Chowdeck adds vendor badges weeks after Techpoint Africa investigation exposed onboarding gaps
Chowdeck has introduced vendor verification badges weeks after a Techpoint Africa investigation showed that a fake restaurant could be listed and fulfil orders on its platform.
<br />
Summary<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Chowdeck has introduced Vendor Badges to show customers whether a restaurant is verified, awaiting verification, or served through its shopper model.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The update comes weeks after a Techpoint Africa investigation showed that a fake restaurant could be listed on Chowdeck and fulfil an order.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Chowdeck says fully verified vendors must submit CAC, Tax Identification Number, ownership, address, and banking details before receiving full access.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The move could increase pressure on Nigeria’s food delivery platforms to improve vendor transparency and consumer protection.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The company said the badges are designed to make it clearer whether a vendor is a fully verified Chowdeck partner, still awaiting verification, or being served through Chowdeck’s shopper model. The update comes at a time when food delivery platforms are facing questions about vendor impersonation, customer safety, and who should be held responsible when fake businesses appear on their apps.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Under the new system, a “Verified” badge will be given to official Chowdeck partners that have been fully vetted, documented, and directly integrated into the platform. An “Awaiting Verification” badge will apply to starter businesses whose verification is still ongoing. Chowdeck says these businesses cannot operate fully and are placed under stricter restrictions until they complete verification.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The third badge, “Shopper,” applies to businesses that are not direct Chowdeck vendors. In this model, a trained Chowdeck shopper stationed around the vendor’s location buys the item on the customer’s behalf and hands it over to a rider.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Chowdeck says direct partners go through deeper checks, including reviews of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration details, Tax Identification Numbers (TIN), ownership information, operational addresses, and banking details. The company also says it works with verification partners such as Mono and SmileID to validate submissions against official records.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The cla...
