Securatrade is a structured payment platform built for trade jobs across the UK. It lets tradespeople and their customers agree on a clear scope of work, timeline and milestone release plan before any work begins. Customer payments are processed through Stripe and release follows the agreed milestone process.
The 6.5% fee helps cover secure payment processing, platform running costs, job protection, local marketing for trade profiles and ongoing improvements to Securatrade. The customer pays this fee on top of the trade invoice, so the tradesperson keeps their invoice amount. You can see the full breakdown on the pricing page.
Securatrade uses a payment provider for card payments and keeps the wording plain: job agreements, milestone release tracking and concern review support.
Customer payments are processed through our payment provider. Release follows the job agreement and milestone process. A customer can approve a release or raise a concern during the review window.
Securatrade is designed for any trade or home improvement work, including plumbing, electrical work, building and construction, landscaping, decorating, roofing, tiling, carpentry, kitchen and bathroom installations, and much more. If there's a scope of work and agreed payment, Securatrade can structure it.
No minimum job value applies. Whether you're booking a small plumbing repair or a full-scale extension, you can use Securatrade to structure the agreement, payment and release stages.
Yes — both tradespeople and customers need a free Securatrade account to use the platform. Creating an account takes less than two minutes. There are no monthly fees for tradespeople. The customer pays the Securatrade protection fee as part of the job payment.
Yes. Trades can also hire other trades for their own properties — your account works in both roles from the same dashboard.
Yes — Securatrade is available throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The platform operates entirely online, so both parties can review, agree and manage their job from anywhere, regardless of location. There are no regional restrictions on which jobs can be structured.
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For Customers
When you pay, the payment is processed through Securatrade's payment flow rather than paid directly to the trade. Release follows the milestone process: the trade requests release, and you can approve it or raise a concern during the review window.
Stripe is our payment partner. It handles card payments, identity checks required for payouts, and transfers released funds to the trade's connected account. Securatrade does not manually hold card details.
Release can move ahead in one of two ways: (1) you actively approve the milestone release request; or (2) 48 hours pass after the release request without you raising a concern, at which point payment may be released automatically. This gives you a clear, time-limited way to check the work before payment is released.
If you have concerns about the quality or completeness of the work, you must raise them within 48 hours of the tradesperson requesting release before payment may be released automatically. Once you raise a concern, the release is paused and Securatrade's support team will review the situation. We encourage both sides to resolve issues collaboratively wherever possible before formal intervention.
Refunds and cancellations are handled under the job agreement, platform terms and payment rules. If a job is cancelled before work begins, unreleased funds may be returned to you, subject to any applicable terms or cancellation fees.
This depends on the specific job and is something agreed upfront in your job agreement. Some jobs require the customer to be present throughout, for example if keys need to be handed over or decisions need to be made on-site. Others can proceed with a key-holder or access code. The access arrangement should be stated in the job agreement before work begins.
A defects liability period is a defined window after job completion where certain agreed issues can be raised and dealt with. This is common in construction and larger trade jobs. Where a defects period is agreed and included in your Securatrade job agreement, it is recorded as part of the agreement between you and the trade.
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For Trades
Payment is released per milestone, as agreed in the job structure. Once you request release for a milestone, the customer has 48 hours to approve it or raise a concern. If they approve, payment is released immediately. If they raise no concern within 48 hours, payment may be released automatically. Funds are transferred to your registered bank account promptly after release.
If a customer fails to respond or confirm completion, funds may be released to you after 48 hours, provided no concern has been raised. You request release through the platform, and the customer still has the right to raise genuine concerns during the review window.
The Securatrade platform fee is included within the total amount the customer pays — not deducted from your agreed job value. This means you receive the full amount you quoted. The standard fee is 6.5% and applies when the customer pays in full upfront. A higher fee of 9.75% applies only when the customer chooses to pay using instalments, buy now pay later, or a finance-based payment option. The fee is transparently shown to the customer at the point of payment. There are no monthly subscription fees for trades, and no hidden charges.
No. Milestones are simply agreed stages of the job — they help structure work and payment releases. You can have one milestone or several, and the standard 6.5% fee still applies as long as the customer pays upfront. The higher fee only applies when the customer specifically chooses instalments or a buy now pay later option — not because the job is split into stages.
The higher 9.75% fee applies only when the customer uses instalments, buy now pay later, or a finance-based payment method instead of paying in full upfront. If a customer pays upfront — even on a job structured across multiple milestones — the standard 6.5% fee applies. The number of milestones has no effect on the fee rate.
Yes - and this is how most jobs on Securatrade work. The customer pays upfront, and you request release in stages as each milestone is ready for review. This is the standard job structure and uses the standard 6.5% fee. Instalments or BNPL are a separate payment option, not the same as milestone release.
Trade verification includes a photo ID check and one recent proof of address dated within the last three months. This helps customers trust that they are dealing with a real trade, and it helps genuine trades stand apart from fake accounts and fraud. Verified trades can display trust badges on their profile, making it easier for customers to accept a job agreement.
Yes, but cancellation terms apply. If you cancel before work begins, the customer's funds are returned in full with no cancellation fee charged to them. If you cancel part-way through a job, payment for completed milestones is released as agreed, but any unreleased funds are returned to the customer. Repeated or late cancellations may affect your trade standing on the platform.
If a concern or dispute is raised, Securatrade reviews the job agreement, milestone records, messages, photos and any evidence provided by both sides. Where the job has seriously broken down, the platform dispute process may apply, including reviewing evidence of materials already purchased and following the platform terms and applicable law to determine how the remaining balance is handled. Full details, including timeframes, are set out in the platform terms.