Referral Fees
When you share your referral link with clients and homeowners, you earn money every time one of your bench pros completes a job. This page explains how referral fees work and how you get paid.
How It Works
The referral system is designed to reward you for bringing jobs to your network:
- You share your referral link with clients who need work done
- Client submits a request describing the job they need
- Trusted Bench matches the job to pros in your bench based on trade and location
- A pro accepts the job and an authorization hold is placed on their card
- Job completes and after 7 days, the fee is captured
- You receive 80% of the job tier fee in your Stripe Connect account
Job Tiers
Each job is classified into a tier based on its scope and complexity. The tier determines the fee charged to the pro who accepts the job.
| Tier | Fee | Your Payout (80%) |
|---|---|---|
| Small | $50 | $40 |
| Medium | $100 | $80 |
| Large | $300 | $240 |
| Extra Large | $1,000 | $800 |
| Supersize | $10,000 | $8,000 |
Job tiers are assigned automatically when a job is created based on the scope of work described by the client.
The 80/20 Split
When a job fee is captured, it's split between you and the platform:
- 80% goes to you (the referrer)
- 20% goes to Trusted Bench (platform fee)
This split ensures you receive the majority of the fee for bringing jobs to the network while allowing the platform to continue operating and improving.
Payment Authorization Holds
To protect the integrity of the referral system, Trusted Bench uses a 7-day authorization hold:
How It Works
When a pro accepts a job from your network, the job tier fee is authorized (but not charged) on their payment method. This ensures funds are available without immediately charging them.
Timeline
| Day | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Pro accepts job → Authorization hold placed on their card |
| Day 5 | Pre-capture reminder sent to pro |
| Day 7 | Automatic capture (funds collected and distributed) |
When Holds Are Released
In some cases, the authorization hold is released (refunded) instead of captured:
- Job marked as lost - The job didn't convert or the client went elsewhere
- Job cancelled - You cancelled the job before completion
- Pro declined - You declined the pro's acceptance of the job
When a hold is released, no fees are charged to the pro and no payout is generated for you.
Tracking Your Earnings
Your referrals dashboard shows three key metrics:
Total Earned
The sum of all captured payouts from jobs that have successfully completed and been paid. This is your all-time earnings from referrals.
Pending Payouts
The sum of authorized holds that haven't been captured yet. These are jobs where a pro has accepted but the 7-day hold period hasn't completed.
Active Referrals
The count of jobs currently in progress—including jobs that are routing, matched, or being worked on.
You can view detailed information about each referral by clicking on it in the Recent Activity table.
Sharing Your Referral Link
Your unique referral link is available on the Referrals dashboard. Click Copy Referral Link to copy it to your clipboard.
Share this link:
- On your website or social media
- In email signatures
- On business cards or marketing materials
- Directly with clients who need work done
When someone clicks your link, they'll see a simple form to describe the job they need. Once submitted, the job enters your routing workflow and is offered to pros in your bench.
Payout Requirements
To receive referral payouts, you must have a connected Stripe account:
- Go to Settings in your dashboard
- Complete the Stripe Connect onboarding process
- Provide the required business and banking information
- Once verified, payouts will be deposited automatically
Payouts are processed through Stripe and deposited to your connected bank account according to your Stripe payout schedule.
FAQ
How long does it take to receive my payout?
After a job fee is captured (7 days after the pro accepts), the funds are transferred to your Stripe Connect account. From there, they follow your Stripe payout schedule (typically 2-3 business days).
What if the pro disputes the charge?
Authorization holds are designed to minimize disputes since funds are confirmed available before capture. If a dispute does occur, Trusted Bench handles the resolution process.
Can I see which jobs have pending payouts?
Yes. On your Referrals dashboard, any job with an "Authorized" payment hold status represents a pending payout. You can also see the pending payout amount in the Pending Payouts stat card.
What happens if the pro doesn't have a valid payment method?
Pros must have a valid payment method on file before they can accept jobs. If their payment method fails authorization, they cannot accept the job and it will be offered to the next pro in the routing plan.
Do I need to do anything after a job is completed?
No. The 7-day capture happens automatically. You'll see the payout reflected in your Total Earned once captured.
Can I change the job tier after a job is created?
Job tiers are assigned at job creation and cannot be changed afterward. This ensures consistency and prevents manipulation of the fee structure.
Share this article