Every GoWith booking is escrow-protected. This one design decision quietly shapes everything else about the platform — how bookings feel, why companions show up, why disputes are rare, and why no cash ever changes hands. Here's how it works in plain English.
What escrow means, without the jargon
Escrow is a third party holding money on behalf of two other parties until agreed conditions are met. On GoWith, that third party is our payment provider (RazorpayX), and the two parties are you (the booker) and the companion.
When you book, you pay the full amount upfront. That money doesn't go to the companion. It sits with the escrow provider, in a segregated account, until the meet completes and a dispute window passes.
The two-hour rule
Funds release to the companion two hours after the meet ends. This window is deliberate — long enough that if something went wrong at the meet, either party has time to raise a dispute; short enough that companions aren't waiting days for their money.
If a dispute is raised in the window, funds pause. Our trust and safety team reviews within 24 hours and issues a resolution.
What escrow prevents
Cash-on-the-day disputes
No cash ever changes hands. Nothing to argue about.
"You said you'd stay an hour" arguments
The meet timer starts when both parties GPS check-in. It ends at the booked duration or when either party ends the meet in the app. The final duration is logged and both parties see it.
Retroactive haggling
The price is locked at booking time. Neither party can change it after the meet. Extensions require a new booking through the app.
No-shows
If the companion doesn't GPS check-in, the meet never starts and funds return to the booker automatically after a grace period.
How companions get paid
Once funds release (2 hr after the meet completes with no dispute), they sit in the companion's balance until the next Monday's payout batch. Every Monday morning, all completed-and-released earnings from the previous week land in the companion's verified bank account or UPI.
This weekly cadence is a deliberate choice. Daily payouts create anxiety and fee overhead. Monthly is too slow. Weekly is the sweet spot.
What about cancellations?
- Cancel before the companion accepts: full refund, instant.
- Cancel after acceptance but more than 2 hours before the meet: full refund.
- Cancel within 2 hours of the meet: partial charge (protects the companion's time).
- Companion no-show: full refund + credit.
Costs and fees
The escrow service costs us — payment gateway fees, banking fees, dispute resolution overhead. But we don't add a booker-facing platform fee. The price you see on the profile is exactly what you pay.
“The escrow is the reason everything else on GoWith works.”
— GoWith engineering principle
What if the escrow provider fails?
RazorpayX operates a segregated escrow that is legally distinct from their operating funds. Even in the extremely unlikely event of provider failure, escrow-held funds remain the property of the parties they're held for, not the platform.