Frequently asked questions

Yes — browsing, buying, and listing are all free. Sellers pay no commission and keep 100% of their item price. Buyers pay a small buyer-protection fee (5% + S$0.90) and a delivery fee where applicable, both shown before you confirm.

Singapore only at launch. Buyers and sellers, delivery, and payouts are all Singapore-based for now.

Sellers verify their identity with Singpass before they can sell. Payments are held in escrow and released to the seller only after delivery. Our in-app chat warns against and blocks off-platform payment — the most common scam — and reviews come only from real, completed purchases.

Not to browse or buy. To sell or withdraw your earnings, yes — a one-time Singpass verification confirms you're a real person.

Head to our contact page or email hello@tela.sg and we'll help.

In-app via PayNow or card. Your payment is held securely until you confirm your item arrived as described — so your money is protected the whole way.

Buyer Protection covers eligible orders paid through Tela where the item does not arrive or arrives significantly not as described. It does not cover change of mind, or an item that matches its description. If a claim is decided in your favour you're refunded in full, including the protection fee. See our Terms for the full detail.

Report a problem in the app within 48 hours of delivery. That pauses payment to the seller while we review. Add photos and details as evidence, and we'll help resolve it.

It's 5% of the item price plus S$0.90, shown before you pay. It funds Buyer Protection and secure payment handling on every order.

Orders are sent with tracked local delivery through our delivery partner. The fee is calculated from the parcel and shown at checkout. Some sellers also offer meet-up, where there's no delivery fee.

You can make an offer on many listings. There's no change-of-mind return — items are pre-loved and sold by individuals — but Buyer Protection covers you if an item doesn't arrive or is significantly not as described.

Refunds go back to your original payment method, including the protection fee, once a claim is resolved in your favour. How quickly it appears depends on your bank or card issuer.

Paying off-platform loses your Buyer Protection, is a common scam, and breaches our Terms. Keeping everything on Tela is what keeps your money safe.

No — there's no listing fee and no commission. You keep 100% of your item price. (Buyers cover the protection fee.)

Once an order is delivered and the 48-hour buyer-protection window passes with no issue — or the buyer confirms earlier — your earnings land in your in-app wallet. You can withdraw any time.

A standard withdrawal to a linked bank account is free and typically arrives in 1–2 business days. An instant withdrawal to an eligible debit card arrives within minutes for a 1% fee (minimum S$0.50). Actual speed depends on Stripe and your bank or card issuer.

Verify once with Singpass to list. Bank and identity verification (through Stripe) is only needed when you withdraw — so you can list and sell first, and set up payouts later.

Accept the order, get a prepaid tracked label (or arrange the agreed method), dispatch within the window shown, and hand it to the courier. Tracking updates the order automatically.

Your payout pauses while we review. Share your evidence — photos, tracking, and chat history — and we'll decide a fair outcome under Buyer Protection.

Yes. If an order is later refunded to the buyer under Buyer Protection, we reverse the matching wallet credit. If you've already withdrawn it, your balance can go negative and is recovered from your future earnings. Selling accurately and shipping promptly is the best way to avoid this.

No counterfeits, stolen, illegal, or hazardous items, nothing that infringes someone's intellectual property, and no non-fashion items outside the categories we permit. See our Community Standards for the full list.

Groups are communities within Tela — a school, an office, a neighbourhood, a shared interest. Members can list items just for that group, or to everyone on Tela as usual.

Someone shares an invite link with you. Open it and you'll see a preview of the group before you decide. Some groups let you join straight away; others ask the owner to approve your request first.

Only members of that group. A group-only listing doesn't appear in the main Tela feed or in search. When you create a listing you choose its audience: everyone on Tela, or one of your groups.

If you leave a group — or the owner removes you — your group-only listings from that group become visible to everyone on Tela. If you'd rather they weren't public, delete them before you leave.

Yes. Group owners manage their own membership and can remove members or decline join requests. That only affects that group — your Tela account, your orders and your earnings are unaffected.

Yes. Buying within a group works exactly like buying anywhere else on Tela: the same escrow, the same Buyer Protection, the same fees. Group listings must also follow our Community Standards.