Overview
What is BootHop?
BootHop is a peer-to-peer delivery platform that connects people who are already travelling (travellers) with people who need to send items along the same route (senders). Instead of expensive courier services, senders pay travellers to carry items in their existing luggage — legally, safely, and far more affordably.
🧳 Travellers (Booters)
- Already travelling — use spare luggage space
- Earn £85–£320 per trip
- Set your own price per kg
- Payment guaranteed via escrow
- Auto-matched with verified senders
📦 Senders (Hoopers)
- Send items door-to-door internationally
- Typically 60–80% cheaper than couriers
- Payment held in escrow until delivery
- Real-time tracking and messaging
- Rate and review after delivery
For Travellers
How to earn with BootHop
Post your journey, get matched automatically, complete KYC once, deliver safely, get paid.
01
Post Your Journey
Share your route, travel dates, and available luggage capacity. Takes under 60 seconds. Set your own price per kg.
Free to list
02
Get Auto-Matched
Our system automatically matches you with verified senders travelling the same route. No back-and-forth needed.
AI matching
03
Agree on Terms
Confirm price and item details through secure in-app messaging. Both parties agree before any commitment is made.
Secure messaging
04
Complete KYC
Upload a valid government ID. One-time identity check — keeps the platform safe for everyone.
Identity verified
05
Collect & Deliver
Meet the sender at the agreed location, collect the item, carry it on your journey, and hand it to the recipient.
Earn per trip
06
Get Paid
Payment is held in escrow throughout. Released automatically 24 hours after the recipient confirms delivery — only if no dispute is raised.
24-hr auto-release
For Senders
How to send with BootHop
Post your request, get matched with a verified traveller, pay into escrow, confirm delivery.
01
Post Your Request
Describe your item, the route (e.g. London → Lagos), preferred date window, and your budget per kg.
Free to post
02
Get Matched
Browse available travellers on your route or wait for the auto-match system to find the best fit.
Auto or manual
03
Pay Into Escrow
Agreed fee is locked in escrow. The traveller is only paid after your recipient confirms safe delivery.
Protected payment
04
Prepare Your Item
Package the item securely. Provide an accurate description. Both you and the traveller sign a digital handover record.
Digital handover
05
Track In Real Time
Stay updated as your item moves. Message the traveller directly through the platform.
Live updates
06
Confirm & Rate
Your recipient confirms receipt. Escrow releases to the traveller. Rate the experience.
Funds released
Match Lifecycle
The 9-Stage Pipeline
Every match between a traveller and a sender moves through defined stages. Both parties can see the current stage at all times.
Auto-payout after delivery
When a sender confirms delivery, the match moves to Delivery Confirmed. If no dispute is raised within 24 hours, the system automatically releases the escrow payment to the traveller and sends both parties a rating request. No manual action needed.
Africa-Outbound Policy
Sending goods out of Africa
Trips originating from an African city go through an additional manual review before both parties are notified of the match.
1
Auto-Match Detected
The system finds a potential match where the sending trip originates in Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, etc.).
2
Held for Authorisation
The match is placed into Awaiting Authorisation status. Neither the traveller nor sender is notified yet.
3
Admin Review
The BootHop admin team reviews the match details and approves or rejects it via a secure one-click email link or admin dashboard.
4
Approved → Normal Flow
If approved, both parties receive their match confirmation emails with one-click accept/decline links. The match continues through the standard pipeline.
4
Rejected → Cancelled
If rejected, the match is quietly cancelled. Neither party is notified. The traveller and sender remain active and can match with others.
Why this policy?
Africa-outbound shipments require additional compliance checks due to varying export regulations across different countries. This manual step ensures every match meets BootHop's compliance standards before proceeding.
Customs Guide
What can I send?
Rules apply based on the destination country. The sender is solely responsible for ensuring items comply with UK export and destination country import regulations.
✓ Typically Accepted
- Clothes & shoes (personal use)
- Letters & documents
- Phones & small electronics
- Gifts & household items
- Food (sealed, non-perishable)
- Books & magazines
- Cosmetics & personal care items
✗ Never Accepted
- Cash or monetary instruments
- Controlled substances / drugs
- Weapons or ammunition
- Counterfeit goods
- Hazardous materials
- Anything misrepresented
- Live animals
| Destination | Key Rules | BootHop Policy |
|---|
| Nigeria | Personal effects duty-free; electronics may attract import duty; food must be NAFDAC-compliant | Sender signs customs declaration |
| Ghana | GRA allows personal imports up to GH₵200 duty-free; electronics declared at port | Sender signs customs declaration |
| Kenya | Personal effects exempt; formal declaration required for electronics > KES 10,000 | Sender signs customs declaration |
| UK (inbound) | HMRC: goods > £135 require formal customs entry; gifts up to £39 duty-free | Both parties responsible for compliance |
Important
BootHop facilitates the connection — we do not inspect packages. Travellers are not liable for undeclared or misrepresented contents. The sender accepts full legal responsibility for the accuracy of the item description and customs compliance.
Pricing
Fees & how pricing works
Travellers set their own price per kg. Senders agree before committing. BootHop charges a platform service fee on completed transactions.
| Component | Who pays | Amount |
|---|
| Delivery fee | Sender → Traveller | Set by traveller (typically £5–£15/kg) |
| Platform fee | Deducted from payout | Applied on completed delivery |
| Insurance (optional) | Sender | Based on declared goods value |
| KYC verification | Traveller (one-time) | Free |
Escrow protection
All payments are held in secure escrow from the moment the sender pays. The traveller cannot access funds until the recipient confirms delivery and the 24-hour dispute window has passed. If a dispute is raised, BootHop mediates.
Trust & Safety
How we keep every match safe
BootHop operates an 8-layer safety framework across identity, payments, compliance, and dispute resolution.
01
Identity Verification (KYC)
Every traveller must complete a government ID check before carrying any item. Senders verify their email address at registration.
02
Email Verification on Contact
All contact form submissions require the user to verify their email address before the message reaches our team — preventing spam and ensuring accountability.
03
Escrow Payments
Sender's payment is held by BootHop's escrow system from the moment they pay. It cannot be released until delivery is confirmed.
04
Digital Handover Record
Both sender and traveller sign a digital handover at collection. This creates a timestamped record of what was handed over and in what condition.
05
Africa-Outbound Compliance Review
Shipments originating from Africa are held for manual admin review before both parties are notified — ensuring export compliance on every Africa-outbound match.
06
24-Hour Dispute Window
After the recipient confirms delivery, there is a 24-hour window to raise a dispute before payment is auto-released. Disputes are mediated by BootHop.
07
Ratings & Reviews
After every completed delivery, both parties rate each other. Low-rated users are reviewed and may be removed from the platform.
08
Admin Dashboard
The BootHop team monitors all matches in real time via a secure admin hub — including pending Africa authorisations, disputes, and payment processing.