Apiroi connects beekeepers who want to buy and sell equipment, bees, and products. Before you send or accept any money, it helps to understand exactly what Apiroi handles and what it doesn't — because that shapes how you protect yourself.
What Apiroi is and isn't
Apiroi is a marketplace venue where beekeepers list items for sale. It is not a payment processor.
To be specific about what that means:
- We do not hold funds in escrow between buyers and sellers.
- We do not move money from a buyer to a seller.
- We do not mediate payment disputes once money has changed hands.
What we do: verify seller identities where we can, provide reporting tools on every listing, and remove listings that violate our rules. Think of Apiroi as the place you meet, not the bank that settles the deal.
How sellers pay us
The only money that flows through Apiroi is the seller subscription.
- Sellers choose a plan — Free, Pro at $9.99/month, or Dealer at $49/month — and pay through Stripe, our payment processor for subscriptions.
- That subscription is the entire on-platform transaction. Everything a buyer pays a seller happens off-platform, directly between the two of you.
Why do it this way? It keeps fees low for sellers, and it preserves the direct buyer-seller relationships that are normal in the beekeeping community. You're free to arrange payment the way that works for both parties.
Safe payment methods between buyers and sellers
Because Apiroi doesn't sit in the middle, the payment method you choose is your protection. These are the safe ones:
- PayPal Goods & Services — the best choice for online transactions. It includes buyer protection, and if something goes wrong you dispute directly through PayPal.
- Venmo with purchase protection — available in the US for verified accounts. It offers protection similar to PayPal Goods & Services.
- Certified check or money order — traditional and slower, but workable for established sellers who can provide references.
- Cash for local pickup — perfectly fine for in-person exchanges. Meet in a public location during daylight hours.
- ACH or bank transfer — acceptable for large orders between established parties who have a written agreement in place.
Payment methods to avoid
If a seller pushes you toward any of these, treat it as a warning sign:
- PayPal Friends & Family — no buyer protection at all. A seller who insists on Friends & Family is usually hiding something.
- Wire transfers (Western Union, MoneyGram) — you have no recourse if the deal turns out to be fraudulent.
- Gift cards — never a legitimate way to pay for goods. Always a scam signal.
- Cryptocurrency — no fraud protection, and no legitimate beekeeping seller requires it.
- Cash sent by mail — no proof of delivery and no way to get it back.
Note: A genuine seller will almost always be willing to use a payment method that protects you. Resistance to buyer protection is itself information.
Payment disputes
Apiroi cannot mediate disputes between buyers and sellers — we simply aren't in the transaction. Here's what actually helps:
- If your payment method has built-in protection (PayPal Goods & Services, a credit card), use that dispute process. That's what it's there for.
- Report the listing on Apiroi so we can review the seller's account and stop the problem from spreading to other buyers.
- For fraud, contact your bank or card issuer right away. For clearly illegal activity, contact your local law enforcement or the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Still have questions? Reach us at support@apiroi.com.