In short
- The client pays a 1% Trustrade fee per payment, on top of each stage, when they fund it. It's not included in the stage price. The tradie receives the full stage amount.
- Before you pay you see the stage amount, the fee and the total. The fee is fixed for that stage once it's funded.
- The fee is the same however you pay. There's no card surcharge.
- No fee is kept on money that is refunded: if a stage is refunded before it's released, the fee is refunded with it.
- Some tradies are on a plan that waives the fee: founding tradies on all their jobs, and a tradie's first job on First Job Free. If so, the client sees "waived".
- A stage not funded by its due date can carry Trustrade's flat $10 late fee (never before a stage is claimed, never in WA).
This summary is here to help. The full text below is what applies.
1. The Trustrade fee
- Rate: 1% of the stage amount (the tradie's GST-inclusive price), rounded to the nearest cent.
- Per transaction: it's charged each time a stage is funded, on that stage only.
- Not included: stage prices are shown without the fee; we always show the fee and the total next to them.
- Who pays: the client, when they fund the stage. The tradie receives the full stage amount when it is released.
- When it is fixed: at the moment the stage is funded. A later change to our pricing never changes the fee on a stage that is already funded.
- Same for every payment method: it's a platform fee, not a card or payment surcharge, and it doesn't change with how you pay.
- GST: TR. Trade Pty Ltd isn't registered for GST yet, so our fee includes no GST and our fee invoices say so. Once we register, GST will be shown on them.
2. Worked examples
| Stage price | Trustrade fee (1%) | The client pays | The tradie receives |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,800.00 | $18.00 | $1,818.00 | $1,800.00 |
| $2,400.00 | $24.00 | $2,424.00 | $2,400.00 |
| $2,400.00, fee waived | $0.00 (waived) | $2,400.00 | $2,400.00 |
3. Tradie fee plans
| Plan | What it means |
|---|---|
| Standard | The 1% fee applies to every stage. |
| Founding tradie | The fee is waived on all of this tradie's jobs, for the life of their account. See the Founding Tradie Offer. |
| First job free | The fee is waived on the tradie's first job, then the standard fee applies. See First Job Free. |
A waived fee is shown to the client at checkout as "waived", so it's always clear what is being paid.
4. Late fees
Trustrade charges its own late fee. It is not a tradie's charge, and a tradie can't add one.
- Amount: $10 flat per late stage. The late-fee terms are written into the job's contract when it is sent, and the amount there is the one that applies to that job.
- When a stage is late: it isn't funded by its due date. A stage funded up front is due on its start date. On a job paid on claim, a stage is due 7 days after the tradie claims it, and no late fee can apply before the claim. The fee is added the day after the due date, after reminders.
- Western Australia: no late fee is ever charged on a job in WA, and none is written into its contract.
- Once only: one late fee per stage, on that stage only. It never compounds, and it is never added to a stage that is on hold.
- Paid with the stage when it is funded, to Trustrade, on top of the contract price. The 1% Trustrade fee is not charged on it.
- Disagree? Raise an issue on the stage and the late fee is cancelled. Trustrade waives it for anyone in financial hardship, and may waive any late fee.
- Older jobs: a job signed before 16 October 2026 with a tradie's own late-fee clause keeps that clause exactly as signed.
5. Refunds and splits
- Refunds: no Trustrade fee is kept on money refunded to the client. On a refund of a stage before it was released, the fee the client paid is refunded too.
- Splits: if a stage is divided between the tradie and the client, the fee applies only to the part released, and the rest of the fee goes back to the client.
6. Subscriptions
Trustrade does not charge tradies a subscription today (memberships are switched off, and founding tradies are free for life). If it ever does, the Subscription Terms will apply, with at least 14 days' notice.
7. Receipts and questions
Every fee comes with a receipt by email and in the app, showing the date, TR. Trade Pty Ltd's ABN, the service and the amount. Questions about a fee or an invoice: accounts@trustrade.co.