Launching in the UK — join the waitlist

Your money, held safelyuntil the job's done.

PayTrader holds each stage's payment with a regulated provider and releases it only when you confirm the work is complete. Tradespeople get certainty. You get protection.

Join the waitlist See how it works

iPhone & Android apps coming soon

Are you a tradesperson? PayTrader for trades →

A couple in their part-renovated kitchen reviewing their project together on one phone
Funds held by a regulated provider1 Identity-checked tradespeople2 Nothing is released without your approval4 A small fee — no subscriptions
How it works

Four steps. One fair outcome.

From quote to payment, every job follows the same protected path.

/ 01

Agree the job in stages

Break the job into milestones with your tradesperson — deposit, first fix, completion. Both of you see the same plan, priced stage by stage.

/ 02

Fund a stage before it starts

Pay the stage into secure holding — by bank transfer or card. The money leaves your account but doesn't reach anyone's pocket. It's held by a regulated provider1 — never by PayTrader.

A homeowner funding a project stage from their phone at the kitchen table, quote and mug of tea beside them
/ 03

Work happens, proof arrives

Your tradesperson uploads photos as the stage completes. Everything's in one place — messages, photos, the plan.

A tiler photographing a freshly tiled bathroom wall with his phone as evidence of the completed stage
/ 04

You approve. Money moves.

Happy? Tap approve and the stage is released to your tradesperson. Not happy? Raise it in the app — PayTrader support steps in to help sort it, and nothing releases while a dispute is open.3 The 14-day auto-release4 only applies if you go completely quiet — no approval, no issue raised. Raising an issue always stops the clock.

Join the waitlist
Where your money sits

Held in the middle. Released by you.

One picture of the whole model — your money never sits in anyone's pocket while work is unfinished.

You fund a stage

By bank transfer or card — before the stage begins.

Secure holding

Held by our regulated payment provider1 — never by PayTrader.

Your tradesperson is paid

Released to them when you approve, or after 14 days4 only if you don't respond at all. Raising an issue stops the clock.

Not happy at any point? Raise it in the app — PayTrader support helps both sides sort it, with an independent resolution route as the final step. Your money stays exactly where it is throughout.3

The old way vs the PayTrader way

Bank transfer up front

  • ✗ The money leaves your account on day one — and it's gone
  • ✗ Nothing is held anywhere if the job goes wrong
  • ✗ No shared record — it's your word against theirs
  • ✗ Withholding payment is your only lever, and it burns the relationship

With PayTrader

  • ✓ Each stage is held securely1 until you approve the work
  • ✓ Photos, messages and the stage plan in one shared record
  • ✓ Release is your act4 — and a dispute pauses the payment, not the truth
  • ✓ Fair both ways: the 14-day rule4 means silence traps no one

Always protected

Your protection is built into how the money moves. It's held before work starts, released when you approve, and paused if you raise an issue.

True held-funds escrow1100% of each stage held until you approve4 — not passed through
ID-verified tradespeople2Identity verified before they're paid
Photo-evidenced stagesEvery release backed by a photographic record
Built-in dispute resolution3Raise it in the app — support steps in, funds stay held
14-day fairness rule4Applies only if you go completely silent — an issue stops the clock
Pricing

Simple. One small fee.

You pay a small percentage of each stage — that's it. No subscriptions, no listing fees, no surprises. The app shows you the exact fee before you pay a penny.

Fees shown at the point of payment include everything — we don't add processor surcharges on top.

Worked example
£2,000 bathroom, 4 stages
Project total, held & released across 4 stages£2,000
Your PayTrader feeA small percentage
You pay£2,000 + the fee

Bank transfer is the standard way to fund a stage; cards are accepted too.

Projects we can help with

Bathrooms Kitchens Extensions Roofing Electrics Plumbing Heating Landscaping Decorating Windows & doors General repairs
Why we built PayTrader

Built equally for both sides

For homeowners

Protection without confrontation. You never have to withhold, chase or argue — the structure does it for you, politely.

For tradespeople

Paid on time, every time. The money's committed before the work starts, and approval — or the 14-day rule — releases it.

Built fair

The same rules both ways. Neither side holds the money, so neither side holds the power — that's the whole point.

Frequently asked
questions

Straight answers. If yours isn't here, email hello@paytrader.net support@paytrader.net.

What is escrow?
A simple, old idea: money for a job is held by a neutral third party and only handed over when the work is done. It's how solicitors handle property deposits — PayTrader applies it, stage by stage, to home improvements.
Where is my money held?
In secure holding with our regulated payment provider — never in PayTrader's own accounts. PayTrader isn't a bank and never touches your money. We make sure it moves at the right time.1
Can I get my money back?
There are only two directions money can ever move: back to you, or to your tradesperson for completed work — and never automatically for work that hasn't been done. Your money doesn't move until your tradesperson has accepted the job — so nothing leaves your account before the work is agreed. After that, if plans change, you can agree a cancellation together and unspent stages are refunded. And if you can't agree, raise a dispute — it's decided on the evidence, and the outcome can be a refund of the stage, a split, or release of the stage.3
What if my tradesperson never starts the work?
Then nothing is ever released to them. The 14-day timer only exists for completed work they've actually submitted — it never starts for work that hasn't happened, so a tradesperson can't get paid by simply waiting. Your money stays safely held until you either agree a cancellation together (unspent stages are refunded to you) or raise a dispute, where the outcome can be a refund of the stage.3
What if I'm not happy with the work?
Don't approve the stage — raise it in the app instead. PayTrader support steps in and helps both sides sort it, using the photos, messages and the agreed plan. Still stuck? It can go to an independent resolver as the final step. Your money stays held the whole time.3 You also have a 14-day cancellation right under UK consumer law — explained clearly at signup.
What does it cost?
A small percentage of each stage, with the exact amount shown in the app before you pay anything. No subscriptions, no hidden extras.
How do you check tradespeople?
Every tradesperson verifies their identity with our regulated payment provider before they can be paid through PayTrader.2
What payment methods can I use?
Bank transfer is the standard way to fund a stage. Cards are accepted too.
What happens if I forget to approve a completed stage?
This is the one time a stage can be released just because you didn't respond, and it only applies to finished work. When your tradesperson submits photos of a completed stage, a 14-day window opens for you to approve or raise an issue. We remind you at 7 days and again at 2 days before anything happens. If you do nothing at all, the stage releases to them — they've done the work and shown you. Raising an issue stops the clock instantly.4
Is my data safe?
Yes. PayTrader Ltd is registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ZC224270), we collect only what the service needs, and we never sell your data. Full details in our Privacy Policy.
When can I use PayTrader?
We're launching in the UK soon. Join the waitlist and we'll email you the moment the app is live — nothing else, no spam.

Be first when we launch.

Join the waitlist and we'll let you know the moment PayTrader is live in the UK.

We'll only email you at launch. No spam.

  1. PayTrader Ltd is not a bank and never holds client money. Stage payments are held by our regulated payment provider until release.
  2. Tradespeople verify their identity with our regulated payment provider before they can receive payment through PayTrader.
  3. Disputes are raised and handled in the app, with PayTrader support assisting both sides; funds remain held while a dispute is open. An independent resolution route is available as a final step.
  4. If a funded stage is neither approved nor disputed within 14 days of completion being submitted, it releases automatically; raising a dispute stops the 14-day clock. Full details in the Terms of Service.