Payments & Providers

How payments work on Tarea

We want this to be as clear as possible, because money between strangers is where trust usually breaks down.

Tarea does not process payments between Clients and Pros. Money moves directly between those two parties, through a payment method the Pro has chosen themselves — typically Stripe.

We’re not a payment processor, an escrow service, a merchant of record, or a financial institution. We’re software that helps Pros run their service business and helps Clients find them.

The flow, step by step

1. 1
   Client finds a Pro.

   Browse, filter, read reviews, check availability.
2. 2
   Client requests or books a service.

   They can ask a question, request a quote, or book a slot the Pro has published.
3. 3
   Pro sends an invoice or payment link.

   Using their own Stripe account (or another method). The link leaves Tarea and takes the Client to the payment provider.
4. 4
   Client pays the Pro directly.

   Through the provider. Tarea never sees the card. The Pro receives the funds on the provider’s schedule.
5. 5
   The service happens.

   Delivered by the Pro, with the Client. Tarea is not at the appointment.
6. 6
   Client can leave a review afterward.

   Honest feedback, visible on the Pro’s profile.

What Tarea does not do

To be blunt:

• We do not hold funds or run an escrow.
• We do not process card payments.
• We do not issue refunds for bookings — because we never received the money. The one thing we do sell directly is message credits, and those we do refund: see below.
• We do not arbitrate payment disputes, chargebacks, or refund requests.
• We do not guarantee that a Pro will deliver the service or that a Client will pay.
• We do not take a commission on bookings.
• We do not have access to your bank account, card number, or payout balance.

The one exception: message credits

Everything above is about booking payments, which go straight from the Client to the Pro. Message credits are different: you buy them from us, we are the seller, and the money is ours to refund.

• Credits included with a plan reset each monthly cycle and do not roll over.
• Credits bought in a pack never expire and roll over. Plan credits are spent first.
• Unspent purchased credits can be refunded in full within 14 days of purchase. Email support@gettarea.com and we will refund the pack to your original payment method and remove the matching credits. The clawback is proportional to the amount refunded, so a partial refund removes a proportional share. Once credits have been spent they are non-refundable, because the sends they paid for have already gone out.

If you’re a Pro

You own the money side of your business end-to-end. Practically, that means:

• Choose your payment method (Stripe, bank transfer, cash, whatever you can justify to your clients and the taxman).
• Set clear terms up-front — deposit, balance due, cancellation fee, refund policy — and put them on your profile.
• Invoice and receipt correctly for your jurisdiction.
• Handle your own taxes. Track income. Keep records.
• Resolve any refund, chargeback, or dispute directly with your Client and your payment provider.

Read the full picture in the Pro Terms of Service.

If you’re a Client

Before you pay, check the Pro’s own terms — they’re responsible for displaying them clearly. In particular:

• What’s the cancellation and refund policy?
• When is payment due — up front, partial deposit, on completion?
• What payment methods does the Pro accept?
• Does the quoted price include tax or not?

If something goes wrong with a payment, contact the Pro first, then your payment provider (they usually have dispute processes). Island Pro can investigate abuse or AUP violations, but we can’t force a refund.

Third-party providers

The most common payment provider on Tarea is Stripe, but Pros are free to use other tools (bank transfer, their own card terminal, another online processor). When you’re paying or getting paid through one of these, that provider’s terms and privacy policy apply to the transaction, not Tarea’s. We’d encourage you to read them.

Tarea has no commercial relationship with most of these providers that affects what you pay. We don’t receive a kickback from Stripe.

Our only revenue: Pro subscriptions

Tarea charges Pros a subscription fee for access to the Platform’s tools (listing, messaging, scheduling, basic analytics). We do not charge Clients to use Tarea, and we do not take a commission on bookings or payments.

If that ever changes — for example if we introduce a commission- based option — we will tell Pros clearly before it applies to them, and we’ll update these pages.

Common questions

I paid a Pro and the work wasn’t done. Can Tarea refund me?

No — we never received the money. Contact the Pro first and ask for a refund. If the Pro refuses and you paid through a provider like Stripe, open a dispute with the provider (most have a window, often 60–120 days, to do this). You can also report the Pro to us so we can review whether they’ve broken the Acceptable Use Policy. That doesn’t get your money back, but it may stop the Pro from doing the same to someone else.

I’m a Pro and Stripe is holding my payout. Can you help?

Not directly — we have no control over Stripe’s risk decisions. Contact Stripe support with your account and transaction details. If you think Tarea has mis-configured something on our side, email pros@gettarea.com.

Can I pay or get paid in cash?

Yes, if both parties are happy with it and your local law allows it. Just remember: cash transactions still need to be declared for tax, you don’t have a built-in dispute process, and there’s no record of the payment in Tarea.

Does Tarea use my card details for anything?

We only see your card details when you’re paying Tarea directly for your Pro subscription, and even then our subscription processor handles the card — we store only the tokenised reference needed to renew. Service payments between Clients and Pros never touch our servers.