First-time LockPesa users in Kenya often have a similar set of questions before trying escrow for the first time. Here are the answers to the most common ones.

Do both parties need a LockPesa account? Yes, both the buyer and seller need an account so funds can be deposited and released correctly.

What if the other party refuses to use LockPesa? That refusal itself can be a useful signal to consider before proceeding with a risky transaction.

Is it only for large amounts? No, LockPesa works for both small everyday sales and larger, high-value deals.

Before your next a transaction, particularly with someone you are dealing with for the first time, it is worth running it through LockPesa. The small extra step of using escrow can prevent a costly loss.

Escrow is not about assuming bad faith in the other party, most transactions complete smoothly without any issue at all. It is about removing the small but real chance of loss so both sides can commit to a deal fully, rather than hesitating out of caution.

As more Kenyans buy, sell and invest with people outside their immediate circle of family, friends and known contacts, having a simple, accessible way to protect those transactions matters more than ever, whether the amount involved is a few thousand shillings or several million.

If you have not used escrow before, consider starting with a smaller, lower-stakes transaction to get comfortable with how deposits, confirmations and releases work, before relying on it for a larger or more important deal.

A well-run escrow transaction also leaves both sides with something less obvious but equally valuable: a track record. Once a buyer and seller have completed one protected deal successfully, future transactions between them often move faster, sometimes even without escrow, because the trust has already been established through that first protected exchange.

This is one reason LockPesa is increasingly seen not as an extra hurdle, but as a normal, sensible first step for any transaction involving real money and a party you do not yet know well.

Whatever question you still have before your first transaction, it is worth asking directly rather than guessing, since a quick clarification upfront is far easier than untangling a misunderstanding once funds are already involved.