Flikker
Turn one risky project into small, funded steps. Stripe charges your client like a normal payment; Flikker tells Stripe to hold each funded milestone as a delayed payout until it's approved.
Free to start · Client funds each milestone first · Approval triggers payout from Stripe.
Live: $3,230 protected · 19 accounts
Create project with steps
Break work into small steps (milestones). Set one amount and “done” for each.
Send contract for signature
Each step is written into the contract so both sides see the same checklist.
Client funds the steps via Stripe
Stripe charges their card and holds the funds as a delayed payout per funded milestone until that specific step is approved in Flikker.
Deliver work and attach proof
Documents and links live next to each funded step so approval is about evidence, not memory.
Approve and get paid
Client approves funded steps with one click. Flikker tells Stripe to release payout for that milestone only.
What you keep
Per project, Free vs Pro (after Flikker + estimated Stripe fees)
Currency
Project value (excl. tax)
Min. escrow per milestone is $30 (or local equivalent). Try 1,000 · 5,000 · 10,000…
Estimated Stripe processing
Stripe fees vary by country and payment method. This is an estimate.
On this project (after Flikker + estimated Stripe fees):
Free keeps $ 4,630
Pro keeps $ 4,730
Free plan
$ 4,630
Net after Flikker platform fee and estimated Stripe processing.
Flikker platform fee (4.5% of escrowed amount)
$ 225
Est. Stripe fee (~2.9%)
$ 145
Total fees
$ 370
Free is ideal for testing Flikker and smaller projects where payout speed and fee level aren't critical yet.
Pro plan
$ 4,730
+$ 100 vs FreeNet when you run the same project on Pro with faster payouts and lower platform fee.
Flikker platform fee (2.5% of escrowed amount)
$ 125
Est. Stripe fee (~2.9%)
$ 145
Total fees
$ 270
Pro matters most on bigger projects and repeat clients where payout speed and lower platform fee actually move the needle.
*Minimum escrow per milestone is $30 (or local equivalent). Stripe processing fees are charged by Stripe and vary by country and payment method. Values here are illustrative.
Money, safety and access in plain language
• Clients never create random accounts. You invite them by link. They first see a short info page and the contract, then choose one or more milestones to fund by card. Once a milestone is funded, they get their own portal where they see the same contract, funded steps, attached files and approvals.
• Client pays by card through Stripe. Stripe holds the funds as a delayed payout per milestone until that funded step is approved.
• Flikker never holds your money. Stripe handles cards and KYC; Flikker orchestrates milestones, contracts, evidence and payout timing.
• Minimum milestone amount is $30. On Free, Flikker fee is 4.5% per funded milestone; on Pro, 2.5%. Stripe's card fees are separate and go directly to Stripe.
• No funds, no work. Approval, then payout. Approval is a separate, explicit step that triggers payout from Stripe to your connected account.
Not a marketplace: Flikker vs Upwork / Fiverr
Flikker is infrastructure for project payments and agreements. You bring your own clients from wherever you already work — email, LinkedIn, referrals, agencies, retainers and other contract-based work.
With Flikker
• You invite clients by link. They see a clear info page and the contract, then fund one or more milestones by card. After payment they get a private portal to see the contract, funded steps, files and approvals.
• Works for freelancers, consultants, studios, agencies, lawyers, accountants — anyone doing contract-based project work.
• No bidding, no public profiles, no race to the bottom. You keep your relationship; Flikker handles structure, milestones, evidence and payout timing.
• Flikker fee is a small platform fee per funded milestone. Stripe's card fees are separate and go directly to Stripe.
Marketplaces (Upwork, Fiverr, etc.)
• Clients are found and controlled inside the marketplace. Relationships are tied to the platform, not to your own brand.
• Public bidding, rankings and fees on total revenue, often not on structured milestones you already agreed elsewhere.
• Great for one-off gigs; less ideal when you already have clients and just want a safer way to run the money loop and contracts.
Flikker helps freelancers, contractors, studios and agencies run safe client projects with contracts, milestones, escrow-style Stripe payouts and a clear audit trail. It is built for people searching in panic after a non-paying client: client didn't pay, didn't get paid, unpaid invoice, unpaid invoices, late payment, payment 90 days, payment 120 days, chasing invoices, chasing payment, scope creep, client changed scope, client from hell, non-paying client, ghosted by client, client ghosted me, no contract with client, freelance not paid, agency not paid, net 60 freelance, net 90 freelance.
Flikker turns one big vague project into a milestone escrow project. You break the work into clear steps (milestones or phases), and each step is its own small agreement with one amount, clear "done" criteria and proof of work. The client funds each step up front by card through Stripe. Stripe charges the card and holds the funds as a delayed payout until the client approves that funded step. When they click approve, Flikker tells Stripe to pay you. You never work more than what has already been funded.