Campaign escrow and claims

Why escrow exists on MarketPounce

Outbound has a two-sided trust gap: reps fear unpaid work, brands fear paying for junk meetings. Escrow plus claim audit commits budget up front and moves money only when an outcome is verified.

Freelancers on open marketplaces often dial first and chase payment later. Brands on retainers often fund dial time before they know whether the list or offer converts. Both patterns burn trust. MarketPounce Team campaigns reverse that sequence: the brand funds escrow before approved reps dial, and nothing leaves that pool until a claim clears audit.

That design is intentional. Escrow proves the money is real so application-gated humans will take the work seriously. The audit proves the outcome is real so brands only pay for verified booked meetings or qualified leads — never for dial minutes, and never for the close.

The fund → dial → claim → audit → pay flow

Five stages move money safely: fund escrow, humans dial the never-contacted list, reps claim with evidence, AI audits the claim, then Stripe Connect releases a passing payout.

1. Fund

   The brand commits a campaign budget to escrow. That commitment proves the money exists and defines the pool payouts draw from.

2. Dial

   Approved human reps call the brand’s never-contacted list. Every live brand call is placed by a person; AI handles only coaching and the later audit.

3. Claim

   A rep submits an outcome — a booked meeting or a qualified lead — with supporting evidence such as a calendar hold, notes, or transcript.

4. Audit

   An AI post-call audit checks the claim against the campaign’s outcome definition. Strong evidence passes; thin or unqualified claims do not.

5. Pay

   Passing claims release from escrow to the rep via Stripe Connect, minus the platform fee. Unreleased funds stay in the brand’s budget.

For the full campaign lifecycle from both sides, see how campaigns work. For the brand hiring path that sits on top of this flow, read hire cold callers.

What counts as a verified outcome

A booked meeting is a calendar hold with a qualified decision-maker plus notes or transcript that pass audit. A qualified lead must meet the campaign’s qualification bar with the same evidence standard.

MarketPounce pays for outcomes, not activity. A booked meeting that passes AI post-call audit typically includes a calendar hold with a qualified decision-maker, supported by notes or transcript. A qualified lead must meet the campaign’s qualification fields with the same evidence bar. Claims without enough evidence do not pay.

That rule protects both sides. Brands avoid junk meetings that never show or never qualify. Reps learn a clear standard: if you cannot prove the outcome, do not expect escrow to release. The marketplace stays honest because payout and proof stay linked.

Escrow without an evidence gate is just a prepaid wallet. The audit is what makes the wallet fair.

Who holds the risk at each stage

Before dialing, the brand has committed budget and the rep knows it is funded. After a claim, money moves only if audit passes; failed claims leave funds in the brand budget.

Escrow does not remove all risk — it assigns it clearly. Brands carry the commitment of funded budget; reps carry the burden of producing verifiable outcomes. Neither side is asked to trust an informal invoice after the fact.

How escrow connects to fees and payouts

Escrow decides when money can move; the platform fee decides the split. MarketPounce keeps 20% of SDR payouts with a $30 per-outcome cap and base-pay caps of $40/wk, $75/bi-weekly, and $150/mo.

Escrow is the money-safety layer; fees are how the platform is paid. MarketPounce takes a 20% platform fee on rep payouts, capped at $30 per outcome and $40/wk · $75/bi-weekly · $150/mo on base pay. Worked examples live in platform fees and payouts. Reps reading from the earning side should also see how reps get paid per meeting.

• Define the verifiable outcome before you fund escrow
• Size escrow to a realistic first cohort of sets
• Require brand certification before approving dialers
• Submit claims with calendar holds, notes, or transcripts
• Confirm Stripe Connect onboarding before expecting payouts
• Treat practice plans and lead credits as separate from escrow

Limitations and scope

Escrow covers campaign payouts only after evidence-based audit. Practice plans and lead credits bill separately. Stripe Connect onboarding is required before any release can land.

Brand-facing hiring context continues on hire cold callers and MarketPounce for brands. Recruiting UX for human SDRs also lives on the sister product Cold Call Reps when you are sourcing capacity off-platform.

Frequently asked questions