TradeSafe Payment Gateway for WooCommerce

TradeSafe provides an escrow payments-based solution that integrates seamlessly with your existing WordPress store.

With an average documented cart abandonment rate of 70%, it’s reported that many South Africans are becoming fearful when buying online. TradeSafe bridges this trust gap by ensuring customers only release funds once they’ve received what they paid for, increasing purchase confidence and improving conversion rates.

What sets TradeSafe apart is that we sit between payment and delivery — securing funds until the transaction is successfully completed, while still providing a seamless checkout experience.

Merchants have the flexibility to choose between escrow-secured payments or express payments, depending on their operational requirements and risk appetite. At checkout, customers will see either the TradeSafe or Relay branding, depending on whether escrow-secured or express payment flow is selected.

The TradeSafe plugin includes payment gateways namely Ozow (Instant EFT), Visa/Mastercard, PayJustNow (Buy Now Pay Later), SnapScan, RCS, Diners Club, and normal EFT, with many more to come.

Now incorporating Relay for direct settlement — improving cash flow, speeding up payments, and simplifying reconciliation across supported payment methods.

The plugin also includes support for paying multiple vendors when using the Dokan plugin.

How it Works

• At checkout, the customer chooses to pay using TradeSafe.
• Based on your configuration, the transaction follows either an escrow-secured flow (TradeSafe) or an express payment flow (Relay).

• The customer is directed to a payment page where they select their preferred payment method (EFT, Instant EFT (Ozow), Card, SnapScan, RCS, Diners Club, or Buy Now Pay Later (PayJustNow)).

• For express payments (Relay):

• Payment is processed and settled directly to you.

• The order is marked as PROCESSING and fulfilment begins immediately.

• For escrow-secured payments (TradeSafe):

• Once payment is successful, the order is marked as PROCESSING and delivery is kicked off.
• When delivery has been completed, the order moves to a DELIVERED state.
• TradeSafe notifies the customer via email and SMS to confirm whether the order was received as expected.
• If confirmed, funds are released to you, and/or your vendors if trading in a multi-vendor setup.
• The customer has 24 hours to respond. If no response is received, funds are automatically released.
• If the customer is unhappy, they can raise a dispute. The transaction is placed on hold, allowing you to resolve the matter in line with your return policies.
• No refund will be processed without your consent. TradeSafe manages refunds on your behalf.
• Customers must submit a material complaint with supporting evidence. Non-material or frivolous complaints will result in funds being released to you.

[3.0.0](https://github.com/tradesafe/woocommerce/compare/v2.22.2…v3.0.0) (2026-03-27)

Features

• Added inital work for relay payment method (#54) (a7a0f4)