How escrow protects creator payments
The oldest problem in sponsorships: the creator delivers, then spends weeks chasing an invoice — or never gets paid at all. Handle removes the chase by making the money move first. Here’s exactly how it works.
The deal lifecycle
- Both sides e-sign a contract
Deliverables, deadlines, and price are written into a contract in the Deal Room — split into milestones if the work is staged. This contract is what settles any later disagreement, so nothing important lives in DMs.
- The business funds escrow before work starts
The full milestone amount moves into Stripe-powered escrow up front. The creator can see it’s funded before lifting a finger — no more working on a promise.
- The creator delivers in the Deal Room
Files, links, and drafts are submitted against the milestone, so there’s a timestamped record of exactly what was delivered and when.
- Approval releases the payout — same day
When the business approves the work, the milestone releases to the creator immediately. Multi-milestone deals release piece by piece, so partial work is never unpaid work.
Who holds the money?
Stripe. Escrowed funds sit with Stripe — the same payments infrastructure behind millions of businesses — not in the brand’s account and not in Handle’s. Neither side can unilaterally pull funded money back out; it moves according to the contract.
What it costs
Creators keep 100% of their quoted rate. Handle’s platform fee is charged to the business on top, and the all-in total is shown to the business before escrow is funded. There are no subscriptions and no paid placement on either side.
When something goes wrong
Disputes are settled by the contract both sides signed — milestone by milestone, with the delivery record as evidence. Because release is staged, a disagreement over one deliverable never freezes money already earned on the others.
Common questions
Who actually holds the money?
Stripe. When a business funds a deal, the budget moves into Stripe-powered escrow — it isn’t sitting in the business’s account, and it isn’t Handle’s to spend. It releases to the creator when work is approved.
What happens if the brand goes silent?
Approval has a review window. If the business stops responding after delivery, the milestone auto-releases to the creator when the window closes — silence can’t be used to hold payment hostage.
Can a business claw back a released payout?
No. Release is the final step of approval. Disputes have to be raised before release, and they’re settled by the contract both sides e-signed — milestone by milestone, with evidence on file.
What does escrow cost the creator?
Nothing. The platform fee is charged to the business on top of the creator’s rate. Creators keep 100% of what they quote.