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Payment Protection Policy

JOTA is a marketplace, not a contractor.

JOTA operates a technology marketplace that connects homeowners with independent contractors. JOTA does not perform contracting services, does not supervise or control any contractor's work, does not guarantee workmanship, timelines, or project outcomes, and is not a party to the service contract between a homeowner and a contractor — except, where applicable, in its limited role as the payment platform that facilitates payment processing through a third-party processor.

JOTA is designed so both homeowners and tradesmen can transact with confidence. Payments are processed through a PCI-compliant payments partner — JOTA never stores raw card details.

For homeowners

  • You only pay through JOTA once you and a contractor have accepted a written agreement.
  • Your payment is held by JOTA (via our payments partner, Stripe) and is not transferred to the tradesman until the job is completed and approved.
  • When the tradesman marks the job complete you have a 72-hour review window to approve the work or report a problem. Approving early releases the funds immediately; reporting a problem opens a dispute and pauses the release.
  • If you do not approve or report a problem within the review window, JOTA may automatically release the payment so tradesmen are not left waiting indefinitely. Once a dispute is open, funds remain paused until the case is resolved.
  • Change orders require your written approval before any additional charge is processed.

For tradesmen

  • Once the homeowner approves the completed job — or the 72-hour review window closes without a dispute — JOTA releases the payment (minus the 5% platform fee) to your connected Stripe payout account.
  • Stripe controls the timing of when funds land in your bank account based on your account's payout schedule.
  • JOTA takes a flat 5% platform fee on completed jobs — no hidden deductions.
  • Disputes are reviewed based on evidence from both parties, including messages and photos exchanged on the platform.
  • JOTA may pause a release after completion if a dispute is opened or if fraud, chargeback, or policy-violation signals are detected.

What isn't covered

JOTA does not warrant or guarantee the quality of any work performed by independent contractors and is not a party to the underlying service agreement between homeowner and tradesman. Payments made outside of JOTA are not covered by this policy.

Questions? Contact support@usejota.com or see our Refund & Cancellation Policy.