JBOOKING · Effective: 1 May 2026 · Kenya
JBOOKING charges a KES 15 platform fee per booking. Vendor services are typically pay-on-arrival — no upfront service payment in most cases. This policy explains refunds for the platform fee and vendor subscriptions, and how M-Pesa reversals work in Kenya.
JBOOKING is a pre-booking platform — not a payment gateway. When you use JBOOKING, you are reserving a spot or ordering a service from an independent local vendor. The vendor provides the service; JBOOKING provides the technology to manage pre-orders and queues. Because of this, refunds involve two distinct parties: JBOOKING (for the KES 15 platform booking fee) and the vendor (for the service itself). This policy covers both.
JBOOKING charges a KES 15 platform fee per booking. This fee covers the cost of the booking infrastructure — the queue management, order confirmation, and real-time tracking that you get when you pre-order through the app. Refund policy for the KES 15 fee: • If your order is cancelled BEFORE the vendor begins preparing your service, JBOOKING will initiate a full KES 15 reversal via M-Pesa. • If your order is cancelled AFTER the vendor has started preparing (status: "Preparing" or later), the KES 15 fee is non-refundable. • If cancellation is due to a verified vendor failure (vendor closed without notice, vendor rejected your order), JBOOKING will refund the full KES 15 automatically.
For vendors who collect payment on arrival (most vendors on JBOOKING), you only pay the vendor directly when you pick up your order. No money is taken upfront for the service. In this case, there is nothing to refund — you simply do not collect if you cancel. For vendors who collect full payment via M-Pesa at order time (full-pay vendors): the refund is handled directly between you and the vendor. JBOOKING can assist in facilitating the dispute but is not liable for the vendor's service fee.
When JBOOKING initiates a refund of the KES 15 booking fee, here is what happens: Step 1: JBOOKING raises a reversal request with Safaricom M-Pesa within 24 hours of the cancellation. Step 2: Safaricom processes the reversal. Standard processing time is 3–5 business days. In most cases customers receive the reversal within the same business day. Step 3: You receive an M-Pesa SMS confirming the reversal (e.g. "Reversal of KES 15 from JBOOKING confirmed"). Important notes on M-Pesa reversals: • Reversals go back to the same M-Pesa number that made the original payment. • Safaricom charges no fee for reversals — you receive the full KES 15 back. • If you do not receive your reversal within 5 business days, contact us immediately (see Section 7). • JBOOKING cannot force Safaricom to expedite reversals. Timeline is determined by Safaricom's processing queue.
You can cancel a booking at any time through the JBOOKING app or by contacting us on WhatsApp at +254740469914. Cancellation timeline affects refund eligibility: • Cancel before vendor starts preparing → full KES 15 booking fee refunded • Cancel after vendor starts preparing → KES 15 non-refundable (vendor has already spent time) • No-show (you don't collect your order) → no cash refund; vendor receives credit for completed service We recommend cancelling as early as possible out of courtesy to vendors — they may have already set aside resources for your order.
If a vendor cancels or is unable to fulfil your order (e.g., they close unexpectedly or run out of supplies), JBOOKING will: 1. Notify you via the app immediately 2. Refund the full KES 15 booking fee via M-Pesa within 24 hours 3. Flag the vendor for review Repeated vendor cancellations may result in the vendor being removed from the JBOOKING platform.
Vendors pay KES 399 per month to be listed on JBOOKING (after the free trial month). Vendor subscription refund policy: • First month is completely free — no payment, no refund needed. • Monthly subscriptions are non-refundable once the billing month has started. • If a vendor cancels before the next billing date, the listing goes inactive at the end of the paid period. • If JBOOKING removes a vendor for platform violations, no refund is issued. • If JBOOKING terminates a vendor account due to our own error, a pro-rated refund for the remaining days of the billing month will be issued.
To request a refund: 1. WhatsApp: Send a message to +254 740 469 914 with your order number (found in the app) and reason for refund. 2. Email: Send to hello@jbooking.co.ke with "Refund Request" in the subject line. Include: • Your order number (format: JB-XXXX) • Your M-Pesa number • The amount you expect to be refunded • Brief reason for the refund We aim to respond to all refund requests within 4 hours on business days (Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm EAT).
If you believe a refund was processed incorrectly, or if you are in a dispute with a vendor, contact us on WhatsApp at +254740469914. We will investigate and mediate the dispute within 3 business days. JBOOKING acts as a neutral mediator between customers and vendors. We do not take sides, but we do review evidence (order records, payment confirmations, vendor status logs) to determine fair outcomes. Decisions made by JBOOKING in dispute resolution are final on matters related to the KES 15 platform fee. Service disputes between customer and vendor are ultimately resolved between the two parties.
JBOOKING may update this Refund & Cancellation Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the effective date below and notify active users via the app. Effective date: 1 May 2026 Last reviewed: 3 May 2026