Receiving InstaPay and bank transfers safely

A screenshot is not proof

A screenshot of a successful transfer may be genuine, old, of a payment to another account, or edited. The only proof is the amount appearing in your own account: in your banking app or in your own InstaPay history.

Banks’ InstaPay pages explain the statuses: a “successful” transaction has been credited to the beneficiary’s account, a “rejected” one has gone back to the sender, and a “pending” one has been sent to the beneficiary’s bank and updates shortly. So never ship on a screenshot of a pending transfer.

What to ask the customer for

Ask for details that help you find the transaction in your account, not just the picture:

• The exact amount, not rounded.
• The transaction reference number as it appears in their app.
• The time of the transfer, and the sender’s name or phone number.
• The account or address they sent to, so you can confirm it is yours.

What to show on your side

Show your payment address clearly at checkout and in the confirmation message. An InstaPay payment address takes the form name@instapay and is tied to one bank account, so if you have several, decide which one belongs to the store.

Know the limits before accepting a large order. Suez Canal Bank’s InstaPay page lists EGP 70,000 per transaction, EGP 120,000 per day and EGP 400,000 per month per bank. Limits change and sometimes differ between banks, so check with yours, and offer a regular bank transfer for larger amounts.

Signs of a fake receipt

Each of these is a reason to hold shipping until you find the money in your account:

• The same picture, or the same reference number, was used on another order.
• The transfer date is before the order date.
• The amount in the picture differs from what is due, even slightly.
• The recipient in the picture is not your account.
• The status in the picture is “pending” or “rejected”.
• A customer with receipts rejected before, or unusually urgent about shipping.

What never to do

Never share a verification code or PIN with anyone, and never open links sent in InstaPay’s name. In September 2026 the Central Bank of Egypt warned of fraudsters impersonating InstaPay staff over the phone and sending fake links to steal data.

If you cannot find a transfer the customer says they sent, the right path is for them to contact their bank with the reference number, not for you to ship on a promise.

When the customer pays less or more

Small differences are common: a customer rounded the amount, or forgot shipping. Do not ship on a shortfall and promise yourself to collect later. Message the customer with the difference, record it on the order and wait until it is complete.

If they paid more, refund the extra or keep it as credit for their next order with their agreement, and record what you agreed. What is not recorded turns, after a few weeks, into a dispute nobody remembers the details of.

Build your day around review

Do not review each receipt the moment it arrives. Set two or three times a day to open your banking app and match incoming transactions to waiting orders in one pass. You make fewer mistakes and get interrupted less.

Tell customers the rhythm: “We confirm transfers until 6 pm, and the order ships the next day.” A clear promise cuts down the “did it arrive?” messages.

When you refund

If a customer withdraws from the purchase, Egypt’s consumer protection law requires a distance seller to refund by the same payment method within 7 days of the product’s return, unless agreed otherwise (Article 40). Keep the details of the account the customer paid from, and record the refund’s reference number on the order.