Viewing Fee Safety
How AkiliStay protects your money when you pay to view a property
Last updated: March 2026
In Ghana, viewing fees are common in real estate — but they can also be a source of fraud. At AkiliStay, we have built a multi-layered protection system to ensure that when you pay a viewing fee, your money is safe, the business is accountable, and you have full control over the outcome.
Escrow Protection
When you pay a viewing fee on AkiliStay, the money does not go directly to the business. Instead, it is held securely in an escrow account managed by our payment partner, Paystack.
How the escrow flow works:
- 1.You request a viewing and the business accepts your request.
- 2.You pay the viewing fee through Paystack. The money is held in escrow — the business cannot access it.
- 3.The viewing takes place at the scheduled date and time.
- 4.After the viewing, both you and the business confirm whether it happened.
- 5.Based on both confirmations, the money is either released to the business or refunded to you.
At no point does the business receive your money before the viewing is mutually confirmed.
Both-Party Confirmation
After the scheduled viewing date, both you (the visitor) and the business are asked to confirm whether the viewing actually took place. Each party has two options:
What happens based on the responses:
| You say | Business says | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Happened ✓ | Happened ✓ | Payment released to business |
| Did Not Happen ✗ | Did Not Happen ✗ | Full refund to you |
| Happened ✓ | Did Not Happen ✗ | Full refund to you |
| Did Not Happen ✗ | Happened ✓ | Flagged for admin review |
| No response | No response | Full refund to you |
| Happened ✓ | No response | Payment released (you confirmed satisfaction) |
| No response | Happened ✓ | You get 24-hour extension to respond |
| Did Not Happen ✗ | No response | Full refund to you |
| No response | Did Not Happen ✗ | Full refund to you |
The system is designed so that if the business admits the viewing did not happen — for any reason — you are always refunded automatically. No dispute needed.
Verified Businesses Only
Not just anyone can charge a viewing fee on AkiliStay. To protect you from unverified operators, we require businesses to pass our verification process before they can enable viewing fees on their properties.
Business verification required
The business must submit valid identification, business registration documents, and pass our review process.
Clean fraud record
Businesses with a history of viewing fraud strikes are automatically blocked from charging viewing fees.
Active account in good standing
Suspended or inactive businesses cannot charge viewing fees.
Fraud Detection & Strike System
We actively monitor businesses for patterns of viewing fraud. When a dispute is resolved in your favour, the business receives a fraud strike. Strikes have real consequences:
First strike — Warning
The business receives a formal warning via email and in-app notification.
Second strike — Final warning
The business is notified that one more strike will result in viewing fees being disabled.
Third strike — Viewing fees disabled
Viewing fees are automatically disabled on all of the business's properties. They can no longer charge for viewings.
Five strikes — Account suspension
The business account is suspended entirely for repeated viewing fraud.
We also monitor each business's dispute rate. If more than 20% of a business's viewings result in disputes (after a minimum of 5 viewings), their viewing fee capability is automatically paused pending review.
Cancellation & Refunds
Cancel 24+ hours before viewing
You receive a full 100% refund. No questions asked.
Cancel less than 24 hours before viewing
You receive a 50% refund. The business reserved time and resources for your visit.
Business cancels the viewing
You always receive a full 100% refund automatically, regardless of timing.
Viewing did not happen
If both parties confirm the viewing did not take place, or if the business admits it, you are refunded automatically.
Dispute Resolution
If there is a disagreement between you and the business about whether the viewing took place, the payment is flagged and our admin team steps in to review the case.
How disputes work:
- 1.If you and the business disagree (you say it didn't happen, they say it did), the payment is automatically flagged.
- 2.You can also open a formal dispute case with a specific reason (property doesn't exist, condition mismatch, business no-show, safety concern, etc.).
- 3.Both parties can submit evidence and messages. The business has a chance to respond.
- 4.Our admin team reviews the case and makes a decision — either refunding you or releasing the payment to the business.
- 5.If the case is resolved in your favour, the business receives a fraud strike (see above).
Common reasons to open a dispute:
- Property does not exist or is not as advertised
- Property condition does not match the listing photos
- Amenities listed are missing or non-functional
- Price discussed differs from the listing price
- Business or agent did not show up
- Safety concern during the viewing
Important Timelines
48-hour confirmation window
After the scheduled viewing date and time, both parties have 48 hours to confirm whether the viewing happened.
24-hour extension for flagged payments
If the business claims the viewing happened but you haven't responded, you get an extra 24 hours to confirm or dispute before any action is taken.
Email reminders
We send you reminders: on the day of the viewing, 2 hours after the scheduled time, and 12 hours before the confirmation deadline expires.
Your Rights as a Viewer
You have the right to a full refund if the viewing does not take place for any reason.
You have the right to open a dispute if the property does not match its listing, the business does not show up, or you feel unsafe.
You have the right to cancel at any time before the viewing, with a refund based on the cancellation policy above.
You have the right to submit evidence (photos, messages, screenshots) to support your dispute case.
You have the right to know that only verified businesses can charge viewing fees on AkiliStay.
Your money is never released to the business without your confirmation or a fair review process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I forget to confirm after the viewing?
We send you multiple email reminders. If neither you nor the business responds within 48 hours, the payment is refunded to you — we do not auto-release money when both parties are silent.
What if the business says the viewing happened but it didn't?
The payment is flagged for admin review. You get an extra 24 hours to respond. Select "Did Not Happen" or open a formal dispute with evidence. Our team will investigate and make a fair decision.
Can any business charge a viewing fee?
No. Only businesses that have completed our verification process and have a clean fraud record can enable viewing fees. Businesses with 3 or more fraud strikes are permanently blocked from charging viewing fees.
How long does a dispute take to resolve?
Our admin team aims to review and resolve disputes as quickly as possible. During the review, your money remains safely in escrow.
What if I had a bad experience but the viewing did happen?
If the viewing took place but the property was misrepresented (wrong photos, missing amenities, different price), you can open a dispute case with the specific reason. Our team will review the evidence.
Have questions about viewing fees or need help with a dispute?