Escrow

Escrow is the process in which money is not immediately given to a shoppe or stall once an order is placed, but instead held securely until the order is completed. The initial amount put into escrow is the amount paid minus tax. If the owner or a manager orders using the "order for this shoppe" option in the shoppe's radial menu, the PoE for the escrow will be taken from the shoppe or stall's coffers. If an order is placed via the "order products" the PoE will come from the pirate's purse. Wages will be paid out of the escrow value (reducing the balance in escrow), and once the order is completed, the remaining PoE is added to the shoppe or stall's coffers.

The escrow system is a good way to make sure that neither of the following happens: Many customers and shopkeepers would not dare to engage in this kind of trading if the escrow system didn't exist, as it brings security to both parties.
 * A customer pays for a product, and the shopkeeper closes down and leaves with the money without producing and/or delivering the product.
 * An order is placed, and the customer refuses to pay once it's ready, causing costs for labor/commodities.

Historical notes
It used to be that escrow was not applied to orders placed by the owner or a manager. Instead, PoE for the order would be drawn from the stall coffers on an as-needed basis.