Online shopping in Nepal has grown dramatically, but so has fraud. Whether you are buying from Daraz, Facebook Marketplace, or a small Instagram seller, applying a few consistent safety habits eliminates most of the risk. This guide covers the practical steps that protect your money and your personal information.
Verify Before You Pay
The most important principle in online shopping safety is simple: never send money to someone you cannot verify. Verification does not have to be complicated:
For platform sellers: check their seller rating, review count, and the age of their account. A seller with 300+ completed transactions and a 95% rating has a track record. A newly created account with five 5-star reviews (often fake) does not.
For Instagram or social media sellers: search their username on Google. Established sellers have a digital footprint — press mentions, old posts, tagged photos from buyers. A seller with zero Google results and a 6-month-old Instagram account is higher risk.
For WhatsApp or direct contact sellers: ask for their business registration number, a live video call showing the product, or an in-person inspection for high-value items. Scammers typically refuse or make excuses when asked for any of these.
Protect Your Payment
Use escrow when available
Escrow holds your money in a neutral account until you confirm receipt of the item. If anything goes wrong, you can dispute before the funds are released. Never pay in advance directly to a seller's personal account for items above NPR 2,000 unless you have an established relationship with that seller.
Avoid bank transfers to individuals
Once money leaves your bank account to a private individual, reversing it is extremely difficult. Use eSewa or Khalti for the dispute mechanisms they provide — but be aware that peer-to-peer wallet transfers also have limited protection. The safest payment method for online shopping in Nepal is via a platform with built-in escrow or buyer protection.
Never share your OTP
Your One-Time Password is the key to your account. No legitimate seller, delivery person, platform support agent, or bank employee will ever need your OTP. Anyone who asks for it is attempting fraud. Hang up. End the chat. Then change your password.
Protect Your Personal Information
Be selective about the information you share with sellers. Your full name and delivery address are necessary. Your national ID number, bank account details, and date of birth are not. No legitimate online seller needs your NID for a routine purchase.
Use a separate email address for online shopping. If that address gets compromised by a data breach, your primary accounts remain safe.
For eSewa and Khalti accounts: enable two-factor authentication, set a transaction limit, and regularly review your transaction history for unauthorised activity.
Safe Delivery Practices
Photograph packages before opening: if an item arrives damaged or incorrect, a photo of the sealed package is your strongest evidence for a refund claim. Take the photo before opening regardless of whether you suspect a problem.
Inspect before signing for cash-on-delivery: for COD orders, you have the right to inspect the package before handing over cash. If a delivery agent refuses to allow inspection, refuse the delivery and contact the seller. Legitimate sellers and courier companies allow pre-payment inspection.
Track your delivery: always ask for a tracking number. Untracked shipments are impossible to dispute if they go missing. Reputable sellers use trackable courier services for items above NPR 1,000.
What to Do If Something Goes Wrong
Act within 24 hours of receiving a problematic order. Document everything with photos before touching the item. Contact the platform's dispute team first — they have the fastest resolution path. If the platform cannot help, contact Nepal Police Cyber Bureau (cybercrime.gov.np) for payment fraud. For consumer goods disputes, the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection (03-535-DOCSCP) handles formal complaints.