SECTION 1
DemandFirst is Not a Bank
DemandFirst is a technology platform, not a financial institution, bank, or payment processor. We do not hold funds directly, issue credit, or provide financial guarantees.
All payment processing, fund holding, and disbursement services are provided exclusively by Stripe, Inc., a regulated payment service provider. By initiating a transaction on DemandFirst, you agree to be bound by Stripe's Terms of Service in addition to these policies.
DemandFirst's role is limited to: orchestrating the payment trigger, monitoring the escrow lifecycle, facilitating dispute communications, and deducting its commission at the point of fund release.
SECTION 2
Stripe Connect
DemandFirst uses Stripe Connect to enable marketplace payments. This means:
- Buyer charges — Buyers are charged in real time via Stripe Checkout, using any major credit/debit card or supported payment method.
- Escrow holding — Stripe holds the funds in a destination charge model — the money is attached to the seller's connected Stripe account but is not yet accessible to them.
- Commission split — At the time of release, Stripe automatically routes DemandFirst's platform fee to our account and the net amount to the seller's connected account.
- KYC & compliance — Sellers must complete Stripe's Know Your Customer (KYC) verification before receiving payouts. DemandFirst does not control this process.
SECTION 3
How the Payment Flow Works
The end-to-end payment lifecycle on DemandFirst follows these steps:
| Step | Actor | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buyer | Confirms deal in the Deal Room and clicks “Proceed to Payment”. |
| 2 | Stripe | Stripe Checkout opens. Buyer enters card details and confirms payment. |
| 3 | Stripe | Funds are captured and held in escrow. Seller cannot access funds yet. |
| 4 | Seller | Prepares and ships the order. Enters the tracking number in the Deal Room. |
| 5 | AfterShip | Logistics status is monitored in real time. Platform receives delivery events. |
| 6 | DemandFirst | Upon 'Delivered' status, the 72-hour Inspection Window begins automatically. |
| 7 | Buyer | Inspects goods. May open a dispute within 48 hours if issues are found. |
| 8 | DemandFirst | If no dispute is raised, escrow release is triggered automatically. |
| 9 | Stripe | Platform fee is deducted. Net amount is transferred to seller's Stripe account. |
| 10 | Seller | Receives payout in their nominated bank account within 3–5 business days. |
SECTION 4
The Inspection Window
Upon AfterShip confirming a "Delivered" status, a 48-hour inspection window opens automatically for the buyer.
During this window, the buyer may:
- Accept the delivery by taking no action — escrow releases automatically after 48 hours.
- Open a dispute directly in the Deal Room by submitting evidence of the issue.
⚠ Important: The inspection window is strictly 48 hours from the AfterShip delivery timestamp. Disputes raised after this window will not be eligible for escrow reversal and will be treated as post-release commercial disputes between the parties.
DemandFirst reserves the right to extend the inspection window in exceptional circumstances (e.g., documented customs delays, force majeure events) at its sole discretion.
SECTION 5
Resolving Disputes
When a buyer opens a dispute within the inspection window:
- Escrow frozen — Funds are immediately frozen. Neither party can access the held amount during the review process.
- Evidence submission — Both parties have 48 hours to submit supporting evidence: photos, communications, tracking data, and any contractual documentation.
- DemandFirst review — Our moderation team reviews all evidence and issues a binding resolution within 5 business days.
- Resolution outcomes — Funds may be fully released to the seller, fully refunded to the buyer, or split proportionally based on the evidence presented.
DemandFirst facilitates dispute resolution but is not liable for the outcomes of commercial disputes between buyers and sellers. Our decisions are final within the scope of the platform's escrow mechanism.
SECTION 5.3
Buyer's Responsibility & Administrative Fallback
DemandFirst is not required to extend the Inspection Window at the request of either party. However, DemandFirst may, at its discretion and without assuming any obligation to do so, suspend or adjust the Inspection Window where a clear technical error, tracking anomaly, fraud concern, platform incident or other exceptional circumstance is identified.
SECTION 6
Seller Payouts
Once escrow is released, funds are disbursed to the seller's Stripe connected account. Sellers must ensure their Stripe account is fully verified (KYC complete) before a payout can be processed.
- Standard payout timeline: 3–5 business days after escrow release.
- All payouts are processed in USD by default. Stripe applies conversion rates for non-USD accounts.
- Sellers are responsible for any applicable local taxes, VAT, or withholding requirements on received funds.
- DemandFirst does not issue tax documentation (1099, VAT invoices) on behalf of sellers.
Payout issues should be directed to Stripe Support first. If the issue is related to the escrow release trigger, contact payments@demandfirst.app.
SECTION 7
Platform Fees
DemandFirst deducts its success commission automatically at the point of escrow release, before funds are disbursed to the seller. The commission rate is determined by the seller's active subscription tier:
Bronze
2.5%
of deal value
Silver
2.0%
of deal value
Gold
1.75%
of deal value
Platinum
1.25%
of deal value
Stripe's standard payment processing fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) are charged separately and are borne by the buyer at checkout.
SECTION 8
Refunds & Reversals
Refunds may be issued in the following circumstances:
- A dispute is resolved in the buyer's favor within the inspection window.
- A deal is cancelled by mutual written agreement of both parties before shipment.
- The seller fails to provide a valid tracking number within the agreed timeframe.
Refund timeline: 7–10 business days back to the buyer's original payment method, subject to Stripe's processing schedule.
Non-refundable items: Stripe's payment processing fees are non-refundable by DemandFirst. Subscription fees are non-refundable unless otherwise required by applicable law.
Once escrow has been successfully released to the seller (i.e., the inspection window has closed without a dispute), DemandFirst cannot initiate a reversal. Any post-release commercial disputes are the sole responsibility of the trading parties.
POST-RELEASE CHARGEBACK RECOVERY
Where a buyer initiates a chargeback with their card issuer or bank after escrow has been released, DemandFirst reserves the right to recover any resulting chargeback fees, penalties or reversed amounts from the buyer's account balance or via invoice. Repeated or fraudulent chargeback attempts may result in account suspension and referral to appropriate authorities.
SECTION 9
Contact
For payment-related support, escrow questions, or payout issues, please contact our Payments team:
For general legal inquiries, see our Terms of Service. For privacy matters, see our Privacy Policy.