1. Funding a contract
When you accept a proposal you fund the agreed project value into escrow through Chapa before work starts. You may fund directly or from your MakeChapa wallet balance. Work is not expected to begin until the contract is funded.
2. What you pay
- The agreed project value, held in escrow for the freelancer.
- The Chapa payment-processing fee, passed through at cost and shown before you confirm payment.
The 10% platform commission is paid by the freelancer out of the project value — it is not added to your bill. The full breakdown is shown at checkout and in the Fee & Pricing Policy.
3. Escrow protection
Escrowed money is held by the platform, not by the freelancer. It is released only when you approve delivery, when you and the freelancer agree, or when our team decides a dispute. If a contract is cancelled before release, the project value returns to your wallet in full.
4. Release and approval
You should review a delivery and either release or raise a dispute within 7 days. If you do neither, our team may follow up before deciding how the escrow is handled. Release is final: once released, funds move to the freelancer's balance and cannot be reversed through the platform.
5. Refunds
- Cancelled before release: full refund of the project value to your wallet.
- Partially delivered and disputed: our team decides the split based on the contract terms, the delivered work and the platform messages.
- Chapa processing fees are not refundable, because they are paid to the payment provider.
- Wallet balances can be withdrawn to your registered bank account; withdrawals pass an internal two-person approval.
6. VAT and invoices
Any VAT applies only to the MakeChapa platform commission, never to the project value you pay the freelancer. VAT charging is not currently activated and you will be notified before it starts. Invoices and statements for your platform activity are available in your dashboard. Our tax registration particulars are: Pending finalization by legal/tax adviser.
7. Withholding tax
If Ethiopian law requires you to withhold tax on payments to service providers, that obligation is yours. Tell us before funding a contract so the amounts can be recorded correctly.
8. Chargebacks and fraud
Attempting a chargeback on a released contract instead of using the dispute process may lead to suspension. We may reverse a transaction, freeze a wallet or hold a payout where we reasonably suspect fraud.
9. Contact
Payment questions: support@makechapa.online · +251 971 787 842 · Telegram @Makechapasupport.
10. Platform Communications
By accepting this document you agree to receive platform communications from MakeChapa in your in-platform inbox.
- Operational notices — policy and fee changes, security alerts, verification requests, escrow and payment issues, and dispute updates. These are required to run your account safely and cannot be switched off while your account is open.
- Promotional messages — product news, tips, offers and community updates. These are optional: you can turn them off any time under Account -> Notifications -> Promotional announcements, and turning them off never affects your operational notices, payouts or contracts.
We deliver announcements to your MakeChapa inbox so a permanent record stays with your account. We do not sell your contact details, and we never ask for passwords, PINs or one-time codes in any announcement.