Help Centre
Everything you need to know about buying, selling, payments, delivery, fees and your account on HSC.
Dashboard guides
Getting started
What is HSC?
HSC (Home Shopping Centre) is a global marketplace covering seven categories: Shop (physical goods), Motors, Property, Jobs, Services, Digital and Events. You can browse and buy without an account; selling needs a free account.
Do I need an account to buy?
You can browse freely, but to buy, message a seller, save items or check out you'll need a free account. Create one here.
Is HSC free to use?
Buying is free. Listing is free in Shop and Digital; the other categories charge a small listing fee or a subscription. HSC takes a platform fee on completed sales — see Fees explained.
Buying
How do I buy something?
On a listing you can Add to Cart (to buy several things together) or Buy Now (to check out that item straight away). At checkout you pay securely by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Can I buy from several sellers at once?
Yes. Your cart can hold items from different sellers; at checkout it's split into one order per seller automatically, so each seller fulfils their own part.
How do I track my order?
Go to Dashboard → Orders → Purchases. You'll see each order's status (confirmed, dispatched, delivered) and any tracking number the seller adds. You'll also get a notification at each step.
When do I confirm delivery?
Once your item arrives and you're happy, press Confirm delivery on the order. This completes the order. Got a question first? Use Message seller on the same order before confirming.
Payments & payment methods
What payment methods can I use?
Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay are supported at checkout, processed securely by Stripe. Where available, additional methods such as Klarna may also appear depending on your region and the amount.
Why does the payment-processing fee vary?
Payment processing is charged by our payment provider (Stripe), and the exact cost depends on how the buyer pays. A standard UK debit/credit card is cheapest (around 1.5% + 20p); premium or international cards and some methods cost more (up to roughly 5.99% + 35p). If you pay in a different currency to the listing, a currency-conversion fee of about 2% can also apply. This is why sellers see processing shown as a range rather than a single number.
Is my payment secure?
Yes. Payments are handled entirely by Stripe — HSC never sees or stores your full card details.
Delivery
Who pays for delivery?
The buyer pays delivery at checkout — it is never deducted from the seller. The price depends on the buyer's location and the delivery options the seller has set.
How is the delivery cost worked out?
Sellers set their own delivery prices and estimated times (and which places they ship to). At checkout you'll see the delivery cost for your address before you pay.
Selling & listing
How do I list something?
Tap + Sell, choose a category and fill in the form. Shop and Digital are free to list; Motors, Property, Jobs, Services and Events charge a per-listing fee (or use a subscription).
What does it cost to sell?
Two parts: a small platform fee taken from completed sales (e.g. 5% on Shop), and the payment-processing fee on the transaction. Delivery is covered by the buyer. The seller calculator on the listing form shows your exact take-home. See Fees explained.
What happens when my listing sells?
The buyer pays, you're notified, and the sale proceeds (minus fees) are credited to your HSC wallet. Sold items stay on your profile marked "Sold" but leave public browse.
Wallet, getting paid & cashouts
Where does my money go when I sell?
Into your Wallet. You receive the full amount the buyer paid (item + delivery) minus our platform fee (charged on the item only) and the card-processing fee. You can spend the balance on HSC (listing fees, promotions) or withdraw it.
When are my funds available (pending earnings)?
To protect buyers and sellers, sale proceeds are held as pending in your wallet until the order is delivered. Mark it dispatched (add a tracking number), then mark it delivered. The funds move from pending to your available balance when the buyer confirms receipt, or automatically 3 days after you mark it delivered if the buyer doesn't respond. Only available (released) funds can be withdrawn.
How do I get paid out?
First set up payouts on the wallet page — you connect your own Stripe account through a quick, secure onboarding (we never see your bank details). After that, tap Withdraw and the money is sent instantly to your connected Stripe account, which pays out to your bank. You can never withdraw more than your available balance.
Can I top up my wallet?
Yes — add funds by card from the wallet page to cover listing fees or promotions.
Subscriptions
What are subscriptions for?
In paid categories, a monthly plan gives you a number of listing slots plus featured slots, with free renewals within your quota — cheaper than paying per listing if you sell regularly.
What happens if my subscription ends?
Listings published under the plan stay live until the period ends, then deactivate. Renew (or re-list per item) to bring them back — renewing restores them automatically up to your slot count.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, from Dashboard → Subscriptions. You keep the plan until the end of the period you've paid for.
Your shops & profile
What are shops / shopfronts?
You can open up to 3 separate shops from Dashboard → My Shops. Each is its own store with its own name, branding and public link, and you organise your products into your own custom collections within it. Your main seller profile still shows everything you have listed.
Who can see my followers and following?
Anyone can open your followers/following lists from your profile, unless you've hidden them in privacy settings. Your friends list (mutual follows) is always private to you.
Featured & boosting
Trust & safety
What are trust levels?
As you build a clean selling history you move up trust tiers (New → Trusted → Established → Verified), unlocking instant publishing, higher limits and priority in search. See the full breakdown on the Trust levels page.
What if something goes wrong with an order?
You're covered by Buyer Protection. If an item doesn't arrive or isn't as described, message the seller first; if it isn't resolved you can open a dispute for a refund.
How do I report a listing or user?
Use the report option on any listing or profile, or see Reporting a problem. Our moderation team reviews every report.
Messaging
How do I message a seller?
Press Message on a listing or profile to start a chat. You can send photos, offers and invoices within the conversation.
Can I mute a chat?
Yes — open the conversation and tap the mute icon. You'll still receive messages but won't get notifications for that chat. You can also fine-tune which notifications you get in notification settings.
Account, privacy & notifications
How do I manage my account?
Everything lives under Settings — profile, privacy, notifications, addresses, security and account deactivation.
Can I change currency or language?
Yes — use the switchers in the footer/menu. Prices convert for display instantly; you're always charged in the listing's currency.
How do I control notifications?
In notification settings you can turn each type on or off independently (messages, offers, orders, reviews, and more).
Fees explained
What are all the fees?
Two fees come out of a sale: Platform fee — HSC's commission (e.g. 5% on Shop; lower on Motors; £0 on pay-to-list categories), charged only on the order value (your item) — never on delivery. And payment processing — the card fee, taken by our payment provider on the full amount the buyer pays (item + delivery), which varies by their payment method (≈1.5%–5.99% + 20–35p, plus ≈2% if currency conversion applies). Delivery is paid by the buyer and passed to you in full to cover postage.
Can you show me an example?
Item £100, delivery £20 → the buyer pays £120. We take commission on the £100 only (£5 on Shop). The card-processing fee is taken on the whole £120. You receive the rest: £120 − £5 commission − the processing fee. The £20 delivery is yours to cover postage.
Does HSC charge me to get paid?
Withdrawals to your connected Stripe account are sent instantly and HSC adds no withdrawal fee. The only sale cost is the one-time platform + processing fee above.
Still need a hand?
Contact Support