Example: order of €100 goods + €4.90 shipping (Farm Basic, online payment)
Today (pilot): cash and bank transfer
Until online payment is live, the customer pays cash on handover or by transfer directly to the farm. Money does not pass through HOFARO. Commission (pilot: 0 %) is invoiced monthly; later by SEPA direct debit. No pool, no waiting.
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Commission Basic / Plus / Pro | 8 % / 5 % / 3 % of goods value (excl. shipping) |
| Payment fee (PSP, Stripe/Mollie Connect) | approx. 1.5 % + €0.25 per transaction, passed on to the farm |
| Delivery and shipping fee | 100 % to the farm |
| Capture from customer | on farm confirmation (authorisation at order) |
| Auto-cancel | no confirmation within 24 h |
| Release | delivery + 48 h (fresh) / + 14 days (non-perishable) |
| Payout | weekly on Monday, SEPA, min. €10, statement PDF/CSV |
| Refund to customer | 5–10 banking days to the payment method; commission credited back pro rata; amount offset against the farm's next pool |
| Negative farm balance | offset against next payouts; invoiced after 60 days |
| Taxes | the farm invoices the customer (HOFARO generates it automatically in the farm's name); HOFARO invoices the farm for commission (19 % VAT) |
| Case | Deadline | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh goods spoiled, damaged, missing, wrong | 48 h after receipt | warranty – refund or replacement, no return shipment needed (photo suffices) |
| Non-perishable, unopened | 14 days | withdrawal – return to farm, refund after receipt |
| Not collected (customer) | pickup window | farm may cancel after 24 h; fresh goods are charged, non-perishables refunded minus shipping |
| Not delivered (carrier) | 7 days after dispatch | enquiry with carrier; refund or reshipment by the farm |
| Cancellation by customer | until farm confirmation | free, reservation released |
| Cancellation by farm | any time before handover | full refund, farm rating drops if frequent |
What runs automatically
| Automation | Trigger | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order confirmation | order | email customer + email/Telegram/SMS farm | live |
| Status messages | every status change | email, optional SMS (seven.io) | live (SMS: account pending) |
| Tracking | tracking number | DHL/DPD/Hermes/GLS link in mail; carrier API sets "Delivered" automatically | link live · API planned |
| Auto-cancel | no confirmation 24 h | cancel + mail, reservation released | with online payment |
| Review request | 24 h after delivery | mail with link, verified purchases only | planned |
| Complaint escalation | 72 h without farm reply | HOFARO decides by policy | planned |
| Payout run | Monday 06:00 | release check, SEPA, statement PDF/CSV | with online payment |
| Stock sync | order | count stock down, "sold out" at 0 | live |
| Season control | month change | products out of season are hidden | planned |
| Certificate expiry | 30 days before | reminder to farm, then seal off | planned |
| Telegram assistant | farm message | prices, stock, photos, order status by chat | live |
| Label & packing list | order | A6 PDF with barcode/QR, scan opens order | live |
| Live tracking farm delivery | driver starts route | customer sees position and ETA (driver app) | phase 3 |
Integrations
| Area | Provider | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Payment (card, SEPA, PayPal, Apple/Google Pay, Klarna) | Stripe Connect or Mollie Connect (marketplace split, farm KYC by PSP) | phase 2 – contract |
| Carriers | DHL Parcel DE API, DPD, Hermes, GLS (label + tracking) | business account access |
| SMS | seven.io (DE) / Twilio | account |
| own SMTP, transactional mails | live | |
| Telegram | @hofaro_bot (farm + admin) | live |
| Maps / postcodes | OpenStreetMap, GeoNames (10,813 postcodes) | live |
| Invoices | automatic invoice in the farm's name (PDF), commission invoice | phase 2 |
| Accounting | DATEV/CSV export | phase 2 |
| POS at the farm shop | Pay8 terminal, shared stock | phase 3 |
| Marketplaces (Amazon, eBay) | deliberately not – HOFARO sells origin, not anonymous goods | – |
Questions nobody has to ask any more
When does the farm get its money?
Every Monday for all orders whose protection period has passed (delivery + 48 h for fresh goods). On average 5 days after the sale, 9 at most. Until online payment: immediately, cash or transfer directly from the customer.
How long does money sit in the pool?
Between delivery and the Monday payout, i.e. 2 to 9 days. The pool is held in escrow by the payment provider; HOFARO holds no customer money.
What happens with a refund after payout?
The amount is offset against the next payout. If there is no payout for 60 days, HOFARO issues an invoice.
Who invoices the customer?
The farm is the seller. HOFARO generates the invoice automatically in the farm's name with its tax number and VAT rate (7 % food, 19 % e.g. drinks, flowers).
What does HOFARO earn?
Only the commission on goods value (8/5/3 %) and optionally the monthly plan. No fee for customers, no fee on shipping costs.
What if the farm does not react?
24 h without confirmation: the order is cancelled automatically, the customer pays nothing. 72 h without reply to a complaint: HOFARO decides by policy, usually in the customer's favour. Farms with many cancellations are ranked lower in search.