How your payment is protected, in plain language
Where the money sits at every stage of a Swifli booking, and why this is the single most important thing about how we work.
When you book a service on Swifli, your payment is held safely until the job is done. Understanding what actually happens to the money is the clearest way to understand the whole platform.
A hold first, then the charge
When you book, we place a hold on your card for the total you saw — the Neighbour’s rate plus Swifli’s booking fee, and HST where it applies. Nobody is offered the job until the hold goes through, so the Neighbour who accepts knows the money is there. Your card is charged once the job is done: when you confirm it’s complete, or automatically 24 hours after your Neighbour marks it complete, unless you report a problem.
When the job is charged, the Neighbour keeps their full rate and Swifli keeps its booking fee. If you cancel before the job starts, or no Neighbour accepts in time, the hold is released and nothing is charged.
Why hold the payment at all
Holding the payment protects both sides. Residents aren’t charged before the work is done; Neighbours don’t do work that isn’t backed by a payment. If something isn’t right, you can report a problem before you confirm the job, or up to 7 days after it’s completed. While a report is open, the payment stays on hold, and Swifli’s team reviews the chat history, booking timeline and any photos before deciding the outcome.