Booking Security Hold Policy
Last updated: September 29, 2026
This policy explains SabKi Sawari's Booking Security Hold - a wallet hold placed on a passenger's booking, separate from the cash trip fare. It is not a bank deposit, and it is not a fee charged to you for using the platform.
1. What the Security Hold Is
When a passenger books a trip, SabKi Sawari holds an amount from that passenger's in-app wallet balance to secure the booking. The current default is 50% of the applicable booking fare. This amount is reserved, not spent - it stays as the passenger's own wallet balance, just temporarily unavailable for other bookings while it secures this one. We use the terms "Booking Security Hold" and "Security Amount" for this; it is not a regulated deposit product, an EMI, or a form of lending.
The trip fare itself is a separate matter: it is paid in cash directly to the driver upon boarding. The Security Hold does not pay for the trip - it secures the booking against no-shows and false bookings.
2. Why SabKi Sawari Uses a Security Hold
Vehicle owners and drivers commit a seat, and sometimes travel to a pickup point, based on a confirmed booking. The Security Hold reduces false or careless bookings and protects that commitment, while remaining the passenger's own money throughout.
3. Wallet Balance Required to Book
A passenger's available wallet balance must be sufficient to cover the required Security Hold for a booking. If available balance is insufficient, the booking cannot be completed until the wallet is topped up. See the Payment & Wallet Policy for how top-ups work.
4. When the Held Amount Is Released
- Trip completed as booked: once the passenger's pickup is confirmed and the trip proceeds normally, the held amount is released back to the passenger's available wallet balance.
- Cancelled ahead of departure: the held amount is released according to the cancellation tiers in the Cancellation, No-Show & Refund Policy - in full if cancelled 2 or more hours before departure, or minus an applicable tiered charge if cancelled closer to departure time.
- No-show: if the driver arrives and the passenger is confirmed as a no-show, the current default deduction is 25% of the held amount; the remainder is released. See the Cancellation, No-Show & Refund Policy for the full no-show process.
Any deduction under this policy is taken only from the held amount and never exceeds it.
5. This Is Not Passenger Commission
SabKi Sawari does not currently charge passengers a platform commission. The Security Hold is not a commission or a fee for using the app - it is the passenger's own wallet balance, held and then released, minus only the specific policy deductions described above (cancellation charges, no-show charges) where they apply.
6. Questions About a Held Amount
If you believe a hold, release, or deduction on your booking was applied incorrectly, contact support@sabkisawari.com with your booking reference, or see our Complaint & Dispute Resolution page.