eSewa and Khalti are the two dominant digital wallets in Nepal, processing millions of transactions monthly. Both platforms have built-in features designed to protect buyers and sellers — but most users do not know how these protections actually work. Here is what you need to know.
How eSewa Protects Buyers
eSewa's buyer protection applies to transactions made through its integrated merchant network — not peer-to-peer transfers. When you pay a registered eSewa merchant (a business that has formally signed up with eSewa), the transaction is documented and tied to the merchant's account. If the merchant fails to deliver or delivers a fraudulent product, you can file a dispute with eSewa.
eSewa Dispute Process
Call eSewa customer support at 01-5970017 within 7 days of the problematic transaction. Provide your transaction ID (found in your transaction history), the merchant name, and a description of the issue. eSewa investigates and can freeze merchant payouts during the dispute period. Resolution typically takes 7–14 business days.
Peer-to-peer eSewa transfers (sending money to an individual's personal account) have much weaker protection. If you send money to a personal eSewa account and the recipient is a scammer, your only recourse is Nepal Police Cyber Bureau — eSewa itself cannot reverse completed peer-to-peer transfers.
How Khalti Protects Buyers
Khalti operates a similar merchant network model. Payments to Khalti-registered merchants are documented and disputable. Khalti has a formal grievance redressal process and is regulated by Nepal Rastra Bank under the Payment and Settlement Bylaw 2072.
Khalti Dispute Process
Contact Khalti support via 9801856263 or support@khalti.com within 7 days. Provide your Khalti transaction ID and the details of the merchant or transaction in question. For amounts above NPR 10,000, Khalti recommends filing a concurrent complaint with Nepal Rastra Bank's payment system oversight department.
What Neither eSewa Nor Khalti Can Do
Reverse completed peer-to-peer transfers. If you sent money to a personal number and that person is a scammer, the money cannot be recovered by the wallet. This is the most important limitation most buyers do not know about until it is too late.
Guarantee physical delivery. eSewa and Khalti confirm that payment was processed — they cannot confirm that a product was shipped or received. Payment confirmation from a seller does not mean the product exists.
Verify seller identity. Anyone can have an eSewa or Khalti account. The wallet providers do verify accounts for KYC purposes, but a verified account does not mean the seller is trustworthy or that their product is genuine.
The Safer Alternative: Escrow Payments
Escrow payment holds the buyer's money in a neutral account until the buyer confirms receipt of the item. Neither the seller nor the buyer can access the funds during transit. This eliminates the two most common fraud scenarios: sellers who take payment and never ship, and buyers who receive items and then file false reversal claims.
eSewa and Khalti do not currently offer consumer escrow products for marketplace transactions. Platforms that have built escrow into their checkout flow — including the upcoming Troverve marketplace — provide significantly stronger transaction protection than wallet-to-wallet transfers.
Tips for Using eSewa and Khalti Safely Online
Only pay registered merchants when shopping online. Look for the official eSewa or Khalti merchant badge on the checkout page.
Never share your OTP with anyone. Legitimate eSewa and Khalti support will never ask for your one-time password.
Enable transaction notifications so you receive instant alerts for every wallet activity.
Set a transaction limit in your wallet settings so that a compromised account cannot be drained entirely.
For high-value purchases above NPR 10,000, use a platform with escrow rather than a direct wallet transfer.