Services Marketplace
Version: v1.0
Last Updated: May 30, 2026
An overview of how the services marketplace works and how the parties interact. For step-by-step guides, see the Customer Guide and the Services Partner Guide.
What it is
The services marketplace lets customers book a service — a haircut, a cleaning, a repair — at a chosen time slot, performed by a professional either at the customer's location, the provider's premises, or remotely. There is no product or delivery; the deliverable is the work itself.
📸 Screenshot: Services customer-facing browse screen
Who the parties are
| Party | Role |
|---|---|
| Customer | Books a service and time slot, pays, and receives the service |
| Services provider (partner) | Defines services, manages professionals and schedules, performs the work |
| Professional | The individual who performs the booked service |
| Platform (BookMaMe) | Runs the marketplace, processes payment, deducts the service charge, settles the partner |
There is no rider or delivery company in this marketplace.
End-to-end flow
Customer selects a service (and professional, if offered)
→ Picks an available time slot
→ Books and pays
→ Provider accepts the booking
→ At the slot: professional starts the job (in_progress)
→ Work is done → marked complete
→ Booking completes → partner is paid automatically
Time-slot model
Availability comes from each professional's schedule — recurring weekly hours, one-off slots, minus blocked time and existing bookings, and beyond a minimum lead time. Slots can be individual (one customer) or group (multiple). Customers only see slots that are genuinely bookable.
How payments flow
- Customer pays by online card / mobile money, or cash/card at service where the provider allows
- The payout is triggered after the service is marked complete
- The platform deducts the service charge from the booking value
- For at-location services, a transport fee may be added based on the service zone
Reschedule and cancellation
Customers can request a reschedule (provider accepts/rejects), and providers can propose a reschedule too. Cancellations follow the provider's cancellation policy. Quality disputes — which the platform can't verify directly — are resolved case by case, sometimes with goodwill credit.
What's unique about this marketplace
- Time-slot scheduling tied to individual professionals
- No physical delivery — the service is the deliverable
- Location modes — at customer, at premises, or remote — with optional transport fees and service zones
- Quality is subjective — disputes are mediated rather than mechanically resolved