Swap fees
Skill is the currency of the network, but some swaps still have small real-world costs. This page explains what can be charged, how to agree it, and why the subscription is not a fee on your trade.
What the subscription covers
A small subscription keeps the platform running: hosting, moderation, safety guidance and improvements. It is a membership fee, not a percentage of your swaps. No one pays per trade, and paying does not give anyone priority in matching.
Membership is access. Barter is the exchange.
The subscription lets you use the directory, calendar and chat. The value you swap is still measured in time, skill and trust — not pounds, dollars or euros.
When a swap can include a small charge
Money should only pass between members for unavoidable costs that make the swap possible. It should never be payment for the work itself.
Materials and consumables
Seed trays, timber, solder, bike tubes, paint, compost — the physical things that get used up or stay in the project. Not your time.
Transport fuel or fares
If one member is driving tools, produce or materials a long way, the other side can cover the fuel or ticket. Agree the route first.
Equipment hire
Shared use of a trailer, cement mixer, steam cleaner or similar. Split the rental and return it clean and on time.
Third-party permits or checks
A gas-safety certificate, waste disposal fee, or building notice that the law requires. Get a receipt and share it.
How to agree a charge
- 01
Talk about it in the swap chat
Before either side accepts the request, say what real costs might appear and who will cover them. Silence is not agreement.
- 02
Write it into the swap details
The receiving member updates the swap once. Include the item, the estimated amount, and who pays. That version is final.
- 03
Keep receipts
A photo of the receipt in the chat is enough. No receipt, no obligation to pay an unexpected amount later.
- 04
Settle on completion
Small cash balances are settled when the swap is marked completed, not while work is still open.
What keeps it fair
No one has to accept a paid component
If you would rather barter pure skill, decline the request or suggest a replacement trade. Money is never compulsory here.
Labour is never billed by the hour
The platform subscription keeps the network running; it is not a cut on each swap. Members do not invoice each other for time.
Hidden costs kill trust
If a charge appears that was not agreed in chat and written into the details, treat it as a conflict and withdraw if needed.
Keep it small
A charge should be a fraction of the value exchanged. If the out-of-pocket cost is most of the trade, choose a different swap.
If money starts blocking the trade
A swap that turns into a price negotiation is probably the wrong swap. Message first, update the details once if you both agree, and withdraw cleanly if you do not. The rules for handling conflicts still apply.