Veranda doesn't hold your money yet. So how you pay, and what you write down before you pay, is entirely up to the two of you.
Pay however suits you both: cash at handover, MTN MoMo, Orange Money, a card. What matters is that the amount, the method and the date are written in the Veranda chat before the money moves.
A deposit "to reserve it before someone else takes it" is the single most common way people lose money on any marketplace, anywhere. A real owner can wait for you to arrive.
One message, four things: how much the deposit is, who holds it, exactly when it comes back, and what would justify keeping part of it. Send it in the chat and ask them to reply "agreed".
Mobile Money shows you the name on the receiving account. Read it. If it isn't the person standing in front of you, stop and ask why before you confirm.
Save the transaction SMS. For cash, write a short note with the amount, the date and both names, photograph it, and put the photo in the chat. A handwritten note in a picture beats a perfect memory.
Decide now what an extra day costs and what happens if the item comes back dirty or empty. Nobody argues about a number they already agreed to.
Your Mobile Money PIN and your OTP code are yours alone.
No owner, no agent, no bank agent and nobody from Veranda will ever need them. Not to "confirm" a booking, not to "release" a payment, not to "verify" your account. Anyone asking is stealing from you, whatever story comes with it.
For houses and apartments, be very careful with an "advance to secure the place" paid to someone you have not met at the property. Visit first, meet the landlord or the caretaker, and confirm the person collecting actually manages it.
Agents may ask for a visit fee. That's normal, but agree the amount in the chat before the visit, not at the gate.
