Payments & Escrow Terms
Last updated: 2 June 2026 · Version: 1.0
These Payments & Escrow Terms explain how payments, the platform fee, escrow, milestones, change orders, refunds, cancellations, VAT, and payouts work on TradesFlow. They form part of our Terms of Service and apply to both customers and traders. Capitalised terms have the meaning given in the Terms of Service.
The Platform is operated by GMHCO LTD (trading as "TradesFlow"), company number 16056150. Payments are processed by Stripe, including Stripe Connect for trader payouts; by using the payment features you also agree to Stripe's applicable terms.
1. The platform fee
1.1 TradesFlow charges a platform fee of 10% of the job value. The trader receives the remaining 90%. The fee is calculated on the server and deducted automatically when funds are released from escrow to the trader.
1.2 The platform fee is the only charge to traders for using the Platform unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing. There are no commissions beyond it and no monthly subscription fee.
2. Escrow — how your money is held
2.1 When a customer and trader agree a job, the customer pays the agreed amount into escrow before work begins. Funds are held and are only released to the trader on completion and customer confirmation, or per agreed milestones.
2.2 Escrow balances move through clearly tracked states (created → funded → locked → partially released → released → refunded). No payout is made without an escrow release event, and every ledger entry is backed by an immutable audit record.
2.3 We do not pay interest on funds held in escrow.
3. Payment structure by job size
The way escrow is funded and released depends on the value of the job:
- Small jobs (under £1,000): the customer pays the full amount up front into escrow; on
completion and confirmation, the trader is paid 90% and the 10% platform fee is deducted.
- Mid jobs (£1,000–£5,000): payment is typically split — 50% up front and 50% on
completion — with escrow released in milestones.
- Large jobs (over £5,000): payment is milestone-based — a deposit, phase payments, and a
final release — with each milestone funded and released in turn.
4. Completion and release
4.1 When the trader marks a job complete, the customer is asked to confirm completion. On confirmation, escrow (or the relevant milestone) is released to the trader less the platform fee.
4.2 Auto-release. If the customer does not confirm or raise a dispute within the period shown in the app after the trader marks the job complete, the funds may auto-release to the trader. Customers should always review and confirm — or raise a dispute — promptly.
4.3 A job cannot be completed without valid payment, and no payout is made without an escrow release event.
5. Change orders
5.1 If the scope or price of a job changes, the change must be agreed through a change order on the Platform. Additional amounts are funded into escrow before the additional work proceeds. No change order takes effect without approval by the relevant party (and, where applicable, admin resolution).
6. Cancellations and refunds
6.1 Before work begins / before escrow funds are released, a job may be cancelled and escrowed funds refunded to the customer, subject to any amounts already properly due.
6.2 Consumer cooling-off. Where the customer is a consumer and the contract was arranged at a distance, a statutory 14-day cancellation right may apply. If the customer asked the trader to start work within that period, the customer may have to pay for work already carried out before cancelling.
6.3 Refunds (full or partial) may be issued where a job is cancelled, not carried out, or following a dispute decision. Refunds are returned to the customer's original payment method via Stripe and may take several days to appear.
6.4 Chargebacks and reversals. Where a payment is reversed, charged back, or refunded after a payout, TradesFlow may recover the relevant amount from the trader's balance or future payouts.
7. Payouts to traders
7.1 Payouts are made to the trader's verified bank account via Stripe Connect, after the relevant escrow release event and subject to Stripe's processing times and any verification, risk, AML, or dispute holds.
7.2 We may withhold or delay a payout where verification is incomplete or expired, where a dispute or suspected fraud is being investigated, or where we are required to by law or by Stripe.
8. VAT and tax
8.1 If a trader is VAT registered, VAT is applied as required and the trader is responsible for accounting for it to HMRC. The platform fee is tracked separately for reporting.
8.2 Each party is responsible for its own taxes. TradesFlow can provide revenue, VAT, and payout summaries to support reporting, but does not provide tax advice.
9. Financial guarantees and integrity
To protect both parties, the Platform enforces that:
- no job completes without payment validation;
- no payout occurs without an escrow release event;
- no ledger entry exists without an immutable audit log;
- no change order takes effect without approval;
- any off-platform/cash arrangement is outside these protections and is discouraged and may
breach the Acceptable Use Policy.
10. Disputes over money
Disputes about whether funds should be released, held, or refunded are handled under the Dispute Resolution Policy. While a dispute is open, the relevant escrowed funds are normally held until the dispute is resolved.
Questions about payments: info@tradesflow.trade.