Milestone escrow
Structure service and custom-goods contracts into funded phases. The full amount is secured at kickoff — disbursement follows buyer approval on each deliverable.
Licensed escrow · Full contract funded upfront · Per-phase release
TXN-48291
Website redesign
Contract value$18,000
| Phase | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery & wireframes | $4,500 | Released |
| Staging build | $6,000 | In review |
| Production launch | $7,500 | Pending |
How it works
Both parties follow the same transaction path — full funding first, then release only when each phase is accepted.
Full escrow processAgree
Define each phase — deliverable, dollar amount, inspection window, and fee split — before funding.
Fund
The buyer deposits the full contract value. Funds for every phase are secured before work begins.
Deliver
The seller delivers the agreed work or goods and marks the milestone complete in the transaction.
Accept
The buyer reviews against the terms during the inspection period and accepts or rejects the milestone.
Release
Trustners disburses the approved phase amount to the seller. Remaining funds stay held for later phases.
Design, development, and advisory work billed against defined deliverables.
Creative, build, and launch phases tied to separate acceptance criteria.
Materials, fabrication, and delivery staged across multiple payouts.
Upfront commitment held in escrow, with balance tied to completion.
The buyer deposits the entire contract before work begins. Trustners holds each phase until acceptance — the standard model for licensed milestone escrow.
Buyer
Control release phase by phase
Funds disburse only after you accept work that matches the agreed terms.
No mid-project payment requests
The full contract is funded at start — sellers are not relying on future invoices.
Seller
Verified funds before you start
See the entire contract amount in escrow before delivering phase one.
Partial payout on acceptance
Each approved phase releases to you without renegotiating payment terms.
Each line item in your milestone schedule should be specific enough to accept or dispute without ambiguity.
| Field | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Phase description | Specific deliverable — e.g. approved wireframes in Figma, staging URL live |
| Amount | Dollar value per phase; all phases must equal the contract total |
| Inspection period | Business days the buyer has to review after seller marks complete |
| Acceptance | Explicit buyer approval or automatic expiry per agreed terms |
| Escrow fee | Paid by buyer, seller, or split 50/50 — set before funding |
Create a free account, define phases with the other party, and fund the full contract when you're both ready.
$198M+ in protected transactions · 50K+ customers · 190+ countries