3 things you must understand before touching your money
🤔
What do I do?
Fund your wallet before your contribution due date, pay on time every round, and only raise disputes when something is genuinely wrong — not to delay payment.
⚠️
What happens if I don't?
Missing a payment triggers a 3-day grace window, then Late fees and −10 trust points. After 7 more days, you are marked Defaulted: −50 points, possible account suspension, and your savings circle may be paused.
💰
How does this affect my money?
Money in an active savings circle is locked — you cannot withdraw it. Late fees come out of your wallet balance. A default can halt the entire circle, meaning everyone else is delayed too — not just you.
1
Round Contribution Amount (RCA) — What It Is and How It's Calculated
When you join or create a savings circle, one amount is agreed on by everyone: the Round Contribution Amount (RCA). This is the fixed sum every member must pay into the circle each round. You pay it. Every other member pays it. The total collected goes to whoever's turn it is to receive the payout.
💡 How the RCA Formula Works
The total payout one person receives is simply everyone's contribution combined.
📦 Small Circle Example
Members5
RCA each₦5,000
FrequencyMonthly
Total rounds5
Each person receives₦25,000
🏠 Family Circle Example
Members10
RCA each₦15,000
FrequencyMonthly
Total rounds10
Each person receives₦150,000
🏢 Office Circle (USD)
Members8
RCA each$100
FrequencyMonthly
Total rounds8
Each person receives$800
ℹ️
The RCA is fixed for the entire circle. It cannot be changed after the circle starts. Before joining, make sure you can comfortably afford this amount every single round — not just once. Budget for it the same way you budget rent or food.
2
Wallet Lock Rules — Not All Your Money Is Available
Your wallet shows a total balance, but part of it may be locked. Locked money is committed to an active savings circle that hasn't completed yet. You cannot withdraw it while it's locked — and it does not count toward paying your contributions either. Only your available balance can be used.
🔒 Understanding Your Wallet Balance
Your total balance is split into two parts — only the available (green) portion can be spent or withdrawn.
Example: Total Wallet Balance = ₦80,000
🔒 ₦30,000 Locked
✅ ₦50,000 Available
Locked (₦30,000) — committed to active circles. Cannot be withdrawn or used for contributions.
Available (₦50,000) — free to use: pay contributions, withdraw to bank, or fund more circles.
🔒 When Does Money Get Locked?
When you join an active savings circle, the platform reserves (locks) the RCA for upcoming rounds you haven't paid yet. This protects other members — it signals you have the funds to contribute.
🔓 When Is Money Unlocked?
Locked funds are released gradually as you pay each round's contribution, and fully released when the circle completes. If a circle is cancelled, locked funds are returned to your available balance.
💳 Can I Pay Contributions From Locked Funds?
No. Contributions are deducted from your available balance only. If your available balance is below the RCA, payment will fail — even if your total wallet shows a higher number.
💡 Practical Rule of Thumb
Keep your available balance at least 2× the RCA at all times during an active circle. This gives you a buffer for any transfer delays when topping up.
⚠️
"But my wallet shows enough money!" — Check your available balance, not your total. The locked portion looks like real money but you cannot touch it until the circle ends. Many payment failures happen because of this confusion.
3
What Happens When You Miss a Payment — Day by Day
The platform runs a daily check on every circle. The moment your due date passes without payment, a countdown begins. Here is exactly what happens at each stage:
⏱️ The Payment Timeline — From Due Date to Default
These windows may vary if the admin adjusts settings, but the structure below reflects the platform defaults.
✅ On Time — Pay Today or Before
Your contribution is due. Pay it today (or earlier) from your available wallet balance by tapping Pay Now on your dashboard or the slot detail page. The system does attempt automatic deduction from your wallet — but always confirm payment yourself.
+5 Trust Points
Status: Paid ✅
No fees
⏳ Grace Period — You're Late, But Not Yet Defaulted
You missed the due date but you have a 3-day grace window. Pay immediately. Your status is now Late. A late payment fee is charged to your wallet. The exact amount depends on the platform's current fee settings (percentage of RCA or a fixed fee). Your trust score is penalised immediately — whether or not you pay during this window.
−10 Trust Points
Status: Late ⏳
Late fee charged
Still pay now — avoid default
🚫 Default Period — Serious Consequences Begin
If the grace period passed and you still haven't paid, your status becomes Defaulted. This is the most serious outcome. A large trust score penalty is applied. A dispute ticket may be automatically raised on your account. Your referrer also receives a penalty on their trust score. The entire savings circle may be paused if enough members default.
−50 Trust Points
Status: Defaulted 🚫
Auto-dispute raised
Referrer penalised
Circle may be paused
🔴 Circle Suspended — Slot Goes On-Hold
If 50% or more of the circle's members default in the same round, the entire circle is automatically placed On-Hold. Payouts stop. All members are affected — including those who paid on time. This is why one defaulter is a problem for everyone, not just themselves. Admin intervention is required to resume the circle.
Circle status: On-Hold
Payouts paused
Admin review required
4
Late Fees — What They Are and How They're Charged
📅Late fees are charged the moment your status changes from Pending to Late (Day 1 after due date).
💳The fee is deducted directly from your available wallet balance, separate from your contribution amount. You must pay both: the late fee AND the original RCA.
📊The fee amount is set by platform admins. It can be a percentage of the RCA (e.g. 5% of ₦10,000 = ₦500 fee) or a fixed amount. Check the platform announcements for current rates.
🔁The fee does not cancel once charged. Paying immediately after going late still means the fee has already been deducted. There is no refund for late fees.
✅ How to Avoid Late Fees Entirely
🗓️Know your exact due date for every circle you're in. It's visible on your dashboard and the slot detail page at all times.
📱Set a phone reminder 3 days before your due date as a top-up reminder. Set another reminder 1 day before as a pay reminder.
💰Keep your available balance at least equal to the RCA before the due date arrives. Don't wait to top up on the due date — bank transfers can take hours.
🚀Pay early. You can pay your contribution any time after the round opens — not just on the due date. Early payment earns you +5 trust points and zero fees.
5
Default Consequences — The Chain Reaction
Defaulting is not just a personal problem. It sets off a chain of consequences that affects you, the people who trust you, and the entire savings circle. Here's the full picture:
🚫
You Default
Status: Defaulted. −50 trust points applied immediately. Late fee already charged from grace period.
📉
Your Trust Drops
You may fall one or more trust tiers — losing access to larger circles you qualified for before.
⚖️
Auto-Dispute Raised
The system automatically files a dispute ticket. Admin reviews your account. Suspension is possible.
🔗
Your Referrer Is Penalised
Whoever invited you to EsusuOnline loses trust points because of your default. They lose points they had no control over.
⏸️
Circle May Pause
If enough members default, the entire circle is placed On-Hold. Everyone waiting for their payout is delayed.
🚫
Account suspension: Repeated defaults or a severe default can result in your account being suspended. A suspended account cannot join new circles, invite friends, or withdraw funds until the issue is resolved by admin review. Protect your account — pay on time, every time.
6
Trust Score — What Moves It and Why It Matters
⚡ Your Actions
ID Verified (KYC)+50
Paid on time+5
Joined a circle+5
Completed circle (member)+20
Completed circle (creator)+30
Paid late−10
Defaulted on payment−50
Cancelled your own circle−30
👥 What Others Say About You
Positive rating — reliability+5
Positive rating — teamwork+5
Positive rating — honesty+5
Negative rating — reliability−2
Negative rating — teamwork−2
Negative rating — honesty−2
Max from one rater+15
🔗 Friends You Invited
Friend verifies ID+2
Friend completes a cycle+3
Friend defaults & banned−15
⚠️ Choose who you invite carefully
If your invitee defaults, you lose −15 points automatically — even though you did nothing wrong.
📉 Score Decay — What Happens When You Go Inactive
If you stop using the platform for an extended period, your score can slowly decrease even without any bad action. This is called score decay. It kicks in after 3 months of inactivity, at a rate of 20% of your current score per month.
Illustration: Starting score of 600 pts, inactive for 3 months
Month 0 — 600 pts (active)
Month 3 — 600 pts (decay starts here)
Month 5 — 384 pts (−20% again)
Month 6 — 307 pts (−20% again)
Month 0Month 3Month 4Month 5Month 6
💡
Stay active — even joining one small circle a year keeps score decay from eating your hard-earned trust points. Inactivity is a silent score killer.
7
Referral Accountability — Your Invitees Reflect on You
EsusuOnline is invite-only because trust starts with who you know. When you invite someone, you are vouching for them. The platform remembers that — and if they misbehave, part of the consequence lands on you. This is intentional: it encourages you to only invite people you genuinely trust and believe will honour their commitments.
👍 What You Gain From Good Invitees
✅Your invitee verifies their ID → you earn +2 trust points. Happens once per invitee.
✅Your invitee completes a full savings cycle → you earn +3 trust points. Repeats every time they complete a new cycle.
✅10 active invitees completing cycles = +30 points per cycle passively, without you doing anything extra.
🏅As you accumulate invitees, you earn a referral badge: Bronze (1–4), Silver (5–9), Gold (10–19), Diamond (50+).
👎 What Happens if Your Invitee Misbehaves
❌Your invitee defaults on a payment and is banned → you lose −15 trust points automatically. No warning, no appeal — it happens immediately.
❌The platform does this to make referrers accountable. You introduced this person — if they break trust, some of that falls on you.
❌Multiple bad invitees can significantly damage your trust score — potentially dropping you a full tier.
💡Only invite people you have seen handle financial commitments responsibly. Friends who pay their bills on time. Family members who are reliable. Not just anyone who asks for your code.
🔗
Your referral code is yours to protect. Don't share it publicly on social media or give it to strangers. Every person who registers with your code is linked to your account. If they default, you pay the price. Guard your code the same way you guard your bank details.
8
Dispute Process — When and How to Raise a Dispute
A dispute is a formal complaint you raise when something went wrong with a contribution or payout record — for example, your wallet was debited but your payment was not marked as Paid, or you received the wrong payout amount. Disputes are reviewed by admins and responded to within 2–5 business days.
1
Something Goes Wrong
You paid but your status still shows Pending. Or a payout amount was incorrect. Or you see an unfair fee charge.
→
2
Gather Evidence First
Screenshot your payment confirmation, your wallet transaction history, and the slot detail page showing the wrong status. Evidence speeds up resolution.
→
3
Open the Slot Detail Page
Go to the specific savings circle where the issue happened. Find the Raise a Dispute option on that page.
→
4
Describe the Issue Clearly
State exactly what happened: what you did, what you expected, and what actually occurred. Attach your evidence. Be factual, not emotional.
→
5
Admin Review (2–5 days)
Admins investigate your claim against transaction records. You'll receive a decision: resolved in your favour, resolved against you, or sent to mediation.
⚖️ Dispute Outcomes & Trust Score Impact
Every dispute affects your trust score — even raising one. Use disputes only when genuinely needed.
| Outcome |
What it means |
Trust Points |
What to expect |
| Dispute Raised |
You submit any dispute — legitimate or not |
−5 |
A small deduction applies immediately when you raise a dispute. This discourages abuse of the system. |
| Resolved In Your Favour |
Admin confirms the error was on the platform's side or another party's fault |
+10 |
You recover the −5 from raising plus gain +5 more. The error is corrected and your wallet/status updated. |
| Resolved Against You |
Admin finds the records are correct and your complaint was unfounded |
−15 |
Combined with the initial −5 for raising, you net −20 points for a false claim. This is significant — only dispute when you are sure. |
| False Dispute Penalty |
Admin determines you raised a dispute deliberately to delay payment or deceive |
−25 |
Total impact: −30 points (−5 raise + −25 penalty). Account may be flagged for further monitoring. |
| Mediation Required |
The case is complex and requires extended review |
−10 |
Both parties may be called to provide more information. Resolution may take longer than 5 days. |
⚠️
Never use a dispute to delay a payment you owe. Raising a false dispute to buy time does not pause your default countdown — and if the admin finds it was unfounded, you lose −20 points on top of the original late penalty. It makes a bad situation much worse.
✅
When to dispute (legitimate reasons): Your wallet was debited but your contribution still shows Pending after 24 hours. A payout was deposited to the wrong amount. A fee was charged that you weren't informed about. When in doubt, contact support first before raising a formal dispute — sometimes a quick message resolves it faster.
9
Your Financial Safety Checklist
Do these consistently and your money will always be safe on EsusuOnline
✅Know your available balance — not just your total wallet balance — before every contribution date.
✅Fund your wallet 3 days before each due date. Never on the day itself — bank transfers take time.
✅Only join circles where the RCA fits comfortably in your monthly budget — not just your current balance.
✅Only invite people you genuinely trust with financial commitments. Your referral code is not a favour — it's a responsibility.
✅Keep paying your contributions even after you receive your own payout. Every round must be fully paid by all members.
✅Only raise a dispute when something is genuinely wrong. A false dispute costs more trust points than the original problem.
✅Stay active on the platform. Inactivity for more than 3 months triggers score decay — your trust points shrink every month.
✅Check your profile regularly — trust tier, trust points, and referral badge all show where you stand and what limits apply to you.