What Is a Payment Dispute?
A payment dispute occurs when a job poster or provider believes a payment is incorrect, unauthorized, or does not match the agreed work. Common scenarios:
- The job poster was charged more than the agreed rate
- The provider received less than expected after deductions
- A payment was processed for a job that was cancelled
- A charge appeared on the job poster's card without authorization
Payment disputes are distinct from offline disputes, which relate to job quality or completion disagreements.
Common Payment Issues
For job posters:
- Charged for a job the provider did not complete
- Overcharged compared to the agreed hourly rate
- Auto-authorization triggered unexpectedly
- Duplicate charge appearing on bank statement
For providers:
- Net payout lower than expected (check the commission breakdown first)
- Payment status stuck on Pending for more than 7 days
- Refund issued without your knowledge or consent
- Stripe payout delayed beyond the standard 2–7 business days
How to File a Payment Dispute
Review purchases Review provider earnings
For a job-service payment dispute:
- Open the relevant job from All Jobs (job posters) or your scheduled/completed work (providers)
- Use the payment-confirmation or dispute action shown for that job when available
- Select the applicable response or reason
- Describe the issue and attach supporting evidence such as messages, agreed-rate screenshots, or photos
- Submit the form and follow the dispute status from the job or its related notifications
Purchase History and Earnings are read-only financial records; they do not start a dispute. For an incorrect or unauthorized bundle or verification purchase, contact [email protected] with the invoice number and do not send full card details.
What Happens After Filing
Once a dispute is submitted:
- The payment is placed on hold — no further processing until resolved
- Both parties are notified and given the opportunity to provide evidence
- HelperGen's team reviews all submitted information within 3–5 business days
- If needed, the team may request additional documentation
- A resolution decision is communicated to both parties by email
During the review period, respond promptly to any requests from the support team — delays in providing evidence may affect the outcome.
Resolution Options
Payment disputes can be resolved in several ways:
- Full refund: If the job poster's claim is upheld, the full payment is refunded
- Partial refund: If partial completion is confirmed, a proportional refund is issued
- Payment released: If the dispute is dismissed, payment is released to the provider
- Mutual agreement: Both parties agree to a resolution amount
HelperGen's decision is final for platform-level disputes. If you believe an error occurred in the review process, contact [email protected] with your case details.
Prevention Tips
Avoid payment disputes with these practices:
For job posters:
- Agree on the exact scope and rate before hiring
- Use Quick Pay Code to confirm completion before authorizing payment
- Avoid enabling auto-authorization for first-time providers
- Read all payment confirmations before approving
For providers:
- Confirm the agreed rate in writing via platform messages
- Take before-and-after photos for every job
- Use the Quick Pay Code to get explicit confirmation before leaving
- Check your commission breakdown before disputing a lower-than-expected payout