You run a business in Paris — a café, bakery, restaurant, barbershop, or grocery — and you want to be part of something real. Not a PR campaign. Not an association. A concrete act embedded in your daily routine: letting someone in need drink a coffee, eat a meal, or get a haircut — paid for in advance by a generous stranger. That's the idea behind Suspendu, and here's how it works.

Why join Suspendu?

The caffè sospeso tradition — born in Naples over a century ago — rests on a simple idea: someone lucky pays in advance for someone in need. Suspendu digitises that gesture for Paris. You publish an item (a €2.50 coffee, an €8 meal, a €15 haircut), a generous customer pays from anywhere in the world, and a beneficiary claims it in-store with a code.

This isn't volunteering. It isn't a discount. It's your normal service, at your normal price, paid by someone else. You're paid for 100% of your work. Solidarity costs you nothing — it brings you additional customers, visibility on the Paris generosity board, and the satisfaction of participating in something that matters.

How it works for merchants

Registration takes under 60 seconds. You create a merchant account with your email, establishment name, address, and category. Then you connect your Stripe account via Stripe Connect — the secure standard used by Airbnb, Shopify, and millions of merchants worldwide. That's where your payments land, directly into your bank account.

Once connected, you publish suspended items in a few clicks: item name, price, category. A payment link is generated automatically. Your item appears immediately on the public Paris board, visible to everyone.

When a beneficiary shows up, they present their code (on their phone or printed). You validate it from your merchant dashboard — one click. That's it. Exactly like serving a cash-paying customer, except the payment is already collected.

How much do you earn?

The platform charges a 5% commission to fund infrastructure (secure payments, hosting, support). You receive 95% of the listed price, directly into your bank account via Stripe.

Concrete example: you offer a coffee at €3.00. You receive €2.85. A €10 meal? You receive €9.50. There are no subscription fees, no registration fees, no hidden commissions. You only pay on what you collect.

What items can you suspend?

Any item from your normal catalogue can become a suspended item. The most popular on the platform:

Coffees and drinks — the suspended espresso is the original gesture. A €2–3 coffee is the most accessible entry point for donors.

Meals and snacks — sandwich, daily special, full menu. Suspended meals at €8–15 are often offered by companies or individuals at the end of the month.

Haircuts and grooming — a suspended haircut (€15–25) is one of the most appreciated gestures. The dignity of a well-kept appearance, without humiliation.

Groceries and essentials — basic basket, fresh produce. Solidarity grocers and neighbourhood shops can offer suspended baskets.

Services and classes — French lessons, fitness sessions, wellness treatments. Service offerings are growing rapidly on the platform.

Paris first: your establishment on the map

From the moment you register, your establishment appears on the interactive Paris map — visible to everyone looking to give or claim an item. More than 60 businesses are already listed. The map grows every week.

Merchants who participate report two positive side effects: a loyal regular clientele drawn to the establishment's values, and local media visibility that far exceeds what an ordinary advertising budget could buy.

Register in 60 seconds

Here's the complete path, from zero to your first live item:

1. Create your merchant account → suspendu.polsia.app/merchant/register
Email, establishment name, address, category.

2. Connect Stripe
Click "Connect Stripe Connect" in your dashboard. Stripe will guide you through identity verification and entering your bank details. This takes 3–5 minutes the first time.

3. Publish your first item
Title, price, category. One click on "Publish". Your item is live.

From there, donors can find it on the Paris board, pay online, and send beneficiaries your way. You validate codes from your dashboard. Payments arrive in your account via Stripe Connect on your usual payout schedule.

Join the movement

The caffè sospeso has survived a century in Naples because it's a good idea. Suspendu gives it infrastructure to survive the digital era — and to expand beyond coffee, beyond Naples, into the streets of Paris.

If you're a merchant and want your establishment on the map, registration is free, fast, and reversible. You can suspend an item today and remove it tomorrow if you change your mind. There's no commitment.