Question:
I have an online food gift business. the actual financial transaction takes place ONLY when I process orders. Until processing the transaction is only approved, no monetary transaction occurs. Am I permitted to keep my website open, receive orders for chometz during Paysach and then only process them after paysach is over.
Answer:
If you are selling the business to a gentile, then the cometz does not belong to you and the time that the order is coming in. However if you process the order, or even by keeping the website open when it was really sold to a gentile, is showing the you are not really serious about the sale. additionally it is showing that you really want the chametz that you sold, and it is problematic. However if you stipulate in the sales contract that since the company is sold to the gentile, the website and any orders are really owned by the gentile,.then it would be permitted. As a side point if selling the business involves a lot of money, it should be noted so that the gentile understands with what he is getting himself involved.
Best wishes
Sources:
Poskim
