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Sell to the diaspora — and the world.

DTO is a marketplace built for verified diaspora-owned makers. Founding Vendors keep 95% for the first 90 days. Apply in under 10 minutes.

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Why Sell Here

Built for diaspora makers —
not buried among them.

Verified, not vague.

Every DTO seller is reviewed for ownership, origin, and ethical sourcing. Buyers see the badge and shop with confidence — no fakes, no aggregators, no middlemen.

Fees that grow with you.

Founding Vendors pay 5% for 90 days. Starter is 10%. Growth and Featured plans get you a lower commission for a flat monthly fee. No hidden cuts on shipping or tips.

A community that promotes you.

DTO works with Pan-African media, heritage nonprofits, and culture-rooted partners to bring buyers to your storefront. Featured campaigns, corridor launches, founding-seller spotlights — all designed so buyers find you.

Our Fees, On One Page

No surprises. The fee tier is shown to you and to every buyer.

DTO uses a tiered fee model. Most sellers start as Founding or Starter Vendors and move into a paid plan when their volume justifies it. There are no listing fees, no cuts on shipping, and no hidden tips-skim.

Tier Monthly Fee Commission Best For
Founding Vendor $0 5% (first 90 days) Launch-cohort sellers committing to early DTO. Auto-transitions to Starter on day 91 unless upgraded.
Starter Vendor $0 10% Default for approved sellers post-Founding. No monthly fee.
Growth Vendor $49 / month 8% Sellers doing >$1K/month who want to keep more of each sale.
Featured Vendor $99 / month 10% + placement Sellers who want curated promotional surfaces (collection placement, hub spots).
Premium Campaign Per campaign 15–20% Time-bound partner campaigns and Heritage Month features.
Digital Goods / Courses $0 (typically) 20–30% Downloads, courses, digital licenses with separate refund policy.

Fees are calculated on the order subtotal after refunds. They do not apply to shipping or to optional buyer tips. Payouts are released after delivery confirmation and the DTO Protect window closes (typically 7–14 days after delivery).

Our Standards

We don't pretend to be Etsy. The bar is real, and the badge means something.

If you sell on DTO, here is what you commit to. These standards exist because buyers come to DTO expecting more than a generic marketplace. Most prospective sellers find this bar reasonable; if it doesn't fit your business right now, that's fine — we'd rather you wait than scramble.

  • Verified ownership. You are the maker, brand owner, or authorized representative — not a reseller of someone else's mass-produced goods.
  • Honest descriptions. Origin, materials, and technique are accurate. No falsified provenance, no counterfeit, no claims you can't back up.
  • Ship within 3 business days. With valid tracking. Late shipments without communication count against your seller score.
  • Respond to buyers within 48 hours. Through DTO Seller Hub messaging. Off-platform sales and silence are both grounds for restriction.
  • Follow the Prohibited Items policy. Counterfeit, regulated goods, weapons, unauthorized cultural appropriation, and certain category-specific items are not allowed.
  • Accept DTO Protect. Your payouts are subject to the buyer-protection window. We hold to release after delivery + protection window or after a dispute is resolved.
From Apply to Live in About Two Weeks

Four steps. No black box.

Apply (5–10 minutes).

Tell us who you are, what you make, and where you ship from. The form is on this page.

We review (within 5 business days).

Our Curation team scores fit on category, audience, capacity, and the four-question mission filter.

Submit your verification packet (within 7 days).

If you're approved to advance, we'll request: government ID or business registration, payout details, product samples or photos, and shipping setup.

Welcome to DTO Seller Hub.

Once verified, we send your vendor portal credentials, brand-and-policy training links, and your first listing-review checklist. You go live after your initial 3–5 listings are approved.

Founding Vendor designation is offered only to launch-cohort sellers; you'll be notified at approval. After 90 days, you transition to Starter unless you opt up to Growth or Featured. Verification can be revoked if products, descriptions, or fulfillment fall out of compliance after launch.

Apply to Sell

Apply to sell on DTO

It takes about 8 minutes. A member of our Curation team reviews every application within 5 business days.

 
Founding Vendors keep 95% for the first 90 days
 
No listing fees, ever
 
Verified badge builds buyer trust
 
DTO Protect covers every transaction
 
Pan-African partner promotion network

Start your application

Questions? Email sellers@dtoa.global

 
Before You Apply

Questions sellers ask us most.

Founding Vendors keep 95% for the first 90 days (5% commission, no monthly fee). After that, you transition to Starter at 10% with no monthly fee, or upgrade to Growth ($49/month + 8%) or Featured ($99/month + 10% with promotional placement). There are no listing fees and no cut on shipping or tips. Premium campaign placements run 15–20%; digital goods and courses run 20–30%.
Founding Vendors are sellers who join DTO during the launch cohort. The 5% rate runs for 90 days from your approval date, after which you move to Starter at 10% (or upgrade). It's a thank-you for early commitment, not an indefinite discount.
Initial application review takes up to 5 business days. If approved to advance, you'll be asked to submit a verification packet (ID/business registration, payout details, samples or photos). The full timeline from apply to live is typically 10–14 business days.
Most diaspora-rooted physical goods — apparel, textiles, jewelry, art, home goods, beauty, crafts. Some categories require extra review (food, supplements, regulated products). Some are prohibited (counterfeit, weapons, unauthorized cultural appropriation). The full list lives on the Prohibited Items page.
Sellers connect a payout account during verification. Payouts are released after delivery confirmation and the DTO Protect window closes (typically 7–14 days after delivery). For sellers in Nigeria and Ghana, mobile-money and Paystack/Flutterwave support is in development; until then, payouts go through approved bank rails coordinated through DTO.
DTO's first launch corridor is U.S. buyers and verified Nigeria / Ghana / U.S.-diaspora sellers. We accept applications from outside this corridor, but live activation may be queued until your origin's corridor goes live. We will tell you up-front.
DTO Protect is our buyer-protection program: payout-hold during the protection window, evidence-based dispute resolution, and a clear path for refund / partial refund / replacement / decline. It is not escrow — it's a marketplace risk-control program that protects buyers and gives sellers a fair process.
We tell you why and, in most cases, what would change the decision. Common reasons: insufficient origin attestation, capacity below the corridor's minimum, or category fit. You're welcome to reapply when the conditions change.
No. Sole proprietors are welcome at MVP. Some payout methods and tax treatments work best with a registered entity, but it's not required to apply.
Email sellers@dtoa.global. A team member responds within 2 business days. For urgent issues during onboarding, your Curation contact is your direct line.

Ready to put your work in front of the people looking for it?

Founding Vendor spots are limited. Apply now.

Start my application

Questions about selling on DTO?

sellers@dtoa.global