Resolve P2P Disputes with Okra
Peer-to-peer exchange platforms frequently encounter problems during trading. Okra enables P2P exchange platforms to develop streamlined dispute-resolution processes for their clients. Our new blog article discusses how Okra can enable P2P dispute resolution flows in more detail.
What are P2P Platforms?
Over the past decade, digital currencies have become more popular worldwide. As part of this trend, peer-to-peer (P2P) trading platforms have become major players in the space, with companies like Binance and Paxful taking up a large portion of the African market.
P2P platforms allow verified users to buy and sell digital currency without intermediaries. Despite efforts to verify users and resolve trade disputes, P2P trading platforms have slowed in adoption due to increased regulation in the digital currency space. Regulatory bodies are concerned about consumer protection and managing economic risks.
In this article, we explore how P2P exchange platforms can reduce customer risk by using Okra Balance and Transaction APIs.
Challenges for P2P Platforms
A key challenge for peer-to-peer platforms is the transaction process. Typically, a buyer browses listings from sellers offering different rates. Once they find a favourable rate, they place a bid for the amount of digital currency they want. The seller puts the requested amount on hold in escrow as the buyer makes a payment in traditional currency to the seller. If the seller confirms the payment, the digital currency is released from escrow to the buyer.
However, in reality, payments can be delayed by banks or people sending fake payment receipts, allowing dishonest actors to get digital currency without holding up their end of the deal. This makes payment verification difficult for those resolving trading disputes and for their customers, who often feel frustrated, easily leading to loss of business.
Solutions to P2P Payment Conflicts
Using Okra, users on P2P platforms can connect their bank accounts to verify transactions, helping resolve trade disputes. The Okra Balance and Transactions API allows businesses handling conflict resolution to check users' account balances and transaction histories to verify whether payments were made, easing the challenge of acquiring proof of payment from users themselves.
There are several strategies that could be adopted to ensure users can access these conflict resolution tools. We’ll explore some of these options below.
Using Okra Widget Links
Customer representatives can send Okra links to users with disputes so they (the client) can confirm if funds have actually been sent or received. If truly, funds were sent but not received, it’s likely a bank issue. Transactions can also be refreshed periodically to reconfirm.
You can learn more about setting up widget links through our detailed guide. The dashboard provides visibility into each customer’s transaction and balance history.
Integrating Okra into your app
To streamline your user experience, directly integrating Okra into your platform creates a seamless in-app experience - a preferable option. We offer multiple SDKs in various languages to accelerate integration. Our customer success teams also gladly assist throughout the process.
Below is a code snippet of a balance integration into a ReactJS app from our documentation.
Summary
By integrating Okra into P2P trading platforms, users can have more confidence that trades are secure, and in the event of a dispute, resolutions can be reached relatively quickly. Building trust in these systems goes a long way in assuring governments and regulators of consumer protections. Here are some helpful resources:
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