Get your store running with confidence.

biocartly helps South African sellers create a store, list products, connect Yoco, and share a checkout link on WhatsApp, Instagram, or anywhere they sell.

Create your store

After sign-up, complete onboarding with your store name and URL slug. You can update both later in Store Settings.

Add products

Go to Products, add a product name and price, then publish. Use CSV import when you already have a longer price list.

Connect Yoco and share

Connect your Yoco account from Billing, then copy your store link from the dashboard and share it with customers.

Add trust details before launch

Before you publish widely, add your logo, business description, contact details, social links, delivery options, and basic store policies. These details help customers verify that the store belongs to the real business.

biocartly does not hold seller funds. Customer card payments go through the seller's own Yoco account.

Before you start

Create or log into your Yoco merchant account, then open the API keys section in the Yoco dashboard.

Connect in biocartly

1. Open Dashboard, then Billing.
2. Paste your Yoco secret key in the Yoco Payments section.
3. Select test or live mode and save the connection.

When a customer pays, Yoco redirects them through a secure hosted payment page and biocartly marks the order paid after the webhook confirms it.

Staff roles control what invited team members can see or change inside a store dashboard. Store owners keep full control of billing, store ownership, and store creation.

Viewer

Viewers can view dashboard and store data. They cannot edit products, update orders, delete items, issue refunds, manage staff, or access billing.

Manager

Managers can view and edit store operations. They can add and update products, variants, stock, product images, product descriptions, and active or draft product status.

Managers cannot delete items, issue refunds, manage staff, change billing, or create and delete stores.

Admin

Admins can view, edit, delete, issue refunds, and manage staff. They can manage products, orders, promo codes, delivery options, store settings, and staff invitations.

Admins cannot access billing or create and delete stores. Those actions are owner-only.

Owner-only actions

• Change billing or subscription details.
• Connect or disconnect payment settings that are restricted to owners.
• Create additional stores when the plan allows it.
• Delete stores.

Before inviting staff

Invite staff using a fresh email account that has not created a biocartly account before. This helps the invitation attach to the correct store and role.

If someone cannot find or accept an invitation

• Ask them to check their spam, junk, promotions, and other filtered inbox folders.
• Make sure they are checking the same email address that was invited.
• Before accepting the invite, they should use a clear browser session or log out of any existing biocartly accounts.
• If needed, they can open the invite in a private or incognito browser window.

As a rule of thumb, give Viewer access to people who only need to check information, Manager access to people who help run the catalogue, and Admin access only to trusted people who can safely manage orders, refunds, settings, and other staff.

CSV import lets you add many products at once from a spreadsheet, WhatsApp price list, or pasted table.

Required columns

Your CSV needs product name and price. Optional fields include stock, category, and description.

name,price,stock,category
Air Force 1 Size 10,R850,3,Sneakers
Custom Cake 6 inch,R450,,Baking

Accepted price formats

Prices such as R150, R 150, 150.00, and 150,00 are accepted. Comma, semicolon, and tab separators are auto-detected.

Variants help you sell one product in different options, such as sizes, colours, styles, scents, or bundles. Low-stock alerts help you spot products or variants that need attention before customers run into sold-out items.

When to use variants

Use variants when the customer is choosing between versions of the same product. For example, a T-shirt can have size variants, a shoe can have size and colour variants, and a perfume can have 30ml and 50ml variants.

How variant pricing works

Each product has a main price. A variant can use that main product price, or it can have its own price if that option costs more or less. Leave the variant price blank when it should use the product price.

How variant stock works

If a product has variants, stock is managed per variant. For example, a product can have 2 small red items, 4 medium red items, and 1 large black item. If you leave a variant stock field blank, that variant is treated as unlimited.

Products without variants

If a product does not have variants, use the main product stock field. A blank stock field means unlimited stock, while 0 means out of stock.

Low-stock threshold

The low-stock threshold is the number where biocartly starts warning you that stock is running low. If you set the threshold to 3, the dashboard will flag the product or variant when available stock is 3 or less.

Best practice

• Use clear variant names customers understand, such as Small, Medium, Large, Black, Red, 30ml, or 50ml.
• Add SKUs when you already use product codes for packing or stock control.
• Keep variant images updated when colour, style, or packaging changes.
• Set low-stock thresholds for products that sell quickly or take time to restock.
• Use draft status for products or variants that should not be sold yet.

Order statuses show where an order is in the checkout, fulfilment, cancellation, or refund process. Keeping statuses up to date helps staff know what to do next and helps customers understand what is happening.

Pending

The customer started checkout, but payment has not been confirmed yet. Do not fulfil the order until payment is confirmed or you have manually verified payment outside biocartly.

Paid

Payment has been confirmed. This is the usual starting point for fulfilment. Check the order details, prepare the items, and move the order to Processing when work begins.

Processing

The store is preparing the order. Use this while packing, producing, sourcing, or getting the order ready for collection or delivery.

Ready for collection

The order is ready for the customer to collect. Use this for collection orders once pickup details have been confirmed.

Shipped

The order has left the store or has been handed to a courier. Add the carrier and tracking number when you have them so the customer can follow the delivery.

Delivered

The order has reached the customer, or the customer collected it successfully. This is the final fulfilment status for a normal completed order.

Cancelled

The order will not be fulfilled. Use cancellation when the customer no longer wants the order, stock is unavailable, payment was not completed, or the store cannot proceed. Cancelling an order releases reserved stock back to the catalogue.

Refund pending

A refund has been requested and is being processed through the payment provider. Do not cancel or refund the same order again while a refund is pending.

Refunded

The full order amount has been refunded. The order is closed from a payment point of view and should not be fulfilled.

Partial refund

Only part of the order amount was refunded. This can happen when one item is unavailable, delivery changed, or the seller agrees to refund part of the purchase while still completing the rest.

Normal fulfilment flow

Most successful delivery orders move from Paid to Processing, then Shipped, then Delivered. Collection orders move from Paid to Processing, then Ready for collection, then Delivered. Refund and cancellation statuses are exceptions used when the order cannot continue normally or money needs to be returned.

Delivery zones let you charge different delivery fees for different regions. Customers choose a zone at checkout and the fee is added automatically.

Create a zone

1. Open Delivery in the dashboard.
2. Add a zone name, fee, and optional delivery estimate.
3. Save the zone and keep it active while customers should see it.

Common South African setups include local delivery, nearby provinces, nationwide delivery, and express same-day delivery.

Promo codes let customers enter a discount during checkout. Promo codes are available on Pro and higher plans.

Create a code

1. Open Promo Codes in the dashboard.
2. Choose a code, discount type, value, and optional expiry or usage limit.
3. Share the code on WhatsApp, Instagram, or email.

Use minimum spend and first-order-only rules when you want tighter campaign control.

A custom domain lets customers visit your store from your own brand URL, such as shop.yourbrand.co.za, instead of only using your biocartly store link.

Why custom domains matter

Domains make your store easier to recognize, easier to share, and harder for scammers to impersonate. Customers can compare your store URL with your Instagram bio, WhatsApp catalogue, packaging, receipts, and other official channels.

Before connecting a domain

• Use a domain owned by your business or founder.
• Keep domain registrar access secure with two-factor authentication.
• Do not share DNS or hosting-provider access with people who do not manage your website.
• Make sure your business name, logo, and social links match the brand customers already know.

After connecting

Add the custom domain to your social bios and customer messages. If you ever change domains, announce the change clearly on your verified social channels so customers know which link is real.

Social links are not just marketing links. They help customers verify that your biocartly store is connected to the real business they already follow or have spoken to.

Add official channels only

• Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and WhatsApp links should point to accounts your business controls.
• Your store name, profile photos, logo, phone number, and business description should match across channels.
• Use one official WhatsApp number for order questions where possible.

How this prevents scams

Scammers often copy product photos and send fake payment links. When your official social accounts link back to your biocartly store, customers have a way to check whether the checkout link is legitimate before paying.

What customers should verify

• The store URL is the same link shown on the business social profile.
• The business name, logo, products, and contact details are consistent.
• The checkout happens on a secure HTTPS page.
• The seller can explain delivery, collection, refund, and support details.

Clear policies reduce disputes and make your store feel more professional. They also help customers understand what happens after they pay.

Recommended policy details

• Public contact information: email, WhatsApp number, or support channel.
• Delivery or collection options, including estimated timelines.
• Refund, exchange, and cancellation rules.
• Product availability and stock timing for made-to-order items.
• Any third-party supplier, courier, or fulfilment arrangement that affects customers.

Why this matters

Customers should know who they are buying from, how to get help, when to expect delivery, and what happens if something goes wrong. A short, honest policy is better than no policy.

Where to place policies

Add the most important points to your store description, product descriptions, delivery options, order messages, and social highlights. Keep legal, privacy, and support links easy to find.

biocartly collects the information needed to run the store and process orders. Sellers should treat customer information with care and only use it for legitimate store purposes.

Data used for orders

• Customer name, email, phone number, delivery details, and order contents.
• Payment status and payment provider references.
• Messages or notes needed for fulfilment and support.

What sellers should do

• Use customer details only to fulfil orders, provide support, and send necessary updates.
• Do not export or share customer lists unless it is needed for delivery, accounting, or legal compliance.
• Protect staff accounts and remove staff access when someone leaves the business.
• Keep your own privacy promises clear if you collect extra information outside biocartly.

Customer rights

Customers can ask privacy questions or request access, correction, or deletion where applicable. Send privacy questions to privacy@biocartly.com and include the store URL and order reference if relevant.

biocartly is built for legitimate South African sellers. Sellers must follow the law, payment provider rules, platform terms, and basic good-faith commerce standards.

Do not use biocartly for

• Illegal, stolen, counterfeit, misleading, or unsafe products.
• Products or content that infringe someone else's intellectual property.
• Fraud, fake stores, phishing, spam, or impersonation.
• Threats, harassment, hate, self-harm facilitation, or other harmful activity.
• Trying to bypass platform limits, payment checks, or security controls.

If there is a problem

biocartly may remove content, restrict a store, suspend an account, or ask for verification where there is fraud risk, legal risk, payment provider risk, or customer safety risk.

Most sellers are honest, but customers should still check that a store is real before paying.

Check these signals

• The store link comes from the business's official social account, website, or WhatsApp number.
• The store uses HTTPS and shows consistent branding.
• The seller can explain stock, delivery, collection, refunds, and support.
• Prices and product photos are realistic and match the business's usual content.
• You are not being pressured to pay through an unrelated link or private account.

Report suspicious stores

If a biocartly store looks fake, impersonates another business, or appears to be scamming customers, email support@biocartly.com with the store URL, screenshots, and any order reference.

Sellers are responsible for fulfilling orders, helping customers, and handling refund or exchange requests in line with their policies and applicable law.

Best practice for sellers

• Confirm orders quickly and keep customers updated.
• Use order statuses so customers know when an order is processing, shipped, delivered, cancelled, or refunded.
• Keep delivery proof, tracking numbers, and customer messages where possible.
• Publish refund and exchange rules before customers pay.

When biocartly can help

biocartly can help investigate platform, checkout, payment notification, and account access issues. Product quality, delivery promises, and seller-customer disputes remain the seller's responsibility unless platform misuse is involved.

Start with the party responsible for the issue. Product quality, fulfilment, delivery, seller refunds, and seller advertising should normally be raised with the seller. Account access, platform behaviour, suspicious stores, and biocartly privacy issues can be raised with us.

Include useful evidence

• Your name and a reliable contact address.
• The store URL and order number, where relevant.
• A short timeline, amount paid, requested outcome, and steps already taken.
• Receipts, provider references, screenshots, tracking, and relevant messages.

Email support@biocartly.com for platform, safety, or store reports; privacy@biocartly.com for personal-information requests; and legal@biocartly.com for formal legal notices. Do not email card numbers, CVV codes, passwords, secret API keys, or unnecessary identity documents.

External escalation

If direct resolution fails, consumers may use the National Consumer Commission's official complaint process or another applicable consumer body. POPIA complaints may be lodged with the South African Information Regulator. Payment disputes may also need to be raised with the seller's payment provider or the customer's bank. These options do not remove any legal right or time limit.