For Tour Operators

How bids work on SafariVendors

Set your bid percentage, pay only when you accept a traveler's quote request, and keep your wallet ready so you never miss a lead.

1.5% – 3%Your bid range, set per safari

$0To list safaris and browse requests

3 daysBefore an unanswered request auto-accepts

The basics

Three things to know

You set your bid

Your bid is a percentage of the traveler's total safari cost, between 1.5% and 3%. Each safari starts at 1.5% and you can change it per safari.

You pay only on acceptance

Listing safaris and browsing requests is free. The fee is charged to your wallet only when you accept a request and unlock the traveler's contact details.

A higher bid helps visibility

Bid is one of several ranking signals. Reviews and ratings count first, so a strong bid never replaces a good reputation.

The fee

How the charge is calculated

Total safari cost×Your bid %=Fee charged

For a $2,000 safari at a 1.5% bid$30

For a $2,000 safari at a 2.25% bid$45

For a $2,000 safari at a 3% bid$60

You always see the exact fee before you accept.

Where fees apply

Paid and free countries

Bid fee applies5 countries

Operators based here pay the bid fee when they accept a quote request. Each country has its own minimum bid, shown beside it.

Botswana from 1.5%

Kenya from 1.5%

South Africa from 1.5%

Tanzania from 1.5%

Uganda from 1.5%

Free for operators13 countries

Operators based here accept quote requests with no fee, for now. Countries can move to paid as the marketplace grows.

Burundi

Comoros

Eswatini (Swaziland)

Ethiopia

Lesotho

Madagascar

Malawi

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Rwanda

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Step by step

From request to booking

A traveler sends a quote request for one of your safaris. You get an email and see it in your dashboard with the trip details and the fee.
You review it. Traveler contact details stay hidden until you accept, so you can judge the request before paying anything.
You accept (or decline). Accepting charges the fee to your wallet and unlocks the traveler's name, email and phone so you can send your quote. Decline only when the request genuinely does not fit your offering.
No action? It auto-accepts after 3 days if your wallet has funds, so a good lead is never lost. You get a reminder about 24 hours before.

Important

What every operator should know

Make your first deposit early. New operators need a first wallet deposit before they can accept requests. Do it as soon as you publish so your first lead is not wasted.

An unfunded request is lost. If your wallet cannot cover a request when the 3-day timer ends, it is closed, nothing is charged, and the traveler is sent to other operators.

A missed request pauses your account. Your safaris are paused and hidden from new bookings until you deposit. Once you deposit, everything goes live again automatically.

A short second chance. After you deposit, a request you missed can still be accepted for about 48 hours. After that it stays closed.

Past travel dates expire. If the traveler's trip date has already passed, the request expires and you are never charged.

Repeat travelers are not charged twice. If the same traveler sends you another request within 6 months of one you already accepted, no new fee applies.

A low balance can go negative. If a request costs more than your balance, you can still accept it. The balance goes negative, your account is paused, and your next deposit settles it.

Reviews matter most. Ask happy travelers to review you. Reviews and ratings rank ahead of bid on Top Rated lists.

Ready?