Frequently asked questions

Fairgo is a payment-first trust platform for residential trade work. The homeowner's payment is secured upfront and held in escrow, and released to the tradie only once the work is approved. If there's a dispute, it's settled by independent inspection before any money moves.

No. We don't sell leads or take a cut for introductions. Fairgo is payment and trust infrastructure. The point is that the job gets done and paid, not that you buy contacts.

Homeowners commissioning residential trade work, and licensed tradies who want payment certainty. We're launching in Sydney across renovations and higher-risk trades: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, kitchens, bathrooms, and carpentry.

You fund the job (or each milestone) upfront through PayPal. The money is held securely in escrow. The tradie can see it's there, but it isn't released to them until you approve the completed work.

Yes. Funds are held in escrow via PayPal (AFSL 354514) and are only released on your approval, or refunded to you if a dispute is resolved in your favour. Fairgo can't quietly pay the tradie without an approval or a resolved dispute.

Instead of approving, you raise a dispute. The funds stay frozen, and an independent, accredited inspector assesses the work against the completion criteria that were agreed when the job was created. The outcome is decided before any money moves, not afterward through a tribunal.

Nothing beyond the agreed job price. Fairgo's platform fee comes out of the tradie's payout, not on top of your bill. The only time a homeowner is charged is the $250.00 inspection fee when you raise a dispute, and that's refunded in full if the inspection upholds your claim.

When the client approves the work, your payout is released. The standard payout is free and arrives about 2 business days later. If you need the money immediately, you can opt in to an instant payout for a 1.5% fee taken from your payout.

A flat 5% platform fee on the job, deducted from your payout when funds are released. No sign-up fee, no monthly charge, and nothing to pay for leads. See the pricing page for a worked example.

For multi-stage jobs, you can split the work into milestones that are funded and released one stage at a time. For jobs with uncertain scope, Time & Materials lets you lock your rates and work against a client-funded spend cap. The client approves any increase before the cap grows, so nobody is surprised.

A valid trade licence, current insurance, your ABN, and a PayPal account to receive payouts. Jobs over $20,000.00 also require Home Building Compensation (HBC) cover, which we verify before you can take them (NSW law).

An independent, accredited inspector visits and assesses the work against the job's agreed completion criteria, then submits per-criterion findings and a recommendation. Fairgo actions the outcome, either release to the tradie or refund to the homeowner, based on that independent assessment, while the funds stay held throughout.

The party raising the dispute pays the $250.00 inspection fee upfront. If the inspection upholds their claim, the fee is refunded to them in full. This keeps disputes genuine while making sure a valid complaint doesn't cost the person who was in the right.

The locked rates, material rules, call-out fee, and any approved spend caps. Those were agreed upfront. A T&M dispute covers only whether the work performed was reasonable.

Payments are processed and held by PayPal, which holds an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL 354514) to do so. Fairgo instructs the release or refund based on approvals and dispute outcomes; it doesn't operate its own trust account.

Never by email or message. Payments are handled securely through PayPal's own checkout. Fairgo never sees or stores your full card or bank details.