Escrow Protection
Your money is safe until the job is done. Acefre holds every payment securely — no runner gets paid until you say so.
What is Escrow?
Escrow is a financial arrangement where a neutral third party — in this case, Acefre — holds funds on behalf of two parties involved in a transaction. The money is only released when both sides have met their agreed conditions. On Acefre, this means your payment is locked in until you confirm the runner completed your task properly. No confusion, no chasing after money, no risk.
How It Works
Every task on Acefre follows this six-step payment flow.
Customer Posts a Task
You describe what you need done and set your budget. The task goes live on Acefre for runners to see.
Runner Accepts the Task
A verified campus runner reviews your task and accepts it, agreeing to your requirements and timeline.
Customer Pays into Escrow
You fund the task from your Acefre wallet. The money leaves your wallet immediately and is held securely by Acefre — neither you nor the runner can touch it yet.
Runner Completes the Task
The runner carries out the task — whether that's a food pickup, printing job, or shopping run — and marks it done.
Customer Confirms Completion
You review the delivery and confirm that everything was done as agreed. This is the key step that releases payment.
Funds Released to Runner
Once you confirm, Acefre releases the funds to the runner's wallet, minus the platform service fee. Everyone gets what they were promised.
Payment Flow
Here is exactly how money moves on Acefre.
Customer
Pays task budget
Funds leave wallet
Acefre Escrow
Funds held securely
Neither party can access
Runner
Receives payment
After confirmation
When You Get Your Money Back
Your payment is refunded to your Acefre wallet in any of these situations.
Runner cancels before starting
If the runner cancels the task before picking it up or starting work, your full escrow amount is returned to your wallet immediately.
Task not completed within agreed time
If the task exceeds the agreed deadline without a completion mark from the runner, you can raise a dispute and receive a full refund.
Runner fails to deliver as agreed
After dispute resolution determines the runner did not meet the task requirements, your payment is refunded.
Mutual cancellation
If both parties agree to cancel the task before completion, the escrowed funds are returned to your wallet.
When Funds Are Not Refunded
To keep the system fair, there are situations where escrow funds cannot be returned.
You have already confirmed task completion — this action is final and releases funds to the runner.
The task was completed exactly as described and agreed upon by both parties.
The dispute window has closed and no dispute was raised within the allowed period.
Dispute Handling
If you and a runner disagree about whether a task was completed properly, you can open a dispute before confirming. Acefre's team reviews the evidence from both sides — task description, chat history, proof of delivery — and makes a fair determination. Funds remain locked in escrow throughout the entire process.
Learn more about how disputes are handled on our Dispute Resolution page.
Why Escrow Works for Everyone
Escrow isn't just a safety net — it builds the trust that makes Acefre work.
You never pay a runner who doesn't deliver
Your money is protected the moment you pay
Disputes are handled fairly if something goes wrong
You control when the runner gets paid
Payment is guaranteed once you complete the task
No chasing customers for money after delivery
Funds are locked in before you start — you know they're real
Disputes protect you from unfair rejections too
Real Examples
Here's how escrow plays out in everyday campus tasks.
You're stuck in a lecture and hungry. You post a food task for ₦500 and fund escrow. A runner picks up your meal from the campus bukas. Once they deliver to your seat, you confirm — the runner gets paid. If they never show up, you get your ₦500 back.
You need your project work printed and bound before a 2pm deadline. You fund ₦800 into escrow. The runner collects your document, gets it printed, and brings it to you. You confirm receipt and quality — funds release. Not happy with the binding? Raise a dispute before confirming.
You need toiletries from the school market. You list the items, set a ₦1,200 budget including errands fee, and pay into escrow. The runner shops, delivers everything, and you verify the items match your list before confirming payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about how escrow works on Acefre.
Related Pages
Need help with a payment?
Our support team can walk you through any escrow or payment concern.
Visit our Help Center