Escrow Policy

1. What is Escrow?

Escrow is a fully automated financial arrangement managed entirely by the platform's code and system, securing funds during a transaction and releasing them only when specified conditions have been met.

Defixerhub does not hold your money. Instead, fund collections and disbursements are executed securely through MTN Mobile Money (MoMo), with the escrow locking mechanism managed automatically by the application code/system. When a Customer accepts an Artisan's quote, payment is collected via MoMo and locked securely by the system — not held by the Artisan or by Defixerhub directly — until the work is confirmed as completed to the Customer's satisfaction.

2. Why Defixerhub Uses Escrow

We designed our platform around escrow because trust is the foundation of any service marketplace. Without escrow:

• Customers risk paying for poor-quality or incomplete work
• Artisans risk completing work and not being paid
• Neither party has a neutral mechanism for resolving disagreements

Our code-driven escrow system eliminates these risks, giving both Customers and Artisans the confidence to transact on the Platform.

3. When Payment is Collected

Payment is collected from the Customer's account at the exact moment they confirm acceptance of an Artisan's quote (or their counter-offer is accepted by the Artisan). This triggers:

1. Immediate collection from Customer's MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) wallet
2. Funds locked securely in the system's automated escrow
3. Artisan notified that the booking is confirmed and funds are secured
4. Booking status updated to "In Progress" in the app

4. How Payments Are Secured

Defixerhub does not hold your money. All payments are secured through MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) and managed entirely by the system code. This means:

• Funds are locked securely in transit by the system's automated code, never stored in Defixerhub's operating accounts.
• The escrow system is entirely done by the code/system, ensuring absolute neutrality.
• No interest is earned on locked funds by any party.
• Defixerhub acts purely as a software intermediary.

5. Releasing Payment to the Artisan

Funds are released and disbursed from the automated escrow system to the Artisan when:

• Customer Confirms: The Customer marks the work as "Completed" in the app, triggering instant automated disbursement of MoMo payment to the Artisan.
• Auto-Release: If the Customer does not confirm completion or raise a dispute within 7 calendar days of the Artisan marking the work done, the system automatically disburses funds to the Artisan.
• Dispute Resolution: If a dispute is raised and resolved in the Artisan's favour by Defixerhub's support team, the system disburses funds accordingly.

6. Artisan Payouts

Once funds are released from Escrow, the system credits the Artisan instantly. Payouts are sent directly to the Artisan's registered MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) wallet.

Supported Payout Methods (Rwanda Launch)

• MTN Mobile Money (MoMo)
• Airtel Money
• Bank Transfer (to registered Rwandan bank account)

Payout Processing

• Mobile Money: Processed automatically within seconds, 24/7
• Bank Transfer: Processed within 1–2 business days
• No minimum payout amount during the Rwanda launch phase

7. Disputes & Escrow Locks

If a Customer is not satisfied with the work, they should raise a dispute within the app before the 7-day auto-release window expires.

How to Raise a Dispute

1. Navigate to the booking in your app
2. Tap "Report an Issue" or "Raise Dispute"
3. Describe the problem and upload photos if applicable
4. Submit — escrowed funds will remain locked pending resolution

Dispute Resolution Timeline

• 24 hours: Defixerhub Support responds and assigns a case handler
• 72 hours: Target resolution with full decision communicated to both parties
• Complex cases: May take up to 14 days for full investigation

Defixerhub's decision on disputes is final, though Users may appeal in writing within 14 days of the decision.

8. Partial Payment Releases

For larger or multi-stage bookings, Defixerhub may support milestone-based partial releases where the total agreed price is split into stages, each released upon completion of that stage.

Both parties must agree to a milestone payment structure before the work begins. This feature is available for bookings over RWF 50,000.

9. Refund Policy

A full refund to the Customer will be issued when:

• The Artisan fails to show up without notice and the Customer cancels
• A dispute is resolved in the Customer's favour
• The booking is cancelled by mutual agreement before work begins
• A technical error caused a double payment

Refund Processing Time

• Mobile Money refunds: Within 1–3 business days
• Card refunds: Within 5–10 business days (depending on card issuer)

10. Escrow & Platform Fees

Future fee structures will be announced with at least 60 days' notice via email and in-app notification. Any fees will be transparently displayed before acceptance of a quote.

11. Supported Payment Methods — Rwanda

12. Expansion to Other Countries

As Defixerhub expands into Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, and Nigeria, each country will have country-specific escrow rules, payment methods, and currency support. Users in each country will be presented with local policies that comply with that country's financial regulations.

Key planned additions:

• Uganda: MTN Uganda MoMo, Airtel Uganda
• Kenya: M-Pesa, Airtel Kenya
• Tanzania: M-Pesa Tanzania, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money
• Nigeria: Bank transfers, Opay, Paystack-supported cards

13. Fraud Prevention & Security

• Identity Verification: All Artisans are verified via national ID before accepting their first booking
• Transaction Monitoring: Automated systems flag unusual transaction patterns 24/7
• Encrypted Payments: All payment data is encrypted using TLS 1.3 and stored with AES-256 encryption
• No Cash Outside Platform: Attempting to pay or receive payment outside of Defixerhub is a Terms violation and removes escrow protection
• Two-Factor Authentication: Users can enable 2FA for additional account security

14. Contact the Escrow Team

For escrow-specific queries, payment issues, or disputes, contact our dedicated Escrow Support Team: