Guides on how sellers and buyers can use the marketplace
For a seller
To register as a seller, nothing could be simpler: just click on "Sign up" on the home page of the site or by clicking on "posting an offer", then on "Create an account". You will then have to fill in the fields allowing you to identify your company and the privileged interlocutors, then accept the CGU and the confidentiality policy, after having consulted them.
Once this step is validated, you will receive a confirmation email inviting you to validate your account; remember to check your spam!
By clicking on "posting an offer", you access a brief questionnaire to describe your offer.
Category : the type of recycled plastic you are searching for/selling
Selling with online payment or requesting : What is your payment preference? Selling with online payment allows you to negotiate the price with the buyer
Listing title : Make sure you provide an accurate title for you product, but that is not too long like : LDPE pellets
Price : is the price for metric Ton
Shipping Fees: The product may have to be shipped overseas, so make sure you include the shipping fees.
The shipping fees are calculated depending on the destination country of the buyer. So when you post an offer, you can indicate the approximate price for shipping. This fee will then be updated when the buyer proceeds to payment.
Detailed description: If you want the transaction to be efficient, make sure to provide the properties of the plastic , we advise you to provide at least the information in your Data sheet : Density , MFI, Viscosity , ….. . This is the first information the buyer is looking for.
Min quantity : the buyer can order for at least a specific amount of quantity, please specify it
Location: Where is the plastic being shipped from
Recycled Plastic Import source: Where was the recycled material sourced from?
Picture : a quality picture is required
Data sheet : we recommend the buyer to upload the data sheet, it’s the most efficient way to get all the information about the product
Once you’ve filled out the required information and post your listing, the MikaCycle team will validate your ad within 24 hours, then put it online!
Remember to go to the "Settings" tab of your account as soon as possible to complete your profile:
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"Profile info": the name of your company, its address, legal and contact information
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"Payments": connect your Stripe Business account. This step is essential so that you can receive payments from customers. If you have not already done so, you must create and configure a free Stripe account for professionals here.
Payment :
To receive funds in your bank account, you will use Stripe payment service provider. This component enables to pay and receive funds.
Today, Stripe is available for seller in the following countries individuals:
If you are selling from any of the countries listed above, you just need to link your bank account in the payment preferences.
However, if you are selling from another country that is not listed above, we can still process payments through Mikacycle. Please contact us using your account in the marketplace to set up the appropriate payment configuration.
Stripe is currently working on expanding to other countries. You can find out more about the new integration here : https://stripe.com/global
Commission :
Every service within the platform is free, MikaCycle only takes a commission when the payment is complete. The commission is split between the buyer and the seller by 2.5 %
For processing the payment, the payment engine Stripe charges 0.25 % + 0.10 $ . So a seller charging 20,000 $, will receive 19,449.9. $.
Logistics :
MikaCycle does not manage the logistics for the buyer, as the logistics in this market are well established. Most of the time, the seller provides the freight service for which the shipping fees are included in the final price. The buyer and seller can chat for free via the marketplace and discuss the shipping and tracking. Additionally, the seller provides support on the tracking of the goods.
In order to secure the transaction and make sure the buyer receives the products, the payment is only released to the seller upon the validation of the shipping document by the MikaCycle team.
As a seller, you will be informed by the marketplace through your inbox that shipping documents should be uploaded in order to confirm the shipping to the buyer, and transfer money to your account.
As a seller, you must upload the shipping documents within 3 working days after the buyer has proceeded to the payment. After this deadline, if no action is performed, the transaction is cancelled and the money is sent back to the buyer.
Sampling Process:
Sampling enables buyers to test the product before purchasing big quantities. As a seller, you can provide samples to potential buyers through the marketplace.
When you post a new offer, you can choose if samples are available for this product and provide the dimensions of the samples : this information is used to calculate the shipping fees.
To be able to receive the sampling fees payment from the buyer, your payment account details should be set.
- Go to setting
- Go to payments
- Enter your account number
Once this step is completed, the buyer can order samples. Requests for samples are available in your inbox including the destination address for shipping.
If you already have offers available and would like to add samples:
- Go to your offer listing
- Click on “Edit listing”
- Set the field ‘samples available’ to “yes” and provide the product dimensions
When the buyer pays for the samples, the money is held in an escrow account until the samples are received by the buyer : the buyer marks the transaction as complete in the marketplace
How to sell samples
The buyer can order samples if your account in Mikacycle is set to receive the money. To set up the payment, go to :
Setting > Payment > fill your address and your account number depending on your country.
For a buyer
Account creation
You can search for a product by location and type of plastic : PET, HDPE , ….. . Before using more services like chatting with the seller or making an offer , you have to register by clicking on “Sign up”.
After registration, you will receive an confirmation email to activate your account and start your activity on the marketplace.
Navigation
You can view the product by location, or in grid/List. To filter your results you can choose the plastic form you need along with the type. The seller provides the properties and Data sheet of the product in the product description, but the chat feature with the seller is here to facilitate the communication and let you get the information you need as soon as possible.
You can choose to buy the product directly if the price is suitable for you, or negotiate with the seller using the chat feature and make an offer that he will accept or refuse.
The seller has 3 days to process the offer or the transaction, after this deadline if no action is performed by the seller, the transaction is cancelled.
Transaction flow
Through the transaction flow, we offer buyers the possibility to suggest a price for a defined quantity and also make it possible for the buyer and seller to discuss in real time any matter they wish.
What tends to be of more importance for the buyer is the payment and how to make sure they can trust the seller during the purchasing process. As third party payment providers, we have strategized the procedure of import/export to secure both parties interests.
As a buyer, when you proceed to checkout, the amount paid is not directly transferred to the seller account. The money is held by the marketplace upon verification of shipping documents.
How to order samples
You can test the product before purchasing large quantities by requesting samples from the seller.
Shipping fees are paid by the buyer. They are calculated based on the shipping address and the sample dimensions.
To request samples, click on Order samples in the listing page and fill in the shipping address, choose shipping method and use a credit card to pay the shipping fees. Note that this option is visible only when the seller is providing samples.
The money you pay is sent to the seller only once you receive the samples and complete the transaction in the marketplace.
When you receive the samples, you must go to the sample request you made ( in the inbox) and mark the transaction as completed. This step is mandatory for the seller to receive the shipping fees payment.