Overview
Every deal on ReBattery moves through a defined sequence of steps. Both parties share the same workspace and must advance or confirm each step before the deal progresses. This prevents either side from skipping ahead and ensures there is a clear record of what was agreed and when.
There are two deal paths: purchase deals (between a supplier and a buyer) and recycling deals (between a supplier or buyer and a recycler). Both follow the same lifecycle structure, with minor differences noted below.
Step 1: Offer or Enquiry
A deal starts from one of three sources:
- Purchase offer — a buyer submits a bid on a negotiated-price listing
- Buy Now — a buyer purchases a fixed-price listing directly, skipping the offer stage
- Recycling enquiry — a supplier or buyer contacts a recycler from the directory
For purchase offers and recycling enquiries, both parties may counter before accepting. Once accepted, a deal is created and both parties move into the deal workspace.
Buy Now actions create a deal immediately at the listed price — no negotiation takes place.
Step 2: Terms Agreed
Once the deal is created, both parties review and confirm the agreed terms. This step captures:
- Final price and quantity
- Collection address and schedule
- Any specific fulfilment requirements raised during negotiation
Both sides must confirm terms before the deal advances. If either party wants to adjust something at this stage, they raise it through the deal workspace messaging thread before confirming.
For recycling deals, the recycler's processing terms — including any fees, timeline, and delivery requirements — are confirmed at this step.
Step 3: Agreement Signing
Once terms are confirmed, the platform generates a deal agreement. This is a legally-binding document that captures the confirmed terms, business details of both parties, and the collection or delivery schedule.
Both parties must sign the agreement before payment can proceed. Agreements are signed from the Documents tab in the deal workspace. Once both signatures are in place, the agreement is locked and the deal advances.
See Signing and Agreements for full detail on what the agreement contains and how to sign.
Step 4: Payment
Payment applies to purchase deals. The buyer submits payment from the deal workspace after the agreement is signed.
The platform holds the payment in escrow. The deal moves to a confirmed state once payment is received — at that point the supplier knows funds are secured and collection can proceed.
Some payment methods (such as bank transfer) take additional processing time. The deal will show a pending state during this window and advance automatically when payment clears.
For recycling deals where the recycler charges a processing fee, payment direction may work in either direction — the recycler may pay the supplier for recovered material value, or the supplier may pay the recycler for processing services. This is agreed during the enquiry stage and confirmed in the deal terms.
See Payments and Payouts for more on how payment is processed.
Step 5: Collection
With payment confirmed, both parties use the deal workspace to coordinate the physical handoff. The collection schedule set on the listing is the starting point — either party can propose a specific date and time from within the available windows.
For purchase deals: the buyer (or their carrier) collects from the supplier's site. The supplier marks collection complete once the battery has left their custody.
For recycling deals: collection logistics follow the recycler's processing terms — the recycler may collect, or the sender may arrange delivery to the recycling facility. The workspace messaging thread is used to coordinate.
Step 6: Completion and Payout
Once collection is confirmed, the deal moves to completion.
For purchase deals: the supplier marks the deal complete. Funds held in escrow are released to the supplier's connected account. Payout typically arrives within 2–7 business days depending on your bank and payment method.
For recycling deals: the recycler uploads the recycling confirmation document once processing is complete. Both parties sign the confirmation. This serves as the end-of-life record for the battery and closes the deal.
See Supplier Payouts for detail on payout timing and connected account setup.
What Can Block a Deal
Deals can stall if either party is unresponsive. The most common blockers are:
- Unsigned agreement — the deal cannot advance past Step 3 until both parties sign
- Payment not submitted — the deal waits at the payment step until the buyer completes payment
- Collection not confirmed — the supplier must mark handoff complete to trigger payout release
- Recycling confirmation not uploaded — recycling deals require the recycler to upload the confirmation document before the deal can close
If your counterparty is unresponsive, use the deal workspace messaging thread. If there is no progress after a reasonable period, contact support with the deal reference number.
Cancellation
Deals can be cancelled by either party before collection takes place. If payment has already been made, contact support — refund and cancellation handling depends on the stage the deal has reached and the circumstances involved.