customers outside the platform.
• Impersonating another business or using branding that could mislead customers about your identity.
• Harassment, threats, or abusive behaviour toward customers, Caramel staff, or other merchants.
• Any attempt to exploit system vulnerabilities, automate prohibited activity, or gain unfair advantages through technical means.

Caramel's review system is one of the most important trust signals on the platform. Merchants may not interfere with the integrity of reviews in any way.

• Do not offer incentives (discounts, free items, or payments) in exchange for positive reviews.
• Do not ask friends, family, or employees to post reviews for your business.
• Do not engage a third-party service to generate fake reviews.
• Do not threaten, pressure, or retaliate against customers who leave negative reviews.
• You may respond to reviews professionally and constructively through the in-app response feature.

Caramel uses a progressive enforcement system for most guideline breaches. The severity of the action taken reflects the seriousness and frequency of the breach.

Warning

A formal written warning is issued for a first minor breach. The warning details the specific breach and the corrective action required. Warnings remain on the merchant account for 12 months.

Strike

A strike is issued for a more serious breach or a repeated minor breach. Three strikes within 12 months result in automatic suspension. Merchants may appeal a strike within 14 days of issuance.

Temporary suspension

A temporary suspension prevents you from accepting new orders or bookings for a defined period. Existing orders and pending disbursements are managed on a case-by-case basis.

The following breaches result in immediate permanent termination of your Caramel merchant account, regardless of prior standing:

• Accepting off-platform payments from Caramel customers.
• Providing false, forged, or misleading verification or KYC documentation.
• Selling counterfeit, stolen, or prohibited goods.
• Systematic misrepresentation of products or services resulting in widespread customer harm.
• Harassment, threats, or physical intimidation of customers, other merchants, or Caramel staff.
• Deliberately manipulating the review system at scale.
• Any criminal activity related to your Caramel merchant account.

Upon permanent termination, pending disbursements may be withheld pending investigation and recovery of any outstanding customer refunds.

Merchants who receive a strike, temporary suspension, or termination may appeal the decision. Appeals must be submitted within 14 days of the enforcement action being communicated.

• Submit your appeal to appeals@caramel.ug with the subject line "Merchant Appeal – [your merchant ID]".
• State clearly what decision you are appealing and provide your grounds for the appeal.
• Include any relevant evidence: photos, transaction records, customer communications.
• Appeals are reviewed by a senior team member not involved in the original decision.
• You will receive a response within 5 business days of submitting a complete appeal.
• Caramel's decision on appeal is final.