Buyer's guide: how to pay safely through a guarantor

Before pressing anything, agree with the seller:

• what exactly you receive and how you will tell the obligations are met;
• the amount, currency and network;
• the duration: 1, 7, 30 or 90 days;
• the guarantor and their rates - the guarantor must agree to handle a dispute for the set percentage.

It is best to put the agreement in writing: it can then be fixed in the deal, and neither side can "rewrite" the terms.

Connect the wallet and make sure you are on the right network. The wallet should hold:

• the deal amount in the chosen currency;
• a little of the network's main coin (ETH, POL or BNB) for the network fee.

If you create the deal yourself, press "Create a deal" and choose "I am buying". If the seller sent you a link, just open it - the network is already in the link.

If the deal has terms fixed, the page shows a fingerprint - a short signature of the document. The seller should have sent you the document itself. Paste its text (or upload the file) into the check box: the service compares the fingerprint.

• "Matches" - this is exactly the document fixed in the deal.
• "Does not match" - the document is different. Do not accept the deal until you find out why.

The accept button stays locked until the document matches: even a hacked website could not show you one text and the seller another.

Press "Accept the deal and deposit…" (or "Create the deal and deposit…" if you created it). If you pay with a token (USDT, USDC, DAI) the wallet first asks for an approval - a separate signature that spends nothing and only lets the contract take the needed amount.

• "Approve exactly this amount" - safer: the contract cannot take more.
• "Approve without limit" - more convenient for future deals, but the contract gets access to any amount.

A second signature follows - the actual deposit. If you pay with the network's main coin (ETH, POL, BNB) no approval is needed.

Once the transaction is confirmed the deal becomes active and the clock starts. The money is now in the contract.

On the deal page you always see what is going on: status, deadline, time left and the buttons for available actions. The "What next" block says what is needed from you.

While the term runs you can talk to the seller any way you like. If you received everything in order, go to the next step. If questions arise, see the problems step below.

When you have received the goods or service and have no complaints, press "Confirm receipt", tick "I have received the goods or service and have no claims" and sign the transaction.

This is irreversible: the seller immediately receives the money minus fees - 1% to the platform and the guarantor's base rate. Make sure you have really checked what you received.

There are four paths:

1. Agree to cancel. Press "Propose cancellation". If the seller agrees too, the deal closes and you get the amount back minus fees (1% to the platform and the guarantor's base rate). You can withdraw the proposal until the seller agrees.
2. Get a refund at the deadline. If the term expired, you did not confirm receipt and there is no dispute, either side can press "Return the money to the buyer". You get the amount back minus the same fees.
3. Open a dispute. Press "Open a dispute" - the deal goes to the guarantor. Give them the terms document and your evidence outside the platform. The guarantor gets the higher rate instead of the base one, which reduces the amount left for the parties. They decide how to split the remainder, from "everything to the buyer" to "everything to the seller".
4. The guarantor stays silent. If the guarantor gives no ruling within 30 days, either side can press "Take 50% - the guarantor is silent". The remainder is split in half and the guarantor earns nothing.

In rare cases a transfer may fail - for example the address is blocked by the token issuer. The deal still closes and the amount is kept in the contract. A banner "The money did not reach your wallet" appears with a "Withdraw" button that pulls the money out manually.