Clear terms.
Before payment.

Your payment agreement

An accepted offer does not charge anyone. When payment tools are available, Milieu can prepare a payment plan for an accepted offer in an approved conversation. The plan identifies the payer, the talent recipient, the currency, the gross payment, the agency fee, and the talent share.

Both participants must explicitly agree to that exact plan and this version of the payment terms before checkout. The portal records each agreement and its time. Consenting does not charge the payer; the payer must separately complete Stripe Checkout. Only the designated payer can open checkout for the plan.

The plan cannot be edited after creation. Check its figures and participants before agreeing. If anything is incorrect, contact the agency before making a payment. A different arrangement requires a new offer and payment plan. Confirm the project scope, deliverables, usage rights, dates, and any other booking terms separately.

The agency fee and talent share

Milieu’s agency fee is 20% of the gross payment. The talent share is the remaining 80%, subject to rounding to the currency’s smallest supported unit. The payment plan shows the exact amounts before either participant agrees.

For example, a USD $1,000.00 payment has a $200.00 agency fee and an $800.00 talent share. Stripe processing costs are borne by the agency and do not reduce the stated talent share. The agency’s 20% is its share before those Stripe costs.

Stripe handles payment and payout details

The payer enters payment details on Stripe’s hosted checkout. Talent completes Stripe’s hosted account setup, including any bank and identity details Stripe requires. The portal does not collect or store card numbers, bank account details, or identity verification documents.

Milieu stores payment and connected-account references, amounts, statuses, agreement records, and approval history to administer the transaction. Stripe processes the information entered on its services under its own terms and privacy policy. Returning to the portal after checkout or account setup does not by itself confirm payment or payout readiness; the portal checks Stripe’s status.

Agency approval before a talent transfer

The agency reviews the payment plan before it can be collected. After the payment succeeds, talent can request release and describe the completed work. A release request does not move money. The agency must separately approve the transfer to the talent’s connected Stripe account.

Release depends on confirmed payment, available settlement funds, a ready recipient account, and the conversation’s eligibility. A blocked or paused conversation, refund, dispute, or payment issue prevents a new release while the agency reviews the situation.

The portal’s Released status means the talent share was transferred to the connected Stripe balance. It does not mean the money has arrived in a bank account. Stripe’s payout schedule, account requirements, and bank processing determine bank arrival. This arrangement is not an escrow service, and it does not promise a particular holding period or bank arrival date.

Refunds, disputes, and corrections

Contact the agency promptly through the conversation or at hello@milieuagency.com if the amount, work, or payment status needs attention. Before a talent transfer, the agency can approve a full refund through the portal. The portal does not currently offer partial refunds.

After a transfer, the agency handles any refund and related recovery of transferred funds through Stripe, then reconciles the portal record. A refund does not automatically recover an earlier transfer. Recovery and bank refund timing depend on the transaction and Stripe’s processing.

A reported payment dispute or transfer reversal is flagged for agency review. The portal does not automatically submit dispute evidence or guarantee a dispute outcome. A delayed or uncertain payment status should be reviewed before anyone tries to pay or release funds again.

Records and questions

Participants can view the plan and its status in the conversation. Authorized agency staff can review the payment, related messages, consent, and approval records for business and safety purposes. Payment tools are enabled only when the agency’s Stripe setup is complete; the portal displays their current availability.

These payment terms describe how the portal handles a transaction. They do not replace the parties’ separately agreed project and usage terms. Read the portal privacy and participation notice for information about your profile, messages, and account data.