Escrow (payments)
In payments, escrow means holding a buyer's funds until an agreed condition is met — then releasing to the seller, or refunding cleanly if it falls through.
In payments, escrow means taking a buyer’s money and holding it — neither the buyer’s nor the seller’s yet — until an agreed condition is met. When it is, the funds release to the seller; if the deal falls through, they refund cleanly.
How it works
- The buyer pays, and the funds are held rather than passed straight on.
- Both sides are protected while the work happens, the goods ship, or the milestone lands.
- On your trigger, the money releases to the seller (often as a split); otherwise it goes back.
Holding funds legitimately requires the right licence — a plain payment processor usually can’t sit on the money.
Why it matters
Escrow is what makes higher-trust marketplaces work: services paid on completion, staged projects, high-value goods. It removes the “who pays first” standoff without either side carrying the risk.
How Fynex does it
Fynex can take the payment, hold the funds, and release them on your condition — or refund without a dispute if the deal doesn’t complete. Because Fynex is an FCA-authorised e-money institution, it can hold client funds where most tools can’t. See escrow for marketplaces.