No smartphone? USSD and SMS
Use Buildpal without a smartphone
Everything a worker needs works on a basic phone: joining, offers, your wallet and help. Here is how, by USSD and SMS.
4 min4 steps
Learn how Buildpal works for you
Plain, step-by-step guides for workers: joining, getting verified, finding work, checking in at the gate and getting paid. With a smartphone or a basic phone.
Hiring or running a site?I'm a contractor
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Everything you need for your first job, in order. Tick each step off as you go.
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Video tutorials
Short videos that show each step on screen.
Join Buildpal
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Accept your first offer
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Check in and out at the gate
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Get paid to mobile money
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All guides
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1 guide
Troubleshooting
Quick answers to the problems people run into most.
Offers stay open for a fair window, so you can see them even when you are busy on site. When the window closes, the place goes to the next worker. Keep your phone on and your profile up to date, and more offers will come.
You can only check in at a site where you accepted a booking for that day. Check your bookings. If you think it's a mistake, tell the site supervisor.
Report it straight away so nobody else can use it. Your old card stops working, your record stays yours, and you get a replacement card.
Held money is waiting for your worked days to be approved. Once they are approved, it becomes available and you can withdraw it.
The reason is shown and the money goes back to your wallet, so it isn't lost. Check that your mobile money number is right, then withdraw again.
You can dispute a rating. It goes to moderation, and unfair, personal or retaliatory reviews are removed. One bad review doesn't define you: recent work counts most, and older ratings fade.
Update the number on your profile so offers and payouts reach you. Your record, your tier and your wallet stay the same.
You don't need one. Every worker has a profile, and on a basic phone you can receive offers, answer them and check your wallet by USSD and SMS.
Glossary
The words you'll see on Buildpal, in plain language.
- Offer
- An invitation to work on a booking: the site, the dates, the trade and the rate.
- Acceptance window
- The time you have to accept an offer. It is long enough for you to see it, even if you are working on site.
- Standby list
- The workers ready to take a place if someone declines or doesn't arrive.
- Verified
- Your identity has been checked. Verification comes in levels: you start with the basics and unlock more.
- Tier
- Your level from 1 to 4, earned on reliability, quality and attendance. It shows how proven your work is, not how skilled you are.
- Base rate
- The day rate Buildpal publishes for your trade. No booking pays less.
- Tier premium
- Extra pay for a higher tier: a more proven worker earns more for the same work.
- Site Card
- Your own card, registered to you. You tap it at the reader to check in and out.
- Reader
- The device at the site gate. It records your taps and tells you why if it can't let you in.
- Wallet
- Where your pay arrives. It shows your available money, your held money and every payment.
- Held money
- Money for days that are still waiting to be approved.
- Payout
- Money you withdraw from your wallet to your mobile money account.
Still stuck?
Tell us what's wrong and the Buildpal team will help you sort it out.