Answers before you hand over a spreadsheet.
Practical answers about what Gerai builds, what the merchant supplies, how payments and shipping work, where AI is involved, and what remains under the merchant’s control.
Getting started
Gerai is a done-for-you localized commerce service. The starting point is the material a merchant already has—not a software configuration project.
- What does Gerai deliver?
- A branded, mobile-first storefront with a reviewed product catalogue, configured checkout and shipping, a WhatsApp buying channel, and a phone-first order workflow.
- What does the merchant need to provide?
- Product names, prices and stock in a spreadsheet; existing product photographs; a short direction-setting call; and the signatures and information required by payment and courier providers.
- Is the seven-day build guaranteed?
- Seven working days is the standard build sequence when the product list, photographs and provider paperwork arrive on day one. Gateway KYC, courier approval, incomplete inputs or a larger catalogue can affect the date, so it is not an unconditional delivery guarantee.
- Do we need technical staff?
- The service is designed so the merchant does not have to assemble hosting, checkout, courier logic or a catalogue pipeline. Gerai handles the technical build and trains the merchant on the operating screen used after launch.
Storefront and catalogue
The output is the merchant’s shop, not a generic marketplace profile. Brand, product and operational decisions remain visible and controllable.
- Whose brand and domain appear on the shop?
- The merchant’s. The storefront uses the merchant’s name, domain, product range and visual direction rather than presenting buyers with Gerai as the seller.
- How is the catalogue created?
- Gerai uses the merchant’s spreadsheet and product photographs to draft catalogue imagery and descriptions in the appropriate local language and brand tone.
- Does AI publish products automatically?
- No. AI produces a first pass; a person reviews the catalogue and corrects mistakes before it is published. Product imagery is generated from the merchant’s own product photographs rather than substituted with unrelated stock imagery.
- Can the merchant change prices and stock?
- Yes. The merchant operating view supports price and stock edits and product archiving, so ordinary catalogue changes do not require waiting for Gerai.
- Is there a fixed product limit?
- Catalogue size is confirmed for each build. Small demonstration shops are examples of different brand treatments, not a statement that the platform is limited to five or six products.
- Which languages are supported?
- Gerai’s public site is available in English, Indonesian, Malay and Thai. Storefront language and market configuration are agreed for the merchant’s buyers and operating country rather than assumed from the public-site language alone.
Payments and shipping
Gerai connects the storefront to local providers; it does not become the merchant’s bank, courier or seller of record.
- Which payment methods can be configured?
- The current localized flow includes QRIS, virtual accounts and e-wallets in Indonesia; FPX, DuitNow and Touch ’n Go in Malaysia; and cash on delivery where configured. Availability remains subject to the payment provider, market and merchant eligibility.
- Who holds the buyer’s money?
- The licensed payment gateway settles funds directly into the merchant’s own bank account. Buyer funds do not pass through Gerai.
- How are delivery charges calculated?
- Gerai configures the merchant’s shipping origin and supported courier account so the checkout can request live rates from the courier flow rather than display a guessed flat amount.
- How is cash on delivery handled?
- Cash-on-delivery orders enter the same order queue but require explicit merchant confirmation before they advance. This keeps an unconfirmed COD request from being treated like a prepaid order.
WhatsApp and orders
WhatsApp is treated as a defined buying channel connected to the same order operation as the web storefront.
- What can the WhatsApp assistant do?
- It can present the catalogue, support the defined ordering flow, answer order-status questions and send configured order, payment and shipping notifications.
- Does it answer every customer question?
- No. The assistant operates within a stated scope and escalates other questions to the merchant. It is identified as a shop assistant and is not presented as a human being.
- Are web and chat orders separate?
- No. They enter one merchant queue with the same core statuses and buyer-notification flow, so the merchant does not have to reconcile two unrelated order systems.
- What happens to unpaid orders?
- The operating flow can expire unpaid orders rather than leaving them indefinitely in an active state. The exact payment status still comes from the configured gateway.
Operation, data and support
The merchant’s daily job is intentionally narrow: see what came in, accept what requires action, update products when needed and move orders through fulfilment.
- What does the merchant use each day?
- A phone-first operating view for takings, order stages, COD confirmation, buyer WhatsApp access, and product price and stock changes.
- Who handles hosting and maintenance?
- Gerai operates the hosted service, including the storefront’s SSL, backups and product updates. Any customer-specific operational commitment must be agreed in writing.
- Can the merchant export its data?
- Customers and orders can be exported on request. If a merchant chooses to take over the site, Gerai’s stated handover path is the site code in the merchant’s own repository.
- How do we ask for help?
- Email hello@gerai.shop with the store domain, relevant order reference, steps taken, expected result and actual result. Do not include passwords or complete payment-card details.