When you buy things from normal websites, your package usually comes from a far-away warehouse and takes several days to arrive.
The Near Buy is built around your neighborhood. We connect you directly with real shops, market stalls, and local online stores near your home or workplace. Because the shop is near you:
- Your order can arrive at your door on the same day, or even within 4 hours.
- You can pick up the order yourself for free if you are walking by a physical shop.
- You can chat with the shopkeeper and bargain for a lower price, just like you do when shopping in person.
Here is an easy, step-by-step guide to finding shops, bargaining for discounts, and getting your items safely.
Setting Up Your Account
Getting started takes less than a minute on your phone or computer:
- Sign Up: Open The Near Buy app or website and tap Sign Up. Choose Shopper / Customer, enter your mobile phone number, and pick a password.
- Type the SMS Code: You will get an SMS text message on your phone with a 6-digit code. Enter that code to activate your account right away.
- Pick Your Neighborhood: Let the app find your location automatically, or select your area from the list—such as Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Mirpur, Uttara, Banani, or Moghbazar.
- Save Your Addresses: Save your common delivery spots (like “Home” or “Work”) so you can order with one tap anytime.
Finding Shops and Items Near You
Once your location is set, you can explore the shops on your street:
- Explore Near You: The home screen shows you stores starting with the ones closest to you, showing how many kilometers away they are.
- The “Open Now” Switch: Need something right away? Turn on the Open Now switch to see only the shops that are open at this exact moment and ready to pack your order.
- Real Neighbor Reviews: Read 1- to 5-star ratings and look at photos shared by neighbors who bought from that shop.
- Clear Product Details: Tap any item to see clear photos of the real product on the store shelves, see available sizes and colors, and check the price.
How to Bargain for a Lower Price
In local markets across Bangladesh, people love to bargain. The Near Buy brings that experience to your phone. If a shopkeeper allows bargaining on an item, you will see a button that says Make an Offer.
How to Bargain:
- Tap “Make an Offer”: Type in the price you want to pay in Taka.
- Add a Short Note: You can write a friendly message to the shopkeeper (for example: “Can you give a discount if I buy two?” or “Regular customer from Road 7”).
- The Shopkeeper Decides in Real Time: The shopkeeper receives an alert on their phone and can:
- Accept: The price drops to your offer right away.
- Suggest a Middle Price: If your offer is a little too low, they can counter with a middle price (for example, if the listed price is 1,200 Taka and you offered 900, they might suggest 1,000 Taka).
- Decline: If your offer is too low, they can turn it down.
- Lock in Your Discount: When you both agree on a price, tap Add to Cart at Agreed Price. That special discount price is saved in your cart for 60 minutes so you can finish paying.
[!TIP] Helpful Tip: Shopkeepers set a private minimum price for their goods. Offers that are way too low (like half off) are turned down automatically by the system. Keep your offers reasonable so shopkeepers are happy to give you a deal.
Understanding Your Cart: Why Each Shop Has Its Own Bag
On The Near Buy, your shopping bag is organized by each shop:
- One Cart per Shop: If you choose a shirt from Shop A and headphones from Shop B, you will have two separate carts.
- Why Carts Are Kept Separate: Each shop is a real neighborhood store. Keeping them separate means each shopkeeper can pack your order right away and send it straight to your door without waiting on other stores across the city.
- Clear, Honest Pricing: Before you pay, every single cost is written out plainly with no surprises:
- The agreed price of your items (including your bargain discount).
- The standard 5% tax.
- The delivery fee based on how far the shop is from your home.
How to Pay (Online or Cash on Delivery)
You can choose whichever payment method you like best:
- Pay Online by Card or Mobile Wallet: Pay right away using bKash, Nagad, debit card, or credit card. Your payment is held safely by The Near Buy. The shopkeeper only gets paid after your package arrives at your door and you check it.
- Cash on Delivery (Pay Cash at Your Door): If you prefer to pay with paper cash, choose Cash on Delivery. You do not pay anything until the delivery rider is standing at your door with your package.
Fast Delivery and Free Store Pickup
Choose how you want to receive your order:
- 4-Hour Express Delivery: If the shop is within 22 kilometers of your address and has at least 4 hours left before closing, your order can be brought to your door within 4 hours.
- Same-Day Delivery: If the shop is within 50 kilometers and you order before 12:00 PM (noon), your order will be delivered that evening.
- Free In-Store Pickup: If you want to save the delivery fee or you are walking near the shop, choose Store Pickup. The shopkeeper will pack your items within 60 minutes and send you a notification. Walk into the shop, show your order screen, and take your items for free.
You can watch your order status on your screen at every step: when the shop accepts it, when it is packed, when the rider is on the way, and when it reaches your door.
Getting Your Order Safely: The 8-Digit Code and QR Code
When you choose Cash on Delivery, The Near Buy uses a private 8-digit code and a QR code so you never pay for a package before it arrives:
- Find Your Code: After you place your order, open Your Orders to find your unique 8-digit code and QR code.
- Check the Parcel: When the delivery rider arrives at your doorstep, take a moment to look over the package.
- Show Your Screen: Show the QR code on your phone screen for the rider to scan, or read out your 8-digit code.
- Instant Verification: The system confirms the code on both phones right away and marks the delivery as finished.
- Hand Over the Cash: Now you hand the cash to the rider.
[!IMPORTANT] Safety Rule: Never share your 8-digit code over a phone call, chat, or text message before the rider is standing in front of you with your parcel.
Returns and Replacements: 7 Days to Report a Problem
We want you to be completely happy with everything you buy. If something is not right, you have 7 full days after delivery to report a problem.
When You Can Ask for a Return:
- The item arrived broken or damaged.
- The item does not work (for example, electronics that do not turn on).
- The item looks completely different from the photos or description.
- The shopkeeper sent the wrong size or wrong color.
- Important parts or accessories are missing from the box.
How to Ask for a Return:
- Go to Your Orders and tap Report a Problem / Request Return.
- Select the reason and take 2 to 4 clear photos of the issue and the package label.
- Tap Submit.
The shopkeeper has 48 hours to review your request. Once verified, the shopkeeper must send you a brand-new replacement within 48 hours. If the item is out of stock, you get a 100% full refund sent back to your card, bKash, Nagad, or bank account. If you and the shopkeeper cannot agree, our customer help team steps in within 2 to 3 days to resolve the problem fairly.
Your Privacy and Honest Reviews
Your safety and privacy come first:
- Private Home Address: Shopkeepers never see your exact home or apartment address. They only see your first name, phone number, and general neighborhood area (for example, Dhanmondi Road 8). Only the delivery rider is given your exact address so they can bring the package directly to your doorstep.
- No Unwanted Messages: Shopkeepers and delivery riders are strictly forbidden from saving your phone number or sending you marketing texts or calls.
- Honest Reviews: Only people who actually bought and received an item can leave reviews and ratings. Sharing your honest photos and experience helps neighbors know which local shops are the best.
- Safe Delivery Spot: If your street is dark at night, you can ask the delivery rider to meet you at your building gate, lobby, or by the security guard.
What You Can Buy and Who Can Shop
To make sure packages arrive quickly and safely, The Near Buy has clear rules on items and who can shop:
What You Can Buy:
- Clothes and Fashion: Shirts, pants, dresses, traditional wear, shoes, sandals, bags, belts, watches, and accessories.
- Electronics and Phone Accessories: Phone chargers, earphones, cables, power banks, computer parts, and home electronics.
- Home Items: Home decorations, kitchen tools, bedsheets, curtains, lamps, and cleaning tools.
- Hardware and Tools: Hand tools, repair items, building supplies, and electrical parts.
- Books and Stationery: Notebooks, pens, art supplies, office items, and reading books.
- Personal Care: Soaps, shampoos, lotions, face wash, and grooming items that carry the official Bangladesh Standards (BSTI) seal.
No Food Allowed:
The Near Buy sells physical retail goods only. We do not sell food. You will never find fresh meat, fish, raw vegetables, fresh fruit, raw eggs, cooked restaurant dishes, street snacks, or raw groceries (like rice, flour, cooking oil, or spices) on our platform.
Anyone Can Shop (No Age Limit):
There is no age limit for shoppers. Anyone—students buying books, teenagers shopping for clothes, or parents buying home goods—can browse, create a free account, chat with sellers, and place orders.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Can I browse and shop without an account?
You can look around neighborhood stores and browse items freely. When you want to make an offer, chat with a seller, or buy something, you can create a free account in less than a minute using your mobile phone number.
Q2: Do I have to bargain on every item?
No. Bargaining is completely optional. If you like the listed price, just tap Add to Cart and pay. You only need to bargain if you want to ask for a lower price.
Q3: What happens if a shopkeeper does not reply to my order?
During business hours, shopkeepers have 60 minutes to accept your order. If a shopkeeper does not accept in time, the order is cancelled automatically, and any online payment is sent back to you right away.
Q4: Can I buy from multiple shops at the same time?
Yes. Each shop will have its own cart and checkout screen. This lets each neighborhood shop pack and send your items right away without waiting for another shop across town.
Q5: Are online payments safe on The Near Buy?
Yes. Online payments use secure banking systems. Your payment is held safely by The Near Buy and is only given to the shopkeeper after your package is delivered to your hands.
Q6: How do I report a fake item or an unhelpful shopkeeper?
You can tap the Report Shop button on any store page, open a ticket under Help & Support in your account, or email our support team at support@thenearbuy.com.
Q7: Does the shopkeeper see my exact home address?
No. To protect your privacy, shopkeepers only see your phone number and general neighborhood area. Your exact home or apartment address is kept strictly private and is only shared with the delivery rider who physically delivers your parcel.
