Does Porch Orders process payments?
Manual payment instructions are built in. Stripe Checkout can be enabled for eligible sellers, but payment processing, refunds, disputes, and tax responsibilities remain seller-owned unless a separate agreement says otherwise.
Can customers order without an account?
Yes. The buyer flow uses order and cart tokens so customers can check status without creating a password account.
Is this only for food sellers?
No. Food drops are the easiest demo, but the system also has appointment, quote, waitlist, route-service, worker, and payment-request surfaces.
Can it send SMS?
SMS is provider-gated. The app supports consent-aware, link-first messaging patterns, but live sending depends on Twilio setup, 10DLC requirements, and seller approval.
What is still pilot-stage?
Live multi-tenant billing, Stripe Connect payouts, public marketplace discovery, and full customer accounts are intentionally deferred until seller demand and support processes are proven.