Escrow Policy

1. What Is Escrow?

LocalPro uses an escrow payment system to protect both clients and service providers. When a client accepts a provider's bid, the agreed job amount is transferred by the client into a secure escrow account held by LocalPro. The funds are not released to the provider until the work is confirmed as completed — giving clients confidence that they will only pay for work delivered, and giving providers assurance that payment is secured before they begin.

2. How Funds Are Held

• Escrow funds are collected from the client at the time of bid acceptance via our secure payment processors (PayMongo for Philippine peso transactions, PayPal for international payments).
• Funds are held in a segregated account maintained by LocalPro and are not commingled with LocalPro's operating funds.
• A non-refundable platform service fee (displayed at checkout) is deducted from the total charged to the client. The amount held in escrow is the net job amount agreed between client and provider.
• LocalPro does not earn interest on funds held in escrow. Escrow is purely a pass-through protection mechanism.

3. When the Job Begins

Once the escrow payment is confirmed, the provider is notified and the job moves to “In Progress” status. The provider may begin work. Both parties can communicate through the LocalPro messaging system. All communications should be kept within the Platform for dispute resolution purposes.

4. Releasing Funds

Escrow funds are released to the provider in the following circumstances:

• Manual release by client — The client clicks “Release Payment” after confirming the work meets the agreed standard. This is the standard and preferred method.
• Automatic release — If the provider marks the job as “Complete” and the client does not release funds or raise a dispute within 7 calendar days, funds are automatically released to the provider.
• Partial release — For milestone-based jobs, the client may release partial amounts upon completion of each agreed milestone. The remainder stays in escrow until subsequent milestones are approved.
• Dispute resolution outcome — If a dispute is raised and resolved in favour of the provider, all or part of the escrow is released to the provider per the ruling.

5. Dispute Hold

If a client raises a dispute before escrow is released, the funds are immediately frozen and held by LocalPro until the dispute is resolved. Neither party can access the funds while the dispute is under review. LocalPro will conduct a review and issue a ruling within 5–10 business days. For details, see the Dispute Resolution Policy.

6. Refunds From Escrow

Escrow funds may be returned to the client in the following situations:

• The provider fails to start or complete the job and the client cancels.
• The client cancels the job before work commences and the cancellation meets the criteria in the Refund Policy.
• A dispute is resolved in the client's favour (full or partial refund).
• Technical failure by the Platform prevents job completion (assessed case by case).

The platform service fee is non-refundable in all circumstances. Refunds of the escrow job amount (minus the platform fee) are returned to the client's original payment method or credited to their LocalPro wallet.

7. Withdrawal of Released Funds

Once escrow funds are released to a provider, they are credited to the provider's in-platform earnings wallet (after deduction of LocalPro's service commission). Providers may withdraw their wallet balance to a verified Philippine bank account or GCash number once KYC is approved and the minimum withdrawal threshold is met. Processing time is typically 1–3 business days. LocalPro is not responsible for delays caused by banks or third-party payment processors.

8. Off-Platform Payments

Making or accepting payments outside the LocalPro escrow system (“going off-platform”) is a violation of our Terms of Service. Off-platform payments are not protected by escrow and LocalPro cannot investigate disputes, process refunds, or take any action regarding transactions made outside the Platform. Providers and clients who engage in off-platform transactions may have their accounts suspended or permanently terminated.

9. Currency & Processing Fees

• All Philippine escrow transactions are denominated in Philippine Peso (PHP).
• Payment processing fees charged by third-party processors (PayMongo, PayPal) are included in the platform service fee displayed at checkout and are non-refundable.
• International transactions may be subject to currency conversion rates set by PayPal or the client's bank. LocalPro is not responsible for exchange rate differences.

10. Contact

For questions or concerns about a specific escrow transaction, please contact support:

• 📧 support@localpro.asia
• 🌐 localpro.asia