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Join or Create a Slot — Visual Guide

EsusuOnline  ·  Slots  ·  April 2026

What is a Slot?

A Slot (also called a Thrift Circle) is a rotating savings group. A fixed number of members each contribute the same amount every cycle (weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly). The total collected each round is paid out to one member, rotating until everyone has received their payout once.

✏️
Part A — Create a Slot
Set up your own thrift circle, define the rules, invite members, and start the rounds.
🤝
Part B — Join a Slot
Receive an invitation from a slot owner, accept it, and participate in the savings rounds.

✏️ Part A — Create a Slot

You are the slot owner. You define the terms and invite members.

A1
Prerequisites
!

Your KYC must be Approved before you can create a slot

EsusuOnline requires identity verification to protect all members. If your KYC is still Pending or has been Rejected, complete or re-submit your KYC first.

⚠️ The "Create New Slot" button will be disabled and you will see a warning if your KYC status is not Approved. See the KYC Guide to get verified.
Once KYC is Approved you also need sufficient wallet balance for your own contributions once the slot starts.
A2
Open the Create Slot Form
1

Navigate to Slots → Create New Slot

Click Slots in the sidebar, then click the "+ Create New Slot" button in the top-right corner of the page.

esusuonline.org/slots
My Slots
Manage your savings slots and invitations.
My Created
Joined
Active
Pending
No slots yet. Create your first slot above.
A3
Fill in the Slot Details
1

Slot name and description

Give your slot a memorable name (minimum 3 characters). An optional description helps invited members understand the purpose of the group.

esusuonline.org/slots/create
Slot Name *
Description (optional)
2

Set target amount and currency

The Target Amount is the total payout per round — what each winner receives. Minimum is ₦1,000 or $1. Choose NGN for naira slots or USD for dollar slots.

🇳🇬 NGN
🇺🇸 USD
Target Amount (NGN) *
Min: ₦ 1,000
Number of Participants *
2 – 20 participants
Auto-calculated Contribution
Target Amount₦ 50,000
Number of Participants÷ 10
Each member pays per round →₦ 5,000
3

Choose frequency and start date

Frequency defines how often contributions are collected and a payout happens. Start Date must be today or a future date — it's when Round 1 begins.

Frequency *
Weekly · Monthly · Bi-monthly
Start Date *
Must be today or later
ℹ️ With 10 participants at Monthly frequency, the slot will run for 10 months total (one round per month).
4

Select payout rotation method

This controls the order in which members receive the pot each round:

🎲 Random
Order is randomly assigned when the slot starts. Fairest option.
✋ Manual
Owner manually assigns the payout order before starting the slot.
🗳️ Ballot
Members draw for positions via a ballot system.
Rotation Method *
🎲 Random
✋ Manual
🗳️ Ballot
5

Submit the form

Review all your settings in the auto-calculated summary, then click "Create Slot". The slot is created instantly with status New.

Review: Sunday Savings Circle
CurrencyNGN
Target per round₦ 50,000
Participants10
Each contribution₦ 5,000
FrequencyMonthly
Start Date1 May 2026
RotationRandom
A4
After Creation — Invite Members
1

Slot Created! Now invite your members

A confirmation card appears with a Slot ID and two actions: Invite Members or View My Slots. Click Invite Members to add people to your slot.

esusuonline.org/slots/create
Slot Created!
Your new slot is ready. Next, invite members to join.
Slot ID: a3f2c1b7-e...
2

Invite members by searching their name or email

On the Manage Invites page, use the invite dialog to search for registered EsusuOnline users. You can also remove participants before the slot starts.

esusuonline.org/slots/a3f2c1.../invite
Manage Invites — Sunday Savings Circle
Participants: 3 / 10
C
Chidi Okafor (you — owner)
🥈 Silver · Trust 340
Confirmed
A
Amaka Nwosu
🥉 Bronze · Trust 210
Invited
E
Emeka Ibe
🥉 Bronze · Trust 190
Invited
A5
Starting the Slot
1

Set payout order (if Manual or Ballot), then Start the slot

Once all members have accepted their invites, go to the slot detail page. If rotation is Manual, set the payout order first. Then click "Start Slot" — status changes to In Progress.

esusuonline.org/slots/a3f2c1...
Sunday Savings Circle
New
Contribution
NGN 5,000 / mo
Participants
10 / 10
Rotation
🎲 Random
Starts
1 May 2026
⚠️ All 10 participants have joined. You can now start the slot.
A6
Payout Order
1

View or set who receives the pot each round

For Random rotation, the order is auto-assigned at start. For Manual, you drag-and-drop participants into the desired order. For Ballot, each member draws a number.

Slot Activity & Payout Order
  1. 1
    Chidi Okafor
    Paid Out ✓
  2. 2
    Amaka Nwosu
    Current Round
  3. 3
    Emeka Ibe
    Upcoming
  4. 4
    Ngozi Adeyemi
    Upcoming
Progress: Round 2 of 1020%

🤝 Part B — Join a Slot

You received an invitation from a slot owner and want to participate.

B1
Receiving an Invitation
1

The slot owner invites you by searching your name or email

You don't browse public slots — you are invited directly. Once invited, you will see the slot in your Pending tab and receive a notification.

esusuonline.org/slots?tab=pending
My Created
Joined
Active
Pending
Sunday Savings Circle Invited
Owner: Chidi Okafor · Created 29 Apr 2026
Your Contribution
₦ 5,000 / mo
Payout You Receive
₦ 50,000
Participants
7 / 10
Starts
1 May 2026
B2
Accepting the Invitation
1

Review the slot details carefully before accepting

Check the contribution amount (what you pay each round), payout amount (what you receive on your turn), frequency, start date, and rotation method. Make sure you can commit!

⚠️ By accepting, you commit to paying ₦ 5,000 every month for 10 months. Missing contributions may affect your Trust Score and result in removal from the slot.
Click "Accept Invitation" on the slot card. Your status changes from Invited to Confirmed and the slot moves to your Joined tab.
B3
After Joining — Waiting for Start
1

Slot is in "New" status — waiting for the owner to start it

Once you've joined, the slot stays in New status until the owner starts it. You can view the other participants and payout order on the slot detail page.

esusuonline.org/slots?tab=joined
My Created
Joined
Active
Pending
Sunday Savings Circle New
Owner: Chidi Okafor
Your Contribution
₦ 5,000 / mo
Participants
10 / 10
B4
Paying Your Contribution
1

When the slot is "In Progress" and your contribution is due

Once the slot starts (status changes to In Progress), you will see a "Pay My Contribution" button on the slot detail page. Your contribution status will be Pending or Late until you pay.

esusuonline.org/slots/a3f2c1...
Sunday Savings Circle
In Progress
Current Round
Round 2 / 10
Next Due Date
1 Jun 2026
Your Status
Pending
Contribution
NGN 5,000
Progress: Round 2 of 1020%
2

Payment is deducted from your wallet balance

The contribution amount is debited from your available wallet balance (not your locked balance). Ensure you have enough in your NGN wallet before the due date.

After payment, your contribution status changes to Paid and a Contribution transaction appears in your wallet history.
⚠️ If your wallet balance is insufficient, fund your wallet first. See the Fund Your Wallet Guide.
Slot Lifecycle — Status Flow
🆕
New
▶️
In Progress
🏆
Completed
or
🔒
Closed
or
Aborted
or
⏸️
On-Hold
NewSlot created, waiting for members & start.
In ProgressRounds are running, contributions due each cycle.
CompletedAll rounds finished, all payouts made. 🎉
ClosedClosed by owner before starting.
AbortedEnded mid-progress due to issues.
On-HoldTemporarily paused.
Owner Action Reference
▶ Start Slot
Begins Round 1. All members locked in. Status → In Progress.
👥 Invite Members
Add participants to a New slot by searching their name/email.
📋 Set Payout Order
Manually define the sequence of who gets paid each round (Manual/Ballot).
📨 Send Reminder
Nudge members with a payment reminder notification.
✏️ Edit Slot
Modify slot settings (only while status is New).
🗑 Close / Abort
Close a New slot or Abort an In-Progress slot. Cannot be undone.

💡 Slot Tips for Members & Owners