Opening your shop — step by step

From "buyer" to "seller" — pick a shop name, verify your phone the right way, and finish.

Opening a shop takes about 10 minutes

This is the moment you go from being a buyer to being a seller. After this step, your account has a shop attached, and you can start adding products and videos.

What you'll need

• A KampalaSnap account already (if you don't have one, read How to sign up and verify your phone first).
• Your phone number on WhatsApp (we'll explain why below).
• A shop name idea.
• About 10 minutes of focus.

You don't need photos, products, or anything else yet — those come in the next steps. This is just about making the shop exist.

Why your phone has to be on WhatsApp

Buyers contact sellers through a WhatsApp button on every shop and product page. If your phone number isn't on WhatsApp, the button takes the buyer to a dead WhatsApp link — they can't reach you. That kills sales fast.

So before you open the shop, make sure your number is registered on WhatsApp. Install WhatsApp on the phone with that SIM card, set up the profile, and send a quick message to yourself or a friend so the account is active. That's it.

If you signed up to KampalaSnap with an SMS code (not a WhatsApp code), the app will block you from opening a shop until your number is on WhatsApp. This is a deliberate safety check — not a bug.

What if I changed my SIM and the old number was on WhatsApp?

Move your WhatsApp account to the new SIM (WhatsApp has an in-app "Change number" option), or update your KampalaSnap account's phone number to the new one. Either way, the number on your account has to be the same one you use on WhatsApp.

The 5 steps

Step 1 — Open the seller mode

In the app, tap your avatar (top-right of most screens, or bottom-right depending on your phone). Tap Become a seller.

If you don't see that option, tap Settings → Account → Become a seller.

Step 2 — Choose what you're selling

You'll see two big options:

• Open a shop — for selling physical products (clothes, food, electronics, etc.).
• Open a service — for offering services (cleaner, mechanic, beautician, photographer, etc.).

This guide covers Open a shop. (For services, see the Service Providers guide.)

Tap Open a shop.

Step 3 — Pick a shop name

Your shop name is the public face of your business. It's what shows up on every video, every product, and every order. Pick something:

• Short and memorable. People type it into search bars.
• Easy to say out loud. Word of mouth is real.
• Not the same as another shop's name. The app will check and tell you if it's taken.

Examples that work: - MamaKitchenKla - BodaParts22 - KaffeineKampala

What doesn't work: - Spaces (use underscores or join words). - Symbols other than letters and numbers. - Names that copy a known brand (Nike-Kampala will get flagged).

If your first choice is taken, the app suggests a few free alternatives. Pick one or try another idea.

You can change the shop name later, but the URL of your shop page includes the name — changing it means old links break. Pick something you'll be happy with for at least a year.

Step 4 — Confirm your phone

If your KampalaSnap account already passed phone verification (you did this at signup), this step is just a confirmation: "yes, this is my number."

If the app says "Your phone hasn't been verified via WhatsApp yet", follow the instructions to re-verify. Usually this means:

1. Tap Send WhatsApp code.
2. Look on WhatsApp for a message from "KampalaSnap" or "Meta."
3. Type the 6-digit code into the app.
4. Tap Verify.

That's it for the verification.

Step 5 — Tap "Open Shop"

A green button at the bottom of the screen. Tap it. The app:

• Creates your shop with the name you chose.
• Flips your account role from buyer to seller (you're still a buyer too — you just have a shop now).
• Drops you on the Seller Hub dashboard.

You'll see tabs for: - Orders — incoming orders (empty for now). - Products — your product catalog (empty for now). - Videos — your videos (empty for now). - Insights — your sales analytics (empty for now). - Edit — your shop profile settings.

You're officially a seller. 🟡

What your shop looks like right now

If a buyer searched for your shop name and tapped it, they'd see:

• Your shop name + a generic placeholder logo.
• An empty bio.
• "0 products" and "0 videos."
• No location set.
• "0 followers" and "0 reviews."

That's normal for day 1. The next step is making your shop look real so when buyers find it, they want to stick around.

What to do RIGHT NOW (the same evening)

Even if you don't have products yet, do this much:

1. Add a logo. Open Edit → Logo. Upload anything — a photo of yourself, a photo of your storefront, an icon. Even a simple colour-block looks better than the placeholder.
2. Write a one-line bio. "Vintage clothing curated by hand." "Boda parts and repairs in Bukoto." "Homemade pickled mangoes." Whatever captures the vibe.
3. Set your location. Even if you ship anywhere, having a base location helps the algorithm show you to nearby buyers.

These 3 things take 2 minutes and they're the difference between "empty shell" and "real business." Walk through them in the next guide: Setting up your shop profile.

Common questions

What if I want to be both a shop AND a service provider?

Open the shop first (this guide). Then go back to your avatar → Become a service provider → repeat the same steps for service setup. One account can hold both.

Can I change the shop name later?

Yes, in Edit → Shop name. But anyone who saved your old shop URL will get a 404 — KampalaSnap doesn't redirect old names to new ones. Pick a name you can live with for a while.

My shop name was rejected. Why?

A few possibilities:

• Already taken. Someone else has it. Pick another.
• Looks like a known brand. "Nike-Kampala" or "Coca-Cola-Uganda" will be flagged to avoid trademark issues.
• Contains banned characters. Symbols, emoji, or spaces.
• Profane. We check against a basic profanity list.

The app tells you which problem it was. Try again with a different name.

I opened the shop but I'm not seeing the Seller Hub.

Two things to check:

• Force-close the app and reopen. The app needs to refresh your role.
• Tap the avatar → Switch to Seller mode. Some phones don't switch automatically.

If it still doesn't show, the shop didn't fully save. Try opening it again from Become a seller. If it still fails, email support@kampalasnap.com with your username.

Do I have to verify my shop right after opening?

No. You can sell as an unverified seller from the moment your shop exists. Verification is optional and costs money — most new sellers operate unverified for at least the first month or two while they figure out what they're doing. See The path to verification.

Can I delete my shop later?

Yes. Edit → Close shop. The shop page becomes inactive (buyers can't visit or buy). Your account stays — you can still buy from other shops. Reopening a closed shop later restores everything.

If you also want to delete your whole account, that's a different flow — see Account security.

What's next

• Setting up your shop profile — make the shop look like a real place.
• Adding your first product — your first listing.