Frequently asked questions

Stipme combines a secured budget and client approval in one payment link. With an invoice, the provider carries the payment risk; with prepayment, the client gives up control before delivery; and a standard payment link has no shared milestone approval. With Stipme, the client secures each stage upfront and can review the delivery, request changes, or approve it.

The client can reclaim the full amount if nothing is submitted by the agreed delivery date plus seven days. This protection applies to every milestone and is accepted by both sides before payment. Stipme organises the agreed rule but does not decide disputes.

For freelancers, agencies, and small studios who bill projects in stages: design, development, copywriting, video, consulting. Stipme organizes the project with milestones and approvals, so you're no longer waiting for payment and your client only pays for what's delivered.

Within minutes. Describe the project, set up milestones with an amount and an acceptance criterion, and share the link. With a template it's even faster.

You need a self-employed activity that lets you issue invoices — a registered business or freelance activity. When you set up payouts, the payment partner asks whether you're acting as an individual or a company.

Yes. Your client can pay by card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay from any country. Billing is in euros.

You set up a project with milestones and share the link. Your client secures the budget with the payment partner. You deliver, they approve, and the money goes to your bank account.

No. You issue your invoice yourself, as usual. The printable project overview shows milestones and payments but isn't an invoice for tax purposes.

Enter the amount the way your client should pay it — gross, if you charge VAT. How you remit it doesn't change because of Stipme. If in doubt, check with your tax advisor.

That depends on how you determine profit. Many use the day the money arrives in the bank account. This isn't tax advice — please ask your tax advisor.

Yes. Every payment shows the amount, the fee, and the payout. The fee is visible in the project and in your payout profile with the payment partner.

Usually three to five. Each milestone should have a result your client can check, such as concept, draft, and final delivery.

Yes. Create a first milestone like "Project kickoff and concept." As soon as you deliver it and your client approves, the amount goes to your bank account.

Be concrete and checkable: "3 logo drafts as PDF and SVG" instead of "logo done." The AI check when you create a project suggests better wording. Clear criteria mean fewer discussions during revisions.

The AI assistant helps with wording: providers get a friendly message for the link, while clients get answers about the project and help phrasing revision requests. It only uses the project details agreed in advance. The AI never decides who is right, gives legal advice, or moves money.

Yes: up to €10,000 per milestone and up to €50,000 per project. For larger projects, talk to us about Enterprise.

Yes, for many professions, such as web design, branding, video, or copywriting. Each template comes with milestones, acceptance criteria, and tips you can adjust.

No, your client does not need to sign up. They open the payment link, review the project, milestones, and rules agreed in advance, and pay directly. They can then review each delivery, request changes, or approve it.

By card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay through our payment partner.

Not currently. Card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are available. Many businesses pay this way using a company card.

No. The fee is deducted from the secured amount. Your client pays exactly the amount shown in the link.

Once the review period ends, the milestone is approved automatically. The default is 72 hours on business days.

In short: "You secure the budget upfront with our payment partner. I only receive it once you approve my delivery." That gives your client confidence and gives you certainty the money is there.

The project description, milestones with amounts, acceptance criteria, the review period, the number of revisions, and the current status. Your logo too, if you add one.

The default is 72 hours on business days. Before payment, you can also choose 7 or 14 business days.

They request a revision and name the acceptance criterion that's missing. You deliver the update, and the review period restarts. You decide how many revisions are included (1 to 3) when you create the milestone. Your client sees this before paying.

Yes, before payment. Once the budget is secured, amounts and the review period stay fixed, so both sides have planning certainty.

Better not to. The link shows you when a milestone is secured. Only then is it certain the money is ready.

No. They secure milestone by milestone. That way they don't tie up the whole budget upfront, and you know the money is there before each stage.

Milestones already approved are yours. For a secured milestone that hasn't been approved yet, you can either deliver and let the review period run as agreed, or agree on a partial refund. Stipme doesn't decide this for you.

Tell your client early. The review period only starts once you submit, so a later delivery doesn't trigger an automatic refund. But as long as nothing is delivered, nothing is approved either.

No. Stipme isn't an arbitrator and doesn't mediate. Money only moves when one of you takes action or a rule you both agreed to before payment applies. That keeps the process predictable for both sides.

The client can either approve or propose a settlement: part goes to the service provider, the rest is refunded. If the service provider accepts, the payment partner processes it immediately. If the client does nothing, it's approved automatically after the review period, as agreed.

Without a submission, no review period starts and nothing is approved. The service provider can refund fully or partially, or you can agree on a settlement. Until then, the money stays with the payment partner.

Yes, anytime before approval, fully or partially. The payment partner refunds the amount directly to your client. The Stipme fee is only refunded for a full refund.

Yes. Every project has an immutable record: who approved, delivered, requested a revision, released, or refunded, and when. You can save it as a PDF and show it to a lawyer or a court.

A chargeback is directed at the service provider as the seller. It's reviewed by the payment partner and the bank, not by Stipme. The amount is deducted from the service provider's share.

No, Stipme never holds the money itself. Stipme organises milestones, review periods, and approvals; the licensed payment partner accepts the payment, reserves it until the agreed approval, and then pays it to the provider's bank account.

No. Card details are processed exclusively by the payment partner.

Only the people you send it to. The identifier is random, and project pages don't show up in search engines.

Not for your first stip. With an account, though, you can see your projects permanently and on any device.

Sign in. Stips you created earlier in this browser without signing up will be linked to your account and available everywhere afterward.