SafePay — Pay Only When the Job's Done

How SafePay Works

Why You Need SafePay

You know how it usually goes. You find a contractor. They ask for a deposit — sometimes 50%, sometimes the full amount upfront. You pay. Then the work starts late, or it's not what you agreed on, or they disappear halfway through. Now you're chasing someone who's not answering their phone, and your money is gone.

SafePay fixes that. The money sits in a trust account managed by TradeSafe — a registered financial services provider. Completo never touches your funds. The contractor sees that the money is there, so they show up and do the work. You see that the money is safe, so you don't stress. When you approve the work, payment is released within 24 hours. If there's a problem, the money stays in trust until it's resolved.

It's not escrow in the traditional sense — there's no paperwork, no lawyers, no waiting weeks. It's a payment protection system built for home services. Think of it as a handshake that's backed by actual rules.

SafePay vs Paying Directly

Built for South Africa

SafePay was designed with the South African home services market in mind. Not a Silicon Valley product that got air-dropped into Bryanston and hoped for the best. We built it because we know how it feels to hand R12,000 to someone for a geyser replacement and spend the next three weeks wondering if they'll show up.

In Johannesburg, where copper theft and hard water mean you're calling a plumber every 18 months — SafePay means you pay when the pipe is fixed. In Cape Town, where the drought changed how everyone thinks about water — SafePay means the leak detection cost is only released when the leak is actually found and fixed. In Pretoria, where builders are in high demand and low supply — SafePay means your R50,000 renovation deposit isn't gone if the builder takes another job halfway through yours.

And yes, it works during load shedding. The approval system is mobile-friendly and works on basic smartphones. If Eskom takes the lights out, you can still approve the job and get your contractor paid.

What Contractors Need to Know

SafePay isn't just for homeowners. Contractors benefit too. When you work through Completo with SafePay, you know the money is there before you start. No'I'll EFT you next week' or'the bond hasn't come through yet.' The funds are verified and held in trust. You finish the job, the client approves, and you're paid within 24 hours.

Compare that to the industry average of 7–14 days chasing invoices. Or the 5–10% of jobs where you never get paid at all. SafePay means you never work for free again. Clients trust you more because there's a system backing both sides. And that trust translates to more jobs won.

What Happens If There's a Dispute?

Every job comes with a 5-day inspection period. When the contractor marks work as complete, you have 5 calendar days to inspect, approve, or raise a dispute. If you don't take any action, the milestone is automatically accepted and funds are released.

If something isn't right, here's how the process works:

1. 1. Raise a dispute on the platform with a description of the issue, supporting evidence (photos, messages), and your proposed resolution. TradeSafe freezes the disputed funds immediately.
2. 2. Completo facilitates. We contact both parties within 2 business days, review all evidence (job scope, photos, in-app chat), and issue a non-binding recommendation within 5 business days. This is advisory — we don't adjudicate or make binding decisions.
3. 3. Both parties have 5 days to accept or reject the recommendation. If both accept, we instruct TradeSafe to release funds accordingly.
4. 4. If facilitation fails — disputes under R20,000 go to Small Claims Court; disputes over R20,000 go to AFSA (Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa) for binding arbitration. TradeSafe only releases funds on written agreement from both parties or a binding order from AFSA or a court.

Each party bears its own legal costs. TradeSafe's fees remain payable regardless of outcome. Completo's role is limited to facilitation — we don't adjudicate and accept no liability for dispute outcomes. The escrow process is governed by TradeSafe's Terms of Service.

SafePay — Frequently Asked Questions