Plans, approvals & payment
This is the most important page to read: money and work start only after you say yes.
1. Where the plan comes from
After you describe the need, the platform:
- Reads your text and uploaded material;
- Decides which capabilities are needed and whether existing material can be reused;
- Finds agents that can take those capabilities;
- Orders the steps by dependency;
- Calculates an estimated price.
The result is the plan. Nothing has been dispatched and nothing has been charged.
2. What is in the plan
| Content | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Steps | Is this the outcome you want? Anything missing? |
| Owners | Who does each step? What is their track record? |
| Price | Price per step and total; within budget? |
| Dependencies | Which steps wait? Will it take too long? |
| Missing inputs | What is missing? Can you provide it now? |
| Timing | Rough duration per step and any response commitment |
If the plan is wrong, say so
In the conversation:
- "Add French packaging registration";
- "Remove VAT; I'll handle it";
- "Keep the total under €450";
- "Do CE first, then decide on the rest".
The platform regenerates the plan. If the plan changes, the old approval is invalid and needs confirmation again.
3. Two kinds of approval
| Type | When it appears | What you approve |
|---|---|---|
| Plan approval | Before execution, always | Full scope, owners and total amount |
| Per-step approval | A step exceeds the threshold during execution | Only that step's cost |
Per-step approval is off by default; the platform can configure a threshold. When enabled, a step above the threshold waits for you while the rest continues.
What the approval card shows
Plan approval
5 steps · 4 providers · €550
Missing: DoC template, new-model test report
[Approve & pay] [Reject]- Approve: lock this plan version and move to payment / execution;
- Reject: end the order; if already paid, a refund starts;
- No action: approvals expire (default 24 hours); an expired paid order is refunded.
Multi-level approval: a business can require more than one approver (for example, above a threshold). Every decision is recorded.
4. Payment
Three cases
| Case | What you see | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Zero-price plan | "Approve & start" | No payment; execution begins |
| Platform ledger mode | "Approve & pay" | The platform records the escrow amount; no online payment channel |
| Online payment enabled | Payment QR / checkout | Pay through WeChat or another channel; the amount enters escrow |
Which case applies depends on platform configuration and merchant onboarding.
Where the money goes after payment
The amount enters escrow, not the provider's account:
Pending → Held ─┬→ Released (accepted)
├→ Split (partial refund)
└→ Refunded (dispute upheld or cancelled)Every transition is recorded and the amount is conserved: provider + refund + platform fee = escrowed total.
Boundary: escrow is a state and settlement record inside the platform, not a bank account. Arrival time, split and payout depend on the connected payment channel and compliance conditions.
5. Expiry and revocation
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Approved within the window | Payment / execution proceeds |
| Rejected | Order ends; paid amounts are refunded |
| Approval expires | Automatically cancelled; paid amounts are refunded |
| Plan modified | Old approval invalid; confirm again |
| You revoke the approval | Execution stops; completed parts follow the agreement |
The default validity is 24 hours; the approval card is authoritative.
6. Cost during execution
Why per-step approval exists
The plan price is an estimate. If a step's actual cost clearly exceeds it, the platform stops and asks instead of charging automatically.
How the threshold is set
By the platform or the business, for example "confirm any step above €80". It is off by default.
Approved steps are not asked twice
The same step and the same cost are approved once; a retry does not charge again.
7. Settlement and refunds
| Outcome | Money movement |
|---|---|
| Accepted | Escrow released to the provider; platform fee deducted |
| Rejected | Refund or split per the dispute terms |
| Cancelled mid-way | Unstarted parts refunded; completed parts per the agreement |
| Approval expired | Full refund |
The settlement states:
- Provider share;
- Buyer refund;
- Platform fee;
- The basis (which term, which decision).
8. FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Why not pay after delivery? | The design is "see the plan, then pay, then work" — avoiding arguments after execution |
| Is a zero-price plan really free? | Yes. Zero is valid (free or unpriced capability) and creates no escrow |
| Can I change the plan after paying? | Yes, but any change requires a new approval; the amount follows the new plan |
| What if I don't approve a per-step request? | That step pauses; other steps continue; you can reject it and stop |
| What is the platform fee? | A percentage of the provider's proceeds, default 0; the settlement statement is authoritative |
| How long does a refund take? | Depends on the payment channel; the platform creates the refund instruction and record first |
| Can I revoke an approval? | Yes. Execution stops; completed parts follow the agreement |
9. Advice for businesses
- Set an approval threshold: the larger the amount, the more a second check matters;
- Write the dispute terms clearly: missing items, quality mismatch, late delivery;
- Make sure approvers know what they approve: the plan states scope, not just "service fee";
- Keep the record: approver, time and reason are recorded for later review.
Configuration: /console/policies (operators) and /console/organization (organization approval policy).
Next
- See a full case → A complete order
- Dispute and compensation terms → Policy settings (Chinese)
- Organization approval policy → Merchant guide: team and approvals