Picture this

Who it is for

Ngozi rents out camera gear. Deposit Return holds each renter's deposit, and when she ticks the return checklist the money is back in under a second, with any agreed deduction shown line by line.

Two ways to own it

What you get

Base$119

$30 deposit to reserve

Deposit link, checklist, instant return, itemised deductions, renter record.

You choose: accent color
You choose: deduction rules

Customfrom $800

Built around you

Reshape it entirely: new features, your flows, your brand end to end, integrations you need. We scope it with you.

Everything in Base
Custom features and design
Priority build

Why it is new

What exists today, and what this does differently

What is new

Escrow apps exist; a deposit product with checklist triggered instant return and itemised deductions on a stablecoin chain was not found.

Closest things out there

Generic escrow dapps; Airbnb style damage deposits off chain.

Checked with web searches in October 2026. A search is not proof that nothing similar exists, and the market moves fast, so we recheck before every build.

What it unlocks

The human in it

Trust that returns on time, every time.

The Regatta Board

Races it can enter

hackathon · Circle · upcoming

Arc / Circle developer programs and hackathons

unknown

Official page ↗

Ecosystem program for shipped apps; check current terms.

Their rule on existing code: unknown

What you own

The whole app, not a starter kit.

The complete Deposit Return app: rental and event deposits held in USDC that return themselves the second the checklist is signed, with a paywall, owner console and counter agent built in.

Base price · $119

The user app, complete

Every buyer gets the same finished app. Basic branding and copy changes come through a quick form.

Three step onboardingHome

Shown once: deposits held in USDC, priced up front, back at the counter.

Counter status and next actionHome

Deposits held, rentals this week, median return time and one clear next step.

Active rentalsRentals

Every kit out with its renter, due time and deposit in escrow.

Renter records and rental limitRentals

Check a renter's clean return record and go past 10 rentals a month. Gated behind Studio.

Return checklist and instant releaseReturn

Tick every line; the deposit returns in under a second with deductions line by line.

Line level disputesReturn

Only the disputed line waits; the shop decides with evidence.

Price listPrices

Deposit, each priced deduction, late grace and dispute window, capped per line.

Two photo damage suggestionsPrices

A fee suggested only when two photos agree, never deducted alone. Gated behind Studio.

Receipts, onchain and offchainReceipts

Every return and dispute with what is and is never on chain.

Plans and settingsMe

Pricing from the owner paywall, USDC checkout, untouched line pings, permissions and vision.

Open the full app demo

Add-on

Owner console

Your admin side: revenue, paywall editor, users, rules and the agent log.

Revenue and paywall editorRevenue

MRR, shop plans, incoming USDC, accepted methods, live tier and gate editing.

Shops overviewShops

Every shop with returns and open disputes.

Platform rulesRules

Largest single line, default dispute window and gas sponsoring.

Agent log and roadmapAgent

What the counter agent got wrong and how it adapted, costs, plus the priced Roadmap screen.

Top-up

Growth and referrals

Referral and growth mechanics, switched on when you are ready to grow.

Meetups and renter driven referralsGrowth

Run a filmmakers meetup and track renters bringing shops.

The money path, built in

How it earns for you

Small counters are free. Busy shops pay a monthly Studio plan for unlimited rentals and renter records, and multi location businesses pay more. Deposits are never lent out or earn yield.

CounterFreeUp to 10 rentals a month, deposits in USDC, instant returns, price list

Studio$15 a monthUnlimited rentals, renter record checks, two photo damage suggestions

Multi store$49 a monthSeveral locations, shared renter records, staff logins

No fee on deposits. Release gas on Arc is a fraction of a cent and can be sponsored.

Prices are yours to set. Illustrative, not a promise of income.

Growth loops, built in

How it spreads

Every renter sees the instant return and the app name on the receipt
Renters with clean records push their other shops to join
Owners share price list templates with other rental businesses
Filmmaker and event meetups where shops sign up on the spot
Share card after a return

Roadmap · build the next phase with us

Where it goes next

v1 included

The full deposit counter

USDC deposits in escrow on Arc
Priced return checklist
Instant release, line by line deductions
Disputes with a window
Paywall, owner console, counter agent

Included

Renter passport and naira rails

Portable renter record with consent
Lower deposits for clean renters
Naira card and transfer deposits
WhatsApp return links

Add-on from $400

Events and venues

Event and venue deposits
Group deposits split per guest
Damage evidence with timestamps
Insurance partner hand off

Add-on from $900

For investors and grant reviewers

The pitch, ready

Rental and event deposits held in USDC that return themselves the second the checklist is signed.

Problem: Renters wait days for deposits and argue about surprise deductions, and small rental shops lose time and trust over it.

Solution: Deposits sit in escrow on Arc against a price list agreed before the rental. When every checklist line is ticked, the deposit releases in under a second, with any deduction shown line by line and disputes limited to the disputed line.

Why now: Arc's sub second, USDC native settlement makes counter time refunds possible, and creators renting gear already pay in digital dollars.

Market: Camera, sound, party and tool rental shops, venues and event organisers, and their renters.

The ask: Pilot partners: five rental shops in Lagos and one venue, plus Arc and Circle developer programs.

Funding is never guaranteed. Check each program's rules.

For hackathons and demo days

Your 2 minute demo

Home: Ngozi's camera rental counter in Yaba on a Sunday evening.
Prices: every deduction priced before the rental.
Return: Tunde's five lines tick and 300 USDC returns in 0.6 seconds.
Return: Halima pays only the lens line; Chidi disputes one battery.
Rentals: the renter record gate.
Owner Agent: the early release on 4 of 5 lines and the fix.
Owner Revenue: change the Studio price and preview the Plans sheet.
Owner Growth and Roadmap: run a filmmakers meetup, then request the renter passport.

Many hackathons require code written at the event. See the Regatta Boardfor each race's rule.

Make it entirely yours

Custom work from $800: your own checklists and price lists, a naira payment partner, multi branch setup or a venue deployment. Scoped on a call.

Custom from $800

BLUEPRINT

Why it matters and how it really works

The need

Small rental businesses, venues and landlords take deposits by bank transfer or cash and return them by hand. Refunds take days, transfers bounce, and deductions turn into arguments because nobody wrote down what each kind of damage would cost. Renters lose trust and the owner loses evenings.

What exists and what is new

Generic escrow dapps exist, and platforms like holiday rental sites handle damage deposits off chain inside their own marketplaces. Our research did not find a deposit product on a stablecoin chain where the return is triggered by signing a checklist and every deduction is limited to an itemised price list agreed before the rental. The escrow pattern is old; the checklist trigger, the per line price cap and the instant USDC return for a small independent shop are the new part.

The data it runs on

The owner's item checklist and deduction price list, the renter's agreement to it, return checklist ticks with photos, dispute notes, and the onchain lock and release records. Photos, names and chats stay off chain; hashes of the price list and signed checklist go on chain.

1.The mission

A deposit should come home the moment the thing does, and nobody should ever be surprised by a deduction.

2.Why people can't resist it

Money back at the counter The renter sees the deposit land before they leave the shop. That moment is what makes them come back.

No surprise deductions Every possible deduction is priced before the rental starts. The contract cannot keep more than the list allows.

A renter record worth keeping Clean returns build a record renters can show other shops, with consent, to get lower deposits.

3.How it works for real

Wallets: Owner and renters use embedded wallets (for example Privy or Circle wallets) with email or passkey login. Renters can pay from a card through an on ramp if they hold no USDC.

Escrow contract on Arc: A deposit contract on Arc, Circle's stablecoin chain where gas is paid in USDC, locks each deposit with the hash of the agreed checklist and price list.

Checklist release: When the owner signs the return checklist, the contract returns the deposit minus only the priced lines marked as failed, in one transaction with sub second finality.

Disputes: A renter can dispute a single line. Only that line's amount stays locked for the agreed window; after it, a reviewer the owner named at setup decides from both photo sets.

Photo agent: A vision capable model (a small tier such as Claude Haiku for most checks) compares check out and check in photos and suggests lines to look at. It never marks a line or deducts by itself.

Indexer and notifications: An indexer watches lock and release events and sends WhatsApp style or email messages to both sides with the itemised receipt.

4.Cost per use and pricing

Each lock and release on Arc is expected to cost around a cent or less in USDC gas (check current testnet and mainnet fees). Photo checks cost about $0.002 to $0.01 per return on a small vision model. Example month for a shop with 100 rentals: about $2 in gas, about $1 in model costs, plus hosting and messaging of around $15.

Free $0 plus 0.5% of returned deposits

For a small shop starting out, up to 30 rentals a month.

Shop $15 per month

Unlimited rentals, custom checklists and price lists, renter records.

Venue $49 per month

Multiple locations and staff, event deposits, named reviewers for disputes, exports.

5.Growth loop

Every renter experiences the instant return and sees the app name on the receipt. Renters who rent from several shops ask the others to use it so their record carries over, and owners share the price list template with other rental businesses.

6.Risks and guardrails

Consumer and deposit law: Some places regulate how deposits must be held and returned. Check local rules, show terms clearly and let the renter agree before anything locks.

Unfair price lists: An owner could set unfair prices. Renters see every line before agreeing, and the app can flag lines far above typical repair costs.

Photo misreads: Models misread light and reflections. The agent only suggests; the owner decides and the renter can dispute any single line.

Stablecoin and chain risk: Funds depend on USDC and Arc working as expected. Keep deposits short lived and show the contract address openly.

Privacy: Photos and personal details stay off chain. Only amounts and hashes are public.

7.Build order

Owner sets checklist and price list, renter link with agreement
Deposit lock contract on Arc testnet with test USDC
Return checklist screen that releases on last signature
Single line disputes with a time window
Itemised receipts and messages to both sides
Photo suggestion agent behind the owner's decision
Pilot with one rental shop, then mainnet

8.Where this is going

Now
One camera rental shop returns every deposit at the counter, itemised.
Next
Venues, tool libraries and short lets use the same checklist deposits.
Later
Renters carry a record of clean returns that lowers deposits wherever they rent.
The world it changes
Deposits stop being money you might see again and become money that always comes home on time.

Costs and tools are estimates at the time of writing. General information only, not legal or financial advice.

OWNER PLAYBOOK

Own it, then chart your voyage

Nine routes from one vessel. Tap a port to open its chart.

Why own Deposit Return

Deposit Return: Rental and event deposits held in USDC that return themselves the second the checklist is signed. Using someone else's version means their rules, their brand and their revenue. Owning Deposit Return means it is deployed under your wallet, carries your name, and every customer, partner and result builds your track record instead of theirs.

What’s stopping you?

“I am not technical.”

Deposit Return arrives deployed with a guide. Running it is settings and sharing links, not code. If you get stuck, we help you ship it.

“What if nobody uses it?”

Start with ten people you already know. The first move below takes under an hour and tells you fast whether people care.

“I do not have time.”

Each step is sized in minutes. Most owners spend an hour a week, and the app does the repetitive part.

“Will it make me money?”

Nothing is guaranteed. The playbook gives you a clear path and honest numbers, and you decide how far to take it.

The million-dollar ladder

Charge the people who get the most value from Deposit Return: a monthly plan for groups or teams, plus setup fees for anyone who wants it done for them.

$100

$1,450

$11,700

$78,000

First harbour

5 customers

$20 a month

Steady trade

50 customers

$29 a month

Known name

300 customers