Escrow & Payment Protection

How STANDARD protects both buyers and providers during marketplace transactions.

What Is Escrow?

When you pay for a marketplace service on STANDARD, your money doesn't go directly to the provider. Instead, Stripe holds the funds securely until the work is delivered and you're satisfied. This protects everyone:

  • Buyers know their money is safe until they receive what they paid for
  • Providers know the buyer has already paid and funds are guaranteed

How It Works

Step 1: Payment

When you place an order, your payment is processed by Stripe. The funds are captured but not yet transferred to the provider.

Step 2: Hold Period

After the provider delivers their work, the funds enter a hold period. The length depends on the service type:

Service Type Hold Period Why
Live services (live reviews, sessions) No hold Service is delivered in real-time — no waiting needed
Digital delivery (mixing, mastering, production) 72 hours Time to review files and request revisions

Step 3: Release

Funds are released to the provider when any of these happen:

  1. Buyer approves — You review the delivery and click "Approve"
  2. Hold period expires — If you don't take action, funds release automatically
  3. Dispute resolved — If a dispute is opened, an admin determines the outcome
Automatic Release

If the hold period expires and you haven't approved or disputed the delivery, funds are automatically released to the provider. Make sure to review deliveries promptly.

What Happens During a Revision?

If you request a revision on a delivered order:

  1. The escrow hold timer pauses so the provider has time to make changes
  2. When the provider submits the revised deliverable, the timer resumes
  3. You get the remaining hold time (plus any paused time) to review the new delivery

For Three-Party Orders

When a coordinator is involved, the payment flow uses Stripe's separate charge and transfer pattern:

  1. Stripe captures the full payment amount
  2. On release, two transfers are created:
    • Provider transfer (service price minus coordinator fee)
    • Coordinator transfer (coordination fee)

Not-Delivered Protection

If the escrow timer is counting down but you haven't received any deliverable, you can flag the order as "Not Delivered." This:

  • Pauses the automatic release timer
  • Notifies the provider that delivery is expected
  • Gives you time to open a dispute if needed

Provider Reserves

To protect against chargebacks, new providers may have a small percentage (10%) of their earnings held in reserve for the first 90 days or 10 completed orders, whichever comes first. After this period, the reserve is released and future earnings are paid in full.

Important

Escrow does not protect against chargebacks filed directly with the buyer's bank. If you believe a chargeback is fraudulent, STANDARD will provide evidence to Stripe on your behalf.

Questions?

See our FAQ or contact support@iowire.com.