Payments & Billing

Learn how payments work on Opengates — from escrow protection and service fees to payouts and currency conversion. Everything you need to know about managing money on the platform.

Opengates is a freelancing marketplace that connects talented professionals across Africa with clients who need their skills. Whether you are a freelancer looking for your next project or a client searching for the right person to get the job done, understanding how payments work on the platform is essential. This guide gives you a complete overview of how money moves on Opengates, how you are protected, and what fees to expect.

How Money Works on Opengates

Every financial transaction on Opengates is designed with security and fairness in mind. The platform uses Paystack, a trusted and widely used payment gateway across Africa, to process all payments. Paystack supports multiple payment methods including credit and debit cards, M-Pesa mobile money, and direct bank transfers.

When a client hires a freelancer for a task, the payment process follows a carefully structured flow:

  1. Client funds the task — The client deposits money into the Opengates escrow system before work begins.
  2. Freelancer completes the work — The freelancer delivers the agreed-upon work within the set timeframe.
  3. Client reviews and approves — The client reviews the submitted work and approves it if it meets the requirements.
  4. Funds are released — Once approved, the escrowed funds (minus service fees) are instantly sent to the freelancer's payout method.

This entire process ensures that freelancers get paid for completed work and clients only pay when they are satisfied with the results.

Escrow Protection

The escrow system is the backbone of payment security on Opengates. When a client creates a contract and funds it, the money is held securely in escrow — a neutral holding account managed by the platform. Neither the client nor the freelancer can access these funds directly until the agreed conditions are met.

Escrow protects both parties:

  • Freelancers know the money is already set aside before they start working, so they will not waste time on a project only to find out the client cannot pay.
  • Clients know their money is safe and will only be released when they approve the delivered work.

If a disagreement arises, the escrow funds remain protected while the dispute is resolved through the platform's mediation process.

To learn more, read our detailed guide on How Escrow Works.

Understanding Fees

Opengates charges a service fee on each transaction to maintain and improve the platform. The fee structure is straightforward:

  • Standard fee: 12% of the contract value is deducted from the freelancer's earnings.
  • Premium fee: Freelancers with an active Premium subscription pay a reduced fee of just 7%.

These fees cover payment processing, escrow management, platform maintenance, customer support, and dispute resolution services. Clients are not charged a service fee on the contract value — they pay exactly what they agreed to pay for the task.

Gate Keys

Gate keys are a unique feature of Opengates. Freelancers use gate keys to apply for available tasks posted by clients. Each application requires one or more gate keys, which can be purchased on the platform. Gate keys help ensure that applications are serious and well-considered, improving the quality of proposals that clients receive.

Premium Subscription

The Premium subscription is a monthly plan that gives freelancers access to reduced service fees (7% instead of 12%) along with additional benefits such as priority visibility in search results, enhanced profile features, and more gate keys. If you are an active freelancer on the platform, the Premium subscription can significantly increase your take-home earnings.

For a complete breakdown of costs, see our Fee Structure guide.

Contract Types and Payments

Opengates supports two main contract types, each with its own payment structure:

Fixed-Price Contracts

Fixed-price contracts have a predetermined total cost agreed upon before work begins. For larger projects, these contracts can be divided into milestones — smaller, clearly defined deliverables with individual payment amounts. As each milestone is completed and approved, the corresponding escrow funds are released.

For example, a KES 50,000 web design project might be split into three milestones:

  • Milestone 1: Wireframes and mockups — KES 15,000
  • Milestone 2: Front-end development — KES 20,000
  • Milestone 3: Final testing and delivery — KES 15,000

Hourly Contracts

Hourly contracts are billed based on the time a freelancer spends working. Freelancers log their hours through time entries on the platform, and clients are billed accordingly. The hourly rate is agreed upon when the contract is created, and payments are processed at regular intervals based on logged and approved hours.

Payouts

Once a client approves your work and releases the payment, the platform fee is deducted and the remaining amount is instantly and automatically sent to your payout method. Opengates currently supports the following payout options through Paystack:

  • M-Pesa — Receive payouts directly to your M-Pesa mobile money account. This is the fastest option for freelancers in Kenya.
  • Bank Transfer — Receive payouts to your linked bank account.

Before you can receive payouts, you will need to set up and verify your payout method. This involves linking your M-Pesa number or bank account details and completing identity verification.

Learn how to get started in our Setting Up Payouts guide, or read Getting Paid to understand the full payout flow.

Understanding Your Balance

Your Opengates earnings are organized into two categories:

  • Pending Earnings — Work you have submitted that is waiting for client approval. These funds are still held in escrow.
  • Paid Out — Funds that have been released and instantly sent to your M-Pesa or bank account.

You can view your balance breakdown at any time from your Opengates dashboard.

Currency on Opengates

All prices on Opengates are displayed in US Dollars (USD) to provide a consistent experience for both local and international users. However, when you receive payouts, the amount is converted to Kenyan Shillings (KES).

The currency conversion from USD to KES is handled automatically at the time of payout using current market exchange rates. This means the exact KES amount you receive may vary slightly depending on exchange rate fluctuations.

For more details on how this works, read our Currency Conversion guide.

Refunds and Disputes

Sometimes things do not go as planned. If a client is unsatisfied with delivered work, or if a freelancer believes a client is acting unfairly, either party can initiate a dispute through the platform.

During a dispute:

  • Escrowed funds are frozen and cannot be released to either party.
  • Both the client and freelancer can present their case.
  • The Opengates mediation team reviews the evidence and makes a fair decision.
  • Depending on the outcome, funds may be released to the freelancer, refunded to the client, or split between both parties.

Refunds are processed back through the original payment method and typically take a few business days to appear.

For full details on the process, visit our Refunds & Disputes guide.

Payment Security

Opengates takes the security of your financial information seriously. All payment processing is handled by Paystack, which is PCI-DSS compliant — the highest standard of security for handling card payments. Your card details and bank information are never stored on Opengates servers.

Additional security measures include:

  • Encrypted data transmission for all financial transactions
  • Two-factor authentication for payout security
  • Regular security audits and monitoring
  • Fraud detection and prevention systems

Still need help? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to assist you.

Payments & Billing - Opengates Help Center