The full loop, in plain English.
Your kid runs the listing. Two guardians, yours and the buyer’s, settle the sale between them, with Zibbo holding the money in the middle until everyone is happy. Your kid watches it all happen in their own app; they don’t take part in the offer conversation.
Your kid takes the photo and writes the listing
In their own app, on a plain background, the item only. No faces, no bedroom backgrounds, no school uniforms in shot. Your kid picks a category, writes a line, sets a price (minimum £1). The app nudges them if a face is detected or the description leaks personal info. This is their piece of Zibbo.
You approve the listing in the guardian app
You see the photo, the description, the price. You pick which delivery methods this item supports: Collection, Local delivery, UK postage, or any combination. You tap Approve and it goes live. If something is off, you edit it or reject it with one tap. Your kid sees the listing flip from Pending to Live in their app.
A buyer’s guardian makes an offer
Buyers see a clean price and the delivery options you allowed. They tap “Buy at listed price” or “Make an offer”. Offers land in your guardian app with a clear Accept / Decline / Counter panel. The offer conversation happens entirely between guardians. Your kid sees only that an offer came in and whether you accepted it.
On acceptance, Stripe charges the buyer
The buyer’s guardian pays via Apple Pay, Google Pay or card. Zibbo uses Stripe Connect to split the payment atomically: you as seller receive the bulk, Zibbo takes a small fee (5% under £20, 8% at £20+). The money is now held, not yet released.
The item is handed over
For Collection, the buyer’s guardian travels to your address (only shared after payment). For Local delivery, you drop it off. For UK postage, you have 5 business days to post with a tracked service and enter the tracking number in Zibbo.
The asymmetric timer starts: 72 hours, or 48 after delivery
For Collection or Local delivery, a 72 hour release timer begins the moment payment clears. For tracked postage, the 48 hour timer only begins when the carrier marks the parcel Delivered. Either way, the buyer can tap “Received & happy” to release instantly, or raise a dispute to freeze the money.
Money releases; your kid sees their balance go up
When the timer expires or the buyer confirms, funds transfer to your Stripe account. Your guardian payout runs weekly every Monday (or on demand with a small fee). Your kid sees a balance bump and a small celebration in their app. They never see the raw cash flow until you let it out.
Why the asymmetric timer?
Collection and Local delivery are quick. If a buyer was unhappy, they’d know within hours. So the 72 hour window starts at payment. Postage can take a week to arrive, and the buyer can’t judge an item they haven’t opened. So we wait for the carrier’s Delivered ping and then give the buyer 48 hours to flag a problem. Same trust, measured from the right moment.
Kid app vs. guardian app
What your kid does (in their app)
- Take the listing photos on a plain background
- Write the description and pick the category
- Set the price (with a gentle suggested range)
- Browse items and save favourites
- Watch listings go from Pending to Live to Sold
- See their own running balance tick up after each sale
What only you can do (in the guardian app)
- Approve or reject every listing before it goes live
- Accept, counter or decline offers
- Enter the address and set up Stripe payouts
- Raise disputes and access the dispute chat
- Release funds, request payouts, remove the account
Zibbo lives on your phone.
Download Zibbo on iPhone or Android. One app for your kid, one for you — both free.
No trackers. No ads. No account until you download.