Escrow Payments Status Update
Work has begun on a new escrow system which means HireBee and Taskerr will be able to offer percentage-based fees (in addition to fixed fees). This has been the number one requested feature of both themes (even though Taskerr hasn’t even been released).
We’ll initially roll out PayPal Adaptive Payments — the most globally accepted escrow gateway option. Next in line will be an up-and-coming escrow service called, Balanced Payments. Both are powerful solutions that any site owner should consider to maximize their sales.
Pricing
– PayPal Adaptive Payments – FREE
– Balanced Payments – available as an add-on plugin in our WordPress Marketplace.
The base code will be added to our payments module later this month and bundled with each upcoming theme release. Look for it to hit the shelves in HireBee 1.2 and Taskerr 1.1 (both due out in mid Sept).
Comments (59)
Awesome! Thank you for responding and accommodating your customers’ requests.
That’s great news David. I’ve never heard of balanced payments I’m more familiar with PayPal adaptive.
But if its any good I’d consider implementing it on my site. Is Taskerr still on track to be released this month?
@gocards86, yes Balanced Payments fills a much-needed niche. It takes a little longer to setup an account (you need to apply) vs PayPal or Stripe (just sign up). We’re still on schedule for Taskerr 1.0 — just putting on the finishing touches.
Great! I’m very excited for the Theme. I always wanted to create a micro jobs site like Fiverr but didn’t have the tools or resources and the one theme I did find looked like it was coded by an 8 year old.
You guys develop state of the art applications I love the look and feel of all your themes. Kate plus 8 uses your Themes so that must tell ya something 🙂
Great news. Can hardly wait for mid Sept. Thanks for the updating us on this development. Now I can stop hitting refresh.
So much for that “other theme” coming out on the weekend @Jpatt
That is great and welcome news for many. I hope that you can also add the functionality so site owners can have the option to make if free (we take no percentage or cut from those providing the service) and they arrange their own payment directly.
Also, as I have mentioned before (ducks and covers) Taskerr and Hirebee really need to have custom fields implemented (like ACF plugin) to allow site owners greater flexibility. This way we can have unique sites instead of all the same.
Looking forward to initial release!
ps – I guess work on Rave will not start until Taskerr 1.0 has be completed, right?
Thanks for the feedback, bellboy. Rave development has already begun but we’re still quite a ways from completion.
I agree with @bellyboy about custom fields. I think its important that way we can customize the looks and feel of the theme. It empowers the admin to do a lot more things with the theme without having to touch code or hire a dev to add special fields.
Great! I think this is coming in no better time than now.
Does Taskerr will include a wallet, as you know bank transfer for 5$ is not making sense.
@tammamkoujan, yes. In an upcoming release it’ll have support for escrow payments.
@David do you have time estimation when it will be ready?
@tammam, we’re looking to have these out by the end of Sept.
@David thank you I will be waiting for it , then I will be able to publish my site.
I had started the customization on Taskerr , it is great theem but I have some notes I will discuss them in the forum.
Thank you
Just to be sure it should allow the following…..
1) Buyer to be redirected to our Paypal and pay us
2) We collect or percentage
3) We pay seller remaining balance
@mefindcoupon, it’s more like this:
Hi David,
Will that be the flow for both taskerr and hirebee or just taskerr?
@Mike, both. It’s built into the gateway plugins. 😉
Hi David,
When you say escrow using Paypal Adaptive, are you talking about Chained Payments?
As the admin (primary receiver of funds), I prefer to have control when to release the freelancer payment. I’d like to confirm first from the Employer or project owner if the project was successfully completed and delivered before paying the freelancer (secondary receiver).
Parallel Payments seems to distribute funds to all receivers at the same time which doesn’t give me enough control of the funds.
Mike, HireBee will use chained payments and the funds will only be transferred to the Freelancer when an Employer marks a project as ‘Completed’. During the project development the funds are held on the primary receiver PayPal account.
Thank you, Bruno. Will chained payments support multiple secondary receivers in the same transaction?
@Bruno the primary receivers account would be the admin correct? so the funds would be held in the admins papal account?
Will this work the same way with Taskerr. only after buyer marks the gig as complete the funds get sent to the buyer?
Also do you need to have a business account and put in api info to use papal adaptive?
What happens if project is completed but employer or project owner fails or refuses to mark project complete for whatever reason, how will site admins and freelancers handle it?
How can that be prevented from happening in the first place?
Cool even better thanks
@David
It is 7th sept, is this project going according to plan and will it be releases in mid Sept as stated?
@semmanuel1, development for both gateways is pretty much done. We’re in the testing phase right now. At this point, HireBee 1.2 is tentatively scheduled for Sept 19th and Taskerr 1.1 on Sept 23rd. Those releases will include escrow support via PayPal Adaptive Payments.
All I have to say is… Hallelujah!!! I have been racking my brain and others’ brains trying to figure out how to do this. Now, I am the most eager Appthemes customer awaiting the new release of Hirebee! This is an amazing development.
Wow! this is exciting news. Thanks for listening.
Mike
I think this new payment option should not be confused with escrow as escrow is as far as i know illegal in many countries and also not accepted by PayPal.
Will ClassiPress payment api also be updated with these changes?
Brgds
Rune
Hi, is HireBee 1.2 still scheduled for release today? Looking forward to the escrow/percentage update.
Is hirebee 1.2 w/escrow still scheduled to release today?
Is the escrow payment coming out today for Hirebee?
Hi David,
Just checking status of paypal adaptive…
We’re just about to release HireBee 1.2 which has Adaptive Payments. Thanks for being patient.
@David, is the Taskerr version due out tomorrow?
Awesome!!!
Has the Balanced Payments add-on plugin been released too? Just wondering…
HireBee 1.2 is now available! We’ll be publishing a blog post shortly. Balanced Payments and Taskerr 1.1 are scheduled for next week.
In the hirebee theme, do we have a system of “milestone payment” like we have in elance etc., where people can pay a few $ at the start of the project, few at the middle and the rest at the end, Or do the users who want their job to be done have to deposit ALL of the money in the escrow?
HireBee does not have milestone payments. The money for the project is deposited in full on the escrow account. You can leave your suggestion for ‘milestone payments’ in the ideas exchange page for voting.
Hi!
I want to ask one thing:
How will freelancers on my site get the money that they have earned from the jobs? Will the initial money be deposited in the escrow and then how will they ask for the withdraw and where will that appear in my WP admin dashboard (backend)??
@Rahul, the money agreed on a project is held on the site owner escrow account until the project is finished. If the project is closed as completed the money is automatically transferred to the freelancer. Otherwise, the employer is refunded.
Any news about Taskerr Update?
@Bruno, we just got back from WordCamp Europe and are a little behind. Taskerr 1.1 should be ready at the end of next week. Thanks for being patient!
Just to be clear, will Taskerr 1.1 have the much requested custom form/field feature? If not, when will it? Thanks.
Hello!
On dev meeting we considered, that Taskerr 1.1 will not include form/field feature. We don’t want to rush with this (without a doubt) important feature, will figure out the best solution for our customers. We’re looking for a fastest, simplest and most convenient solution for an info organization and refine serach (custom fields is only one of them).
David Thanks for the response. I’m looking for something that is like Fiverr, but that payments are made only by the site and not out. Payments using WooCommerce is possible?
No, it doesn’t support WooCommerce at this time.
Is the escrow feature fully functional with hirebee? been messing with it since release to no avail.Cant fund a project. Not getting any responses/ support on the forums. I even connected with other customers who also cant get it to work.
@bridger, yes, the escrow feature is fully functional as of HireBee 1.2. Please keep posting any support questions in the forum. The support team has been quite busy but should soon be replying to any pending questions.
In the article http://docs.appthemes.com/hirebee/hirebee-version-1-2/ its writen:
“In cases where the project is canceled or marked as incomplete the employer is fully refunded.”
My question is:
What if the project is conplete but the employer marks it as incomplete or cancel the order.
Suppose an employer gives a job of editing a book and the freelancer complets the work and and give it. Now the employer can mark the order as incomplete even if its conplete. What does tge theme do in those cases. Will it refund the amount. (Kind of A fraud case)?
Rahul, frauds like the one you explained can also happen when a user asks for a refund directly via PayPal. Nevertheless, in these situations, the final review on a project can be used to denounce a user. We’re planning an optional manual payment/refund to allow site owners to arbitrate projects completeness and reduce this kind of situations.
Are you still on schedule for the taker project, and Can you please clarify, will Taskerr 1.1 include a messaging system for site users?
Or a workspace where admin can verify work has been delivered and the communication between both parties?
Thanks
@semmanuel1, Taskerr 1.1 will be out by Friday of this week. Those requested features will not be added. This is more of a maintenance release. Thanks.
Taskerr 1.1 is now available for download! The AppThemes updater plugin is experiencing some problems with auto updates so log in to your account to grab it.
There should be mutual cancellation such as both freelancer and employer need to agree. If there is no agreement then admin makes the final decision.
Discussion is closed.