Terms & Conditions

These terms govern your use of Settled ("we", "us", "the platform"), a service that lets freelancers and creatives ("creatives") collect payment from their clients automatically after an agreed period following completion of work. By creating an account or authorising a payment, you agree to these terms.

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, subject to your statutory rights as a consumer.

Settled is a software platform that facilitates invoicing and payment collection between creatives and their clients. We are not a bank, and we do not provide financial advice. Payment processing is provided by Stripe Payments Europe Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the appropriate financial regulators.

When a client authorises a payment, they agree that the invoiced amount may be captured automatically once the creative marks the work complete and the agreed payment window (7 days) elapses.

• You must be at least 18 and provide accurate business, address and payout details.
• You are responsible for the accuracy of every invoice you create and for the lawful delivery of the underlying work.
• You must complete Stripe's identity and payout verification before funds can be paid out to your bank account.
• You may not use the platform for unlawful goods or services, or in breach of Stripe's acceptable use policies.

We charge a platform commission of 1.5% of each invoice amount, deducted at the point funds are released. Stripe's own processing fees (typically around 1.5% + 20p per transaction for standard UK cards, with higher rates on premium or international cards) are also deducted from the payout, and both are shown to the creative upfront when an invoice is created. We may change our fees with 30 days' notice; changes do not apply to invoices already created.

• The client authorises payment at the time of booking; no funds move at that point.
• The payment window starts only when the creative marks the work complete.
• When the window elapses without a dispute, the authorised amount is captured automatically and paid out, less fees.
• Authorisations that are never completed expire in line with the card network's rules and are never charged.

If a client believes the work is not complete or not as agreed, they may raise a dispute before the payment window ends. While a dispute is open, funds are held and not captured. We encourage both parties to resolve disputes directly; we may ask for evidence from either side. If a dispute is resolved in the client's favour, the authorisation is cancelled and no charge is made. If resolved in the creative's favour, capture proceeds.

Nothing in these terms limits a client's statutory rights, including rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 where applicable, or a cardholder's right to raise a chargeback with their card issuer.

Creatives may rate clients on payment behaviour. Reviews must be honest and fair. We may remove reviews that are abusive, discriminatory or factually unfounded, and may suspend clients or creatives who abuse the dispute or review systems.

The contract for the underlying work is between the creative and the client. We are not a party to it and are not liable for the quality, delivery or legality of the work. To the extent permitted by law, our total liability to you is limited to the fees we have received from you in the 12 months before the claim. We do not exclude liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or anything else that cannot be excluded by law.

You may close your account at any time. Outstanding authorised invoices will still be processed under these terms. We may suspend or close accounts that breach these terms, with notice where practicable.

We may update these terms from time to time. We will give at least 30 days' notice of material changes by email or in-app notice. Continued use after that date constitutes acceptance.