Frequently Asked Questions
Latest Update: January 13, 2023
1. How does our freelance payment protection work? Our payment protection is a five-step payment process that protects Clients and Freelancers in a transaction. Umify holds the funds in trust while services are delivered from the Freelancer to the Client. Umify only releases the funds once the Client has received and accepted the services.
2. How long does Umify's process take? The transaction timelines are unique to each transaction and depend on the steps below. You can estimate the timeline of your transaction below: 1. Account Creation: Account creation is quick and simple. You simply sign up and log in with your Google account. If you do not have a Google account, you can sign up for one in a matter of minutes. 2. Client's Payment: For the convenience and peace of mind of our customers, Umify uses Stripe to accept payments globally. Depending on the location, Clients may pay for their transactions via debit or credit card, bank debits or transfers, bank redirects, or real-time payments. Payment processing is typically instantaneous. 3. Service Performance: Timelines for performing and delivering the services are agreed upon between the Clients and the Freelancers, and may include milestones. 4. Inspection Period: The Clients will typically require a period of time to inspect and approve the services rendered by the Freelancers. We recommend both parties to agree ahead of time on the criteria and inspection period. 5. Disbursement: Freelancers will need to set up an account with Stripe in order to receive funds from Umify. Account approval process is nearly instantaneous. Once the Clients approve the services and release the funds, Freelancers will receive the funds in their Stripe account no later than the following business day. The process of transfering the money from a Stripe account into a linked bank account may take up to seven business days depending on the country where the bank account is located. If your transaction takes longer than expected, contact our customer support department via email at hello@umify.io. They can provide additional information or guidance as to the cause of any delay.
3. How does Umify protect me? Umify holds funds while services are completed. Umify ensures Freelancers are paid when they deliver or complete agreed upon services, ensuring Clients receive a refund if services are not rendered. Umify also vets Clients and Freelancers to ensure fraudulent users are removed. How Clients are protected: The Freelancer isn't paid until the Client inspects and accepts the services or the agreed-upon Inspection Period expires. Full or partial refunds can be issued if there is a problem with the services. How Freelancers are protected: Freelancers receive their funds once they deliver the services, the Client accepts the services, or the agreed-upon Inspection Period expires. The Freelancer is notified to render services once Umify confirms funds have been approved and secured from the Client.
4. Are there any special issues to consider when dealing with intellectual property such as software or patents? Yes, the Freelancer must provide the Client appropriate documentation to prove ownership and rights to transfer. This documentation may include, but is not limited to, the following: Software licensing documentation Appropriate software installation keys and codes Ownership transfer forms Patents Copyright forms In addition, we strongly recommend the Freelancer draw up an “ownership transfer document” stating specifically the intellectual property being traded with authorized signatures of both Client and Freelancer. Some customers have attorneys draw up transfer documents; however, this is not necessary in every case. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our customer support department via email at hello@umify.io.
5. How do I check the status of my transactions? To check the status of your transaction, simply sign into your Umify account. After signing in, you can access your transaction summary page to view the progress of your active Umify transactions. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our customer support department via email at hello@umify.io.
6. How do I change transaction details and terms? To change any transaction details or terms after a transaction has been created, please cancel the existing transaction by emailing us at hello@umify.io and create a new one with the correct details. Please note that we cannot cancel or change any transaction which has already been agreed to by the other party without their express consent. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our customer support department via email at hello@umify.io.
7. How do Clients or Freelancers cancel transactions? Prior to the agreement of terms by both parties, the Client or Freelancer can cancel the transaction by emailing us at hello@umify.io. After both parties have confirmed transaction details in the Agreement phase, either party may cancel the transaction, if Umify has not received the Client's funds, by sending an email request to hello@umify.io. After funds are secured, the cancellation of a transaction can be done by Umify after notification of both parties. The Freelancer may request that the Transaction be canceled and the Client refunded, less Escrow Fees and any additional charges for currency exchange, at any time. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our customer support department via email at hello@umify.io.
8. If I have any questions about the services, do I contact Umify? We highly recommend all Clients reach out directly to their Freelancers to find out more about the services being rendered in their transactions. It is critical for both parties to agree upon the precise description of that being rendered. If there are any questions about any element of the transaction, this should be clarified at the commencement of any transaction. The services should be clearly defined, and both the Client and Freelancer must agree on all aspects of the transaction at the inception of a transaction. For complicated transactions, we recommend the Clients and Freelancers create and sign an agreement to fully clarify the services being rendered. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our customer support department via email at hello@umify.io.
9. When are funds released to the Freelancer? Umify releases funds to the Freelancer when the Client accepts the services. A Client can accept services by clicking on the “Release Payment” button in their Umify account. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our customer support department via email at hello@umify.io.
10. What is an Inspection Period, when does it start, and how long does it last? What is an Inspection Period? The Inspection Period is the specified length of time agreed upon by both parties in which the Client may examine the services after receipt. The Client has the option to “Accept” or “Reject” the services within this period. The Inspection Period should not include transit time for shipping or transferal of the merchandise or service. How long is the Inspection Period? Inspection Period is a 14-day period for the Client to inspect the services. If the Client has decided to "Reject" the services, the Freelancer has five days to raise a dispute before the funds are returned to the Client. Start of Inspection Period The Inspection Period begins when the Client marks the service or merchandise as “Received” or when Umify verifies or receives confirmation that the service or merchandise has been delivered. End of Inspection Period The Inspection Period ends when the Client either Accepts the services, Rejects the services, or the Inspection Period expires: 1. If the Client accepts the services or merchandise by releasing payment, this action will end the Inspection Period, and Umify will release the funds to the Freelancer. 2. If the Client rejects the merchandise or service, they must do so prior to the conclusion of the Inspection Period by informing Umify via email to hello@umify.io with the reason for rejection. Once the Client rejects the service or merchandise, the Inspection Period will end. Afterwards, the Freelancer will be provided a 5-day Inspection Period to raise a dispute. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our customer support department via email at hello@umify.io.
11. Who is responsible for paying processing fees to Umify? The Client is responsible for paying processing fees to Umify. If the Freelancer wishes to absorb the fees, they may do so by lowering the transaction amount by 3%.
12. As the Client, what happens to my money when I send it to Umify? Your funds remain in trust with Stripe until the transaction is complete. Umify will only release the funds once both parties are satisfied with their transaction.
13. How long does it take for Freelancers to be paid? Typically, funds are disbursed the same or next business day following the completion of the transaction. This means that Freelancers will typically receive the funds in their connected Stripe account the following day after the funds are disbursed. The process of transfering the money from a Stripe account into a linked bank account may take up to seven business days depending on the country where the bank account is located.
14. Does Umify have restrictions to where they can send funds? Yes, Umify uses Stripe as our payment and disbursement partner. Although Clients can make payments from anywhere in the world, Freelancers may only withdraw money into their bank account in Stripe-supported countries listed here: https://stripe.com/global. For your peace of mind, when creating the transaction, Umify will not show non-supported countries in the drop-down, or alternatively, our system will alert you to the fact that a non-supported country has been selected. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our customer support department via email at hello@umify.io.
15. Are international transactions permitted? Yes, Umify is designed for international transactions. However, Umify has restrictions on the locations where Freelancers have their bank account. The list of supported countries can be found here: https://stripe.com/global.
16. Are services offered through Umify safe and legitimate? Yes, we are a company duly registered and headquartered in Singapore. We are funded by Entrepreneur First, a global startup incubator backed by some of the world's best tech founders and investors, including Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), Greylock Partners, Founders Fund, Demis Hassabis (Google Deepmind), Taavet Hinrikus (Wise), and Patrick and John Collision (Stripe). If you have any additional questions, contact our customer support department through phone support, email at hello@umify.io.
17. How do you protect my credit card and personal information? Umify does not store your payment information. We use Stripe, a leading global payment solution provider as our payment and disbursement partner, so you can rest assured that your privacy is protected.
18. Where do I find your terms and conditions and privacy policy? You can find our Terms and Conditions here: https://www.umify.io/terms. Our privacy policy can be found here: https://www.umify.io/privacy
19. What happens if the Client is unsatisfied with the rendered services? If the Client is dissatisfied with a transaction, they have the option to “Accept” or “Reject” the services rendered during the Inspection Period. For more information, please read our Terms and Conditions here: https://www.umify.io/terms. If you need additional support, email Umify at hello@umify.io today.
20. What if there is a disagreement during the transaction? What is dispute resolution? A Dispute is initiated when the Client rejects the services by the Freelancer and the Freelancer raises an objection to Umify. If a Dispute is raised during a transaction, all parties involved in the transaction will be advised to exercise a 14-day Negotiation Period, or they can contact a third-party arbitrator to solve the dispute. We recommend using arbitrators from the International Court of Arbitration, JAMS Arbitration, or net-ARB.com. For more information, please read our terms and conditions regarding Dispute Resolution. If there are any additional concerns, contact our customer support department via email at hello@umify.io.
21. How long does the Client have to inspect the deliverables? The Client has 14 calendar days to inspect the services delivered by the Freelancer. The parties may adjust the inspection period based on mutually agreed written agreement. If the Inspection Period has expired and Umify has confirmed the Client has not released the payment, Umify will inform the Freelancer of the Client's decision to reject the services. The Freelancer has five (5) calendar days to raise a dispute before the funds are returned to the Client.
22. What happens when the transaction value has multiple decimal places? The transaction value is rounded to 2 decimal places using standard rounding rules. If the digit in the thousandths place (e.g., the 3 in 1.223) is less than or equal to 4, it is rounded down. If the digit is greater than 4, it is rounded up. In this example, the output would be 1.22.
