PlanGroundsFees
What you pay when money moves here
Browsing, posting, listing plans, and comparing proposals stay free. When a plan purchase or contract milestone is paid on-platform, PlanGrounds always takes 5%—and card processing (about 2.9% + $0.30) is added so it isn’t taken out of that 5%.
Platform fee
5%
Paid by the client as checkout lines on top of the studio or plan amount: always 5% for PlanGrounds, plus an estimated card-processing pass-through (Stripe domestic cards ≈ 2.9% + $0.30) so processing does not reduce the 5%. The studio receives the service amount shown; totals are visible before you confirm.
Free until someone pays here
- Browse designs and studio profiles
- Post an open project and compare proposals
- Share designs and keep a studio profile
- Message and review scope before you hire
Why pay on PlanGrounds
Fee shown before you confirm
Checkout lists the service amount, the 5% PlanGrounds fee, and card processing as separate lines. No surprise add-on after the fact.
Money follows the product workflow
Milestone funds are held and released by the steps in the contract (for example after you approve). Plan purchases use the checkout and delivery flow shown at purchase—not a side deal off-site.
A payment record in one place
Messages, milestones, and receipts stay tied to the same project. Paying off-platform skips that trail and our fee.
Straight answers
More in FAQ →- Who pays the platform fee?
- The client. PlanGrounds’ 5% and the card-processing pass-through appear as their own lines at checkout, on top of the plan or milestone amount.
- Is it added or deducted from the studio?
- Added for the client. The studio’s transfer is the service amount shown; PlanGrounds keeps the 5% fee line. Card processing is passed through so it does not come out of that 5%.
- When is money released?
- For milestones: when the contract workflow says so (often after client approval). For plan purchases: per the checkout and delivery steps shown at purchase. This is payment facilitation through Stripe—not a licensed escrow account in your name.
- What protection do I get?
- On-platform pay gives you a clear amount, fee disclosure, and a release path in the product. It is not a guarantee of design quality, code compliance, or project outcome.
- What about disputes and refunds?
- Quality and scope disputes are primarily between client and studio. Chargebacks and refunds follow the terms at purchase, Stripe’s rules, and our Terms. We may offer limited tooling; we are not the guarantor of the professional work.
- Why is there a card processing line in addition to 5%?
- Stripe’s domestic card rate is about 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge. We always keep the full 5% PlanGrounds fee and pass estimated card processing through as its own line—especially noticeable on small amounts—so processing is not absorbed by reducing our cut. Totals are shown before you pay.
- Do card processing fees stack on top of the PlanGrounds fee?
- Yes, as a separate pass-through line at checkout (not a second surprise after the fact). The 5% stays intact; processing is added so Stripe’s cut does not eat into it.
- Do I need a paid plan to use PlanGrounds?
- No. Browse, post, list, and compare free. Optional extras, when offered, are separate from the platform fee on plan and milestone payments.
Legal detail lives in the Terms — payments.