When a Traveller makes a booking, they pay the full amount upfront through the app.
Vanlife Connnect accepts major debit/credit cards and mobile pay options. Our payment processor (Stripe) will securely charge your card once the booking is accepted.
However, the money is not released to the Provider yet – it’s held in an account managed by Stripe on behalf of the platform. The Provider only gets paid out after the service is completed.
Here’s the flow:
- You submit a booking and enter your payment (if you have a saved card, it will be charged automatically upon confirmation).
- The payment is held securely through the platform’s payment process. The Provider can see that payment has been made, but the funds are not released until the job is completed.
- Once the service is completed, both you and the Provider tap “Complete” in the app to confirm everything’s finished to mutual satisfaction.
- Once the job is completed, the payment is released to the Provider through the platform, minus the platform commission and payment processing fees.
- If one party forgets to tap complete, the platform will auto-release the funds after a set period (24 hours) as long as no dispute is raised.
- The Provider receives the payout to their bank account (this typically takes 1-2 business days to land, depending on the bank).
- You, the Traveller, don’t need to do anything else payment-wise.
- This system protects both sides: Providers know they’ll get paid if they do the work, and Travellers know the money isn’t handed over until the job is done.
- You will receive an in-app invoice/receipt and email confirming the payment.
Stripe processing fees are charged when payment is made and are allocated based on the outcome of the booking, such as completion, cancellation, no-show, or dispute.