Questions and answers

Open Stay, choose a house, pick your dates and number of guests, then tap Book. You pay the whole stay online. The owner confirms within 2 to 72 hours depending on how soon you arrive; if they decline or do not answer, you get everything back.

With M-Pesa. After you confirm, a PIN prompt appears on your phone; enter your M-Pesa PIN to pay. Before paying you always see a confirm screen with the amount, what you pay later and the refund rules.

Open Tours, choose a trip, pick a date and the number of people, and pay a 30% deposit with M-Pesa. You pay the rest to the operator on the day.

Open Eat, choose a restaurant and tap Book a table. You pay a KSh 50 booking fee; the restaurant has 1 hour to confirm or you get it back. You pay for your meal at the restaurant.

Yes. Order from a restaurant's menu on WatamuPulse and pay with M-Pesa. The restaurant has 20 minutes to accept, or you get your money back. A WatamuPulse rider brings the food; give the rider your handover code when you have it.

Open Transport, choose a tuk-tuk, car, van or lorry trip, and pay a 30% deposit with M-Pesa. You pay the driver the rest at the end of the trip. If the driver does not accept in time, you get the deposit back.

Open Events, choose tickets and pay with M-Pesa. You get a QR code and an 8-character code to show at the door. Tickets are refunded only if the organiser cancels the event.

Open Services, choose a provider and a time, and pay a KSh 30 booking fee. The provider accepts within 12 hours or you get the fee back. You pay for the service itself to the provider.

Some deals lower the price automatically when you book. Others give you a code for a KSh 20 fee that you show at the business.

You get your money back in full, to the M-Pesa number you paid with.

For houses: 7 or more days before arrival you get everything back except our commission; closer to arrival you get half back; on or after the arrival day, nothing. For tours, rides and rentals WatamuPulse keeps its commission and refunds the rest of your deposit. Booking fees for tables, services and deal codes are not refunded. Event tickets are not refunded unless the organiser cancels.

Open the booking in your dashboard and tap Report a problem, as early as possible. Businesses are paid only after the service date, so we can look into it first.

Business phone numbers are not shown publicly. Once your booking is paid you can message the business on WatamuPulse, and the confirmation includes the contact you need.

You pay WatamuPulse through M-Pesa, never a stranger's number. The business is paid after the service, and you are refunded if a booking is declined or not answered.

Only signed-in people can review, one review per person per business, and businesses cannot review themselves.

Sign up, then tap Add my business. Fill in the name, a photo, your area and a short description. You are live straight away, with no approval wait. One account can have up to 3 businesses.

Joining is free. WatamuPulse earns a small commission or fee on bookings. Optional plans for 30 days give more posts, a Featured label and top ranking: Starter (KSh 999), Pro (KSh 1,299), Top (KSh 2,999). Restaurants list for free.

Add your M-Pesa or bank details in Settings (How I get paid). WatamuPulse pays you after the service date, minus its commission.

Businesses on a paid plan appear first. After that, ranking follows real activity: reviews, bookings, saves, good photos and quick answers to bookings.