Why has my card been charged when the task hasn't started?

Payment on Airtasker is through a secure escrow system that we call Airtasker Pay, powered by our world-class payment provider, Stripe.

Here’s how it works:

1. When you assign a Tasker, payment is immediately taken from your card. Its held securely in an escrow account with Stripe while your task is being completed.
2. When the Tasker is finished, they will request payment. You will get a notification that the Tasker has said they’ve completed the task.
3. If you’re satisfied that the task has been completed, you can then release the payment. It will then be transferred into the Tasker’s nominated account within 3-5 business days. 

We’ve created this payment system to be fair for everyone, to create peace of mind and a secure way to give and receive payments.

Airtasker Pay is great for customers because it’s an easy way to pay that you know you can trust. Additionally, if you’re not happy with the completion of the task, it gives you an opportunity to negotiate with your Tasker, with the help of our free dispute resolution service. Payment continues to be held in escrow if a task goes into dispute.

This process is also great for Taskers - they can trust that the payment is waiting for them when they complete the task, as it’s already been secured.

In the unfortunate event of a task cancellation, the secured funds will be automatically returned to your card. For more information on refunds, see here.