Fees and pricing
What the platform fee is, who pays it, when it is taken, and a worked example of the full money path.
There is one platform fee and it is charged once per engagement, on release, out of the expert’s side. Clients pay the price they agreed plus any applicable tax — the fee is not added on top of the client’s total. Nothing is charged for browsing, posting a service, applying to a job, sending a proposal, or messaging.
| What | Who pays | When | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement price | Client | Up front, into escrow | Set by the parties |
| Platform fee | Deducted from the expert’s amount | On release, not on funding | 10% |
| Tax (where applicable) | Client | Added and shown before payment | 0% |
| Extra revision, if agreed | Client | When the extra round is ordered | 15%, min 5 |
| Withdrawal | Nobody — no platform charge | On payout | Min 1 to withdraw |
| Subscription, if used | Subscriber | In advance, recurring until cancelled | Optional |
A worked example
Take a 1,000 fixed-price project with one milestone, at the default 10% fee and no tax configured.
| Step | Client side | Escrow | Expert side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract agreed | — | 0 | — |
| Client funds | −1,000 charged | 1,000 held | 0 (visible, not earned) |
| Expert submits | — | 1,000 held | 0 |
| Client approves | — | 0 | +900 balance |
| Platform fee | — | — | −100 (10%) |
| Expert withdraws | — | 0 | 900 to their bank |
Experts always see net, clients always see total
Every contract and offer shows the expert what they will actually receive after the fee, and shows the client the full amount they will actually pay. If a number surprises you at checkout, stop and read the breakdown before paying.
Minimum order amount
The operator can set a minimum engagement value. When one is set, it is enforced at the point you commit — a client cannot send a contract below it, and the warning names the minimum rather than failing silently at checkout. If you are an expert bidding, a bid under the minimum cannot be turned into a contract, so bid at or above it.
Extra revisions
Each service states how many revision rounds are included. Beyond that, a further round is a paid add-on priced as a percentage of the milestone (15% by default) with a small floor (5 by default), whichever is greater. It is optional on both sides: the client chooses to order it, the expert chooses to accept the scope.
Tax
Where a tax rate applies it is calculated on the engagement price, shown as a separate line before payment, and added to the client’s total. It is not taken out of the expert’s earnings. Experts are responsible for their own income tax and, where relevant, their own VAT registration and invoicing — AutoGineer is not your employer and does not withhold tax on your behalf.
Fee changes are never retroactive
If a fee or minimum changes, the new value applies to engagements created afterwards. It never alters money already released, already held, or a contract already agreed.
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