Help Center / Payments & deposits explained

Payments & deposits explained

Cerca Help Center

Cerca supports two payment models depending on whether the provider has connected their bank via Stripe. Both are fully supported — no model is "wrong."

Model A — Provider with Stripe set up (deposit required)

Customer sends a booking request and pays the deposit (set by the provider, typically 10–50% of the service price).

Provider accepts the booking. The deposit is held securely by Cerca/Stripe.

The service is performed.

Provider marks the booking as complete. Customer is notified to pay the remaining balance.

Customer pays the remaining balance — either in-app or in person directly to the provider.

Cerca releases the deposit and any in-app final payment to the provider's Stripe account. Payout timing follows Stripe's standard transfer schedule (typically 2 business days after the payment is processed).

Model B — Provider without Stripe (full payment in person)

Some providers haven't connected Stripe yet. In that case, no deposit is collected through the app — the booking is confirmed without upfront payment. The customer and provider settle payment fully in person after the service is done.

Providers: go to Profile → Payments → Set Up Payouts to connect Stripe and start collecting secure deposits. It takes about 2 minutes.

About deposits (Model A)

Deposits are set by the provider and can range from 10% to 50% of the service price. The deposit amount is always shown clearly before you confirm a booking — there are no surprises at checkout.

Deposits are held by Cerca until the booking is completed or cancelled. They are not paid out to the provider until the service is marked complete.

Final payment options

After the provider marks a service complete, the remaining balance (Model A) or full amount (Model B) can be paid two ways:

In-app — tap the payment request in the app and pay with your card on file. Fast, tracked, and protected by Cerca's payment guarantee.
In person — pay the provider directly using cash, card, or any method you agree on. In-person payments are not tracked or guaranteed by Cerca.

Tips

When paying the remaining balance in-app, customers can optionally add a tip. Tips go 100% to the provider and are not subject to Cerca's platform fee.

Platform fee

Cerca adds a small platform fee to each in-app payment made by the customer. This fee is shown transparently at checkout. Provider payouts are not reduced — the fee is charged on top of the service price. See our full fee breakdown at app-cerca.com/fees.

Payout timing for providers

Payouts are processed via Stripe Connect. After a payment is confirmed, funds typically arrive in your connected bank account within 2 business days, depending on your bank. Initial payouts for new Stripe accounts may take 7–14 days.

Tax note: if you earn $600 or more in a calendar year through Cerca, Stripe will issue a Form 1099-K to you and the IRS. You are responsible for your own taxes. Cerca does not withhold taxes from payouts.

Refunds

Provider cancellations: If a provider cancels a confirmed booking, the deposit is automatically refunded in full within 5–10 business days.

Customer cancellations: Refund eligibility depends on the provider's stated cancellation policy, visible on their profile before booking. Cerca does not guarantee refunds for customer-initiated cancellations.

Disputes: If you believe a charge was made in error, contact us at billing@app-cerca.com before filing a chargeback. Filing a chargeback without contacting us first may result in account suspension.