How to Apply for a Job: Service Agreement Guide

What Is the Service Agreement Confirmation

The Service Agreement Confirmation is the modal (pop-up form) that appears whenever you click Apply on a job listing. It is the formal step that turns your interest in a job into a legal application backed by a service agreement.

The form collects:

• Your proposed rate and pricing structure
• Which taxes you will charge the client
• Your estimated hours (for hourly-rate jobs)
• Your proposed date and start time
• Any additional notes for the client
• Your auto-cancellation buffer preference
• Your acknowledgment of the service agreement

Once submitted, your application is sent to the job poster for review. Nothing is charged or deducted until the job poster accepts your application and both parties agree to the contract.

The modal shows the Job Title and Job Unique ID (e.g., JOB-26-158533) at the top so you can confirm you are applying to the right posting before filling in any details.

Payment Details

The Payment Details section is where you set how you want to be paid for this specific job.

Rate Type:

Choose between two pricing structures:

• Fixed Price: You and the client agree on a flat dollar amount for the entire job, regardless of how long it takes. Choose this when the scope of work is clearly defined and you are confident in your time estimate.
• Hourly Rate: You are paid per hour worked. The client is charged based on the actual hours you work, up to the maximum the client posted. Choose this when the job scope may vary (e.g., cleaning a house of unknown size, handyman work with uncertain complexity).

Click the Fixed Price or Hourly Rate button to select your preference. The active selection is highlighted in blue.

Proposed Rate (CAD):

Enter your proposed rate:

• For Fixed Price: the total dollar amount you want to be paid for the entire job (e.g., $150.00)
• For Hourly Rate: your dollar-per-hour charge (e.g., $30.00/hour)

The minimum rate is $15.00. Review the job's posted budget before entering your rate — proposing significantly above the budget reduces your chance of being hired.

Tax Options:

If you are registered for Canadian taxes, select which taxes apply to this job. Taxes you select are added on top of your rate and charged to the client:

• Apply GST (5%): Goods and Services Tax. If you have a GST registration number, check this box and your registration number (e.g., 123456789RT0001) is shown beside it.
• Apply PST (7%): Provincial Sales Tax, applicable in BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec (QST). Check this if you are registered for PST in the province where the job is located.
• Apply HST (13%): Harmonized Sales Tax, applicable in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland. Check this if you are in an HST province.

You should only check the taxes you are legally registered to collect. If you are not registered for GST/HST (i.e., your annual self-employment income is under $30,000), do not check any tax box.

Estimated Hours (Hourly Rate only):

If you selected Hourly Rate, you must enter your Estimated Hours — how long you expect this job to take (e.g., 2.0 hours). This field:

• Is used to calculate the Estimated Total shown at the bottom of the section
• Sets a reference for the client so they understand their approximate cost
• During job completion, you cannot bill for more than 3× your estimated hours — if the job takes significantly longer, discuss it with the client before completing

The Estimated Total shown at the bottom (e.g., Estimated Total: $30.00) is calculated as: Rate × Estimated Hours (for hourly) or the fixed price amount. Tax is not included in this preview.

Gen Points Reservation

The Gen Points Reservation section (shown only to providers) explains the Gen Points cost associated with applying for this job and checks that your balance is sufficient.

How Gen Points work when applying:

Gen Points are reserved (held) when you submit your application. They are:

• Not immediately deducted — they are only held in reserve
• Permanently deducted (non-refundable) only after both you and the job poster agree to the contract (i.e., the job poster accepts your application and both sign off)
• Returned to your balance if your application is rejected, withdrawn, or the job is cancelled before agreement

Gen Points Required:

The number of Gen Points required depends on the total value of the job based on your proposed rate × estimated hours (or fixed price):

These tiers are displayed in the Gen Points Reservation section so you always know the cost before you apply.

Available Gen Points:

Your current Gen Points balance is shown in green (or red if insufficient). Click Refresh to reload your balance if you recently purchased a bundle.

If your balance is insufficient:

• The Gen Points section is highlighted with a red border
• You cannot submit your application until you have enough points
• Click the link to Buy Gen Points to be taken to the bundles store

Payment Account Ready:

Below the Gen Points section, a green Payment Account Ready banner confirms your Stripe Connect payout account is set up and ready to receive payments. If this banner is missing or shows an error, go to Profile → Stripe Account to complete your Stripe Connect setup before applying for jobs.

Proposed Service Time

The Proposed Service Time section is where you commit to when you will show up to perform the job.

Client's Preferred Schedule:

The client's preferred date and time (e.g., Saturday, August 8, 2026 4:00 PM) is shown for reference above the input fields. This is the schedule the job poster requested when they posted the job. You do not have to match it exactly, but proposing a time close to the client's preference increases your chance of being selected.

If the job poster marked their schedule as Flexible, no specific date or time is shown — you have more freedom to propose what works for you.

Proposed Date:

Use the date picker to select the date you are available to perform the job (format: YYYY-MM-DD). You can type the date directly or click the calendar icon to select from a calendar. Choose a date you are genuinely available — accepting a job you cannot complete on time leads to a cancellation strike.

Proposed Start Time:

Enter the time you plan to start the job (e.g., 4:00 PM). Use the time picker or type in 12-hour format. Factor in travel time — if the job is 30 minutes away, schedule accordingly.

Important: Once the job poster accepts your application, your proposed date and time become the agreed service time. Changing it after acceptance requires messaging the client and getting their agreement. Showing up significantly late may result in a no-show strike if the client marks you as absent.

Additional Details

The Additional Details section gives you space to communicate anything that is not captured by the other fields — and it is your chance to make a personal impression on the job poster.

Additional Notes:

This free-text field (placeholder: "Provide any additional details or notes about your application...") is optional but highly recommended. Use it to:

• Introduce yourself briefly: "Hi, I'm Andy — I've been providing professional cleaning services for 4 years and specialize in post-party cleanups."
• Confirm your understanding of the job: "I understand this is a 3-bedroom home in need of a deep clean after a party — I bring all supplies and eco-friendly products."
• Address any concerns proactively: "I'm available for a quick video call before the job if you'd like to discuss specifics."
• Mention relevant credentials: "I hold a current insurance certificate and have a background check on file."
• Ask a clarifying question: "Could you confirm if the kitchen appliances need to be cleaned inside as well?"

Job posters read every application's notes. A thoughtful, specific message that shows you read the job description stands out dramatically compared to blank or generic notes. Providers who write personalized notes get hired significantly more often.

Character limit: There is no strict limit, but keep it focused — 3–5 sentences is ideal. Avoid copying and pasting the same generic message to every job.

Auto-Cancellation Buffer

The Auto-Cancellation Buffer (shown only to providers, not visible to job posters) lets you set how far in advance your application will automatically cancel if the job poster has not responded.

Why this matters:

Without a buffer, you might have an accepted application for a job starting in 2 hours — but the job poster never formally confirmed by authorizing payment or sending you a message. The buffer protects you from showing up to a job that the client forgot about or from being committed to a job time slot that you could have used for another job.

How the buffer works:

If the job poster has not responded (i.e., has not accepted your application or authorized payment) by the time your buffer countdown expires before the proposed start time, your application is automatically cancelled — with no cancellation strike applied to your record.

Example: You apply for a job starting at 4:00 PM and set a 6-hour buffer. If the job poster has not accepted by 10:00 AM that day, your application cancels automatically and you are free.

Buffer options:

• No Buffer: Your application never auto-cancels (you remain committed until the job start time, or you withdraw manually). This is the default if you want maximum availability.
• Use my default (e.g., 12 hours): Uses the buffer time you set in Profile → Auto-Cancel Settings. This is the most convenient option if you have a standard preference.
• 1 Hour Before: Cancels if no response 1 hour before start time
• 6 Hours Before: Cancels if no response 6 hours before start time
• 12 Hours Before: Cancels if no response 12 hours before start time
• 24 Hours Before: Cancels if no response 24 hours before start time
• Custom: Enter a specific number of hours

Important: The buffer only protects you from unresponsive job posters. If the job poster does accept your application before the buffer expires, the application is locked in and the buffer no longer applies. At that point, cancelling requires you to contact the client and formally cancel through the app, which may result in a cancellation rate impact.

Service Agreement Confirmation

The Service Agreement Confirmation section contains the legal service contract and the checkboxes you must agree to before submitting your application.

The Service Agreement text:

The contract displayed is HelperGen's standard service agreement template, auto-populated with:

• Your name (as the Service Provider)
• The job poster's name (as the Job Poster)
• The job title and your proposed terms

Read the agreement carefully. It outlines:

• The scope of work and your obligations as a provider
• Payment terms and timing
• Cancellation and dispute resolution procedures
• Both parties' responsibilities under HelperGen's platform policies
• The effective date and binding nature of the agreement

The phrase at the top of the signature section — "IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the Effective Date" — means the contract becomes binding once both parties have agreed (job poster accepts + provider submitted).

Checkboxes:

You must check both boxes before Submit Application becomes active:

1. Job Poster Agreement (pending approval): This checkbox represents the job poster's side of the agreement. It is shown as greyed out / pending because the job poster has not yet accepted. You do not click this — it is shown for transparency so you can see the agreement requires mutual consent.

2. "I understand and agree to the terms of this agreement, and confirm that I hold all required licences, permits, certifications, or authorizations necessary to perform this job, if applicable." — This is your personal declaration. By checking this box you are:

   • Legally agreeing to the terms of the service contract
   • Confirming you have any required licences or certifications for this type of work
   • Acknowledging that misrepresenting your qualifications is a policy violation

Validation errors:

If you click Submit Application without completing required fields, a red banner lists what needs to be fixed:

• "Estimated Hours are required for hourly rates" — go back to Payment Details and fill in Estimated Hours
• "You must agree to the terms" — check the provider agreement checkbox
• "Insufficient Gen Points" — your balance is too low; purchase a bundle before applying

Submit Application:

Once all fields are complete and both checkboxes are checked, the Submit Application button becomes active (turns from grey to blue). Click it to:

1. Reserve your Gen Points (held, not deducted yet)
2. Send your application and proposed terms to the job poster
3. Add the job to your My Applications list with status Pending
4. Notify the job poster by email and push notification that you have applied

After submitting, you can view and withdraw your application from My Applications at any time before the job poster accepts.