Built for the trades

Get paid as you go.No more chasing.

The homeowner funds each stage before you start it. The money's already held — when they approve the stage, it's released to you. Quote, plan and get paid in one app.

Download the app See how it works

Available on iPhone & Android

Hiring a tradesperson? PayTrader for homeowners →

A builder at his van tailgate at golden hour, phone in hand, tools stowed behind him
Stage money funded before you start1 Free to quote & plan A small fee only when you're paid 14-day auto-release4
How it works

Certainty, stage by stage.

Same protected path on every job — and you can see the money before you lift a tool.

/ 01

Quote & agree stages

Build the milestone plan with your customer — your terms, priced stage by stage. Deposit, first fix, completion: whatever fits the job.

/ 02

See the money held before you start

The homeowner funds the stage into secure holding1 before you begin. You can see it's there — so you never start a stage on a promise again.

A carpenter on a house-extension site checking the funded stage on his phone before starting work
/ 03

Upload proof as you finish

Photos of the finished stage go into the app — your evidence trail. It protects your payment and heads off "he said, she said" before it starts.

/ 04

Paid on approval — or by the 14-day rule

The customer approves and the stage is released to you. If they neither approve nor raise an issue, it releases automatically after 14 days4 — your payment can't be left hanging.

An electrician packing his van at dusk, glancing at the payment released on his phone
Download the app
Where the money sits

Funded before you start. Yours on approval.

The whole model in one picture — you never work a stage that isn't already funded.

Customer funds the stage

Into secure holding — before you order materials or lift a tool.

Secure holding

You can SEE it's funded1 — no more starting on a promise.

Paid on approval

On approval — or automatically after 14 days4 if they neither approve nor raise an issue.

Disputed? Raise it in the app — PayTrader support works it through on the evidence (your photos, messages, the agreed plan), with an independent route as the final step. The money stays put until it's settled.3

Invoice & hope vs the PayTrader way

Invoice & hope

  • ✗ You start work on a promise and a deposit — if you're lucky
  • ✗ 30-day terms, then the chasing starts
  • ✗ When it's disputed, you've got no shared record to point at
  • ✗ Cash-flow whiplash decides which jobs you can take

With PayTrader

  • ✓ The stage is funded into holding1 before you start it
  • ✓ Paid on approval — or by the 14-day rule4
  • ✓ Your photos and messages are the evidence, on the record
  • ✓ A small fee only when you're paid — quoting and planning cost nothing

Run your jobs without the money worry

Late payments kill good trade businesses. PayTrader takes the chasing out of the job.

Certainty before you start1The stage is funded into holding before you begin
No late-payment chasingApproval — or the 14-day rule — releases your money
Evidence that protects youPhotos and messages in one place, on the record
Disputes decided on proof3Staged, evidence-based — not who shouts loudest
Auto-release fairness4Silence can't trap your payment
Pricing

A small fee when you're paid. £0 the rest of the time.

No subscription. No lead fees. No listing fees. Quote and plan for free — PayTrader takes a small percentage only when a stage actually pays you.

Keep your own customers — PayTrader isn't a directory selling your leads back to you.

Worked example
£2,000 job, 4 stages
Job value released across stages£2,000
PayTrader feeA small percentage
You receive£2,000 less the fee

The exact fee is shown in the app on every stage before anything is charged.

Why PayTrader

Built by people who know the chasing problem

Cash flow you can plan

Every stage is funded before it starts. You always know what's held, what's next and what's already yours.

Your reputation, on the record

ID verification2 and a photo evidence trail set you apart from the cowboys — and protect you when a customer tries it on.

Fair by design

The same rules both ways. The customer can't sit on your money — and you can't be paid for work that isn't done. That balance is what wins you the job.

Frequently asked
questions

Straight answers. If yours isn't here, email hello@paytrader.net support@paytrader.net.

When do I get the money?
The moment the customer approves the stage, release begins — no invoicing, no 30-day terms, no chasing. If they neither approve nor dispute within 14 days of you submitting the stage, it releases automatically.4
What does it cost me?
A small percentage of a stage, taken only when it pays out — the exact amount is shown in the app first. Quoting, planning and messaging are free. No subscription, no lead fees.
What if the customer won't approve?
Raise it in the app — or respond there if they do. PayTrader support steps in and works it through on the evidence: your photos, messages and the agreed plan. Still stuck? There's an independent route as the final step.3 And if the customer simply goes quiet — no approval, no issue raised — the 14-day rule releases your payment automatically.4
Can the customer just pull the money back?
No. Once a stage is funded it's locked in secure holding, and it only moves four ways: your customer approves it to you · the 14-day rule releases it after you've submitted completed work · you both agree a cancellation · or a dispute is decided on the evidence.3 Neither side can move the money on their own say-so.
Do I need to be part of a scheme or association?
No. PayTrader is open to any legitimate tradesperson — you just verify your identity2 before you're paid for your first job.
Can I use it for materials deposits?
Yes — make materials its own stage. The deposit is funded and held before you order, and releases when the stage is approved.
How do payouts arrive?
By bank transfer to your account from the regulated provider holding the funds.1
Is my data safe?
Yes. PayTrader Ltd is registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ZC224270), we collect only what the service needs, and we never sell your data. Full details in our Privacy Policy.
What about my existing customers?
Bring them. PayTrader isn't a directory — your customers stay yours. You just run the money side through the app so both of you are protected.

Get the app.

PayTrader is live in the UK on iPhone and Android.

Download the app
  1. Stage payments are funded into secure holding with our regulated payment provider before work begins, and remain held until release. PayTrader Ltd is not a bank and never holds client money.
  2. Tradespeople verify their identity with our regulated payment provider before they can receive payment through PayTrader.
  3. Disputes are raised and handled in the app, with PayTrader support assisting both sides; funds remain held while a dispute is open. An independent resolution route is available as a final step.
  4. If a funded stage is neither approved nor disputed within 14 days of completion being submitted, it releases automatically; raising a dispute stops the 14-day clock. Full details in the Terms of Service.