Payments & Refunds
Last updated 28 September 2026
How money moves on WorkAm: escrow, fees, milestone releases, withdrawals, gig points, and refunds.
1. Your wallet
Every account has a WorkAm wallet in Nigerian Naira (₦). Freelancers receive milestone payments into their wallet and can withdraw to a Nigerian bank account. Employers pay contracts by card or bank transfer. Your wallet is not a bank account and does not earn interest.
2. Escrow
When an employer accepts an application, they pay the contract amount into escrow. The money is held by WorkAm and cannot be spent by either side while the contract runs. It is released milestone by milestone as work is approved.
3. Milestone approval and release
- The freelancer submits each milestone with its deliverables in the workroom.
- The employer has 7 days to approve it or request a revision.
- If the employer does neither within 7 days, the milestone is approved automatically and paid.
- Once approved, the milestone amount, minus the platform fee, is added to the freelancer's wallet.
4. Fees
| Fee | Amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 10% of each contract amount | Deducted from the freelancer's earnings |
| Processing fee | 1.5% of the amount paid by card or bank transfer | Paid by the customer, on top of the contract or points pack |
| Paying a contract from your wallet | No extra processing fee | — |
| Withdrawal fee | The Bachs transfer fee. For an NGN bank transfer this is a flat ₦50, confirmed from Bachs before the transfer is sent | Deducted from the amount withdrawn. Workam does not add its own withdrawal fee |
We will tell you in advance if our fees change. Changes never apply to contracts that have already started.
5. Withdrawals
- You can withdraw between ₦1,000 and ₦1,000,000 per request, to a Nigerian bank account in your own name.
- You need a verified email address, and you can have one withdrawal in progress at a time.
- Bachs charges the transfer fee, and it is deducted from the amount you withdraw. Workam does not keep a withdrawal fee. Withdrawing ₦1,200 when the Bachs fee is ₦50 sends ₦1,150 to your bank. If the transfer fails, the full amount, including the fee, goes back to your wallet.
- Check your bank details carefully. We cannot recover money sent to an account number you entered incorrectly once the bank has accepted the transfer.
6. Gig points
Freelancers use gig points to apply for jobs. You receive a free monthly allowance and can buy extra point packs. Points have no cash value, cannot be withdrawn or transferred, and purchased points are non-refundable. If you withdraw an application before it is accepted, the points you spent on it are returned.
7. Refunds
- Unused wallet balance: employers can withdraw unused funds that are not in escrow, like any other withdrawal.
- Contracts that end early: if a contract ends before a milestone is delivered, open a dispute or contact us and the escrowed funds for undelivered milestones are returned to the employer's wallet.
- Disputed work: if a milestone is disputed, the funds stay in escrow until our team decides. We may release them to the freelancer, return them to the employer, or split them, based on the workroom record.
- Approved milestones: once a milestone is approved or auto-approved and paid, it cannot be reversed except through a dispute raised before approval or in cases of fraud.
- Duplicate or failed payments: if you were charged but your wallet was not credited, contact us with the payment reference and we will credit the wallet or refund to your card.
8. Fraud and chargebacks
We may hold, reverse, or refuse transactions we reasonably believe are fraudulent, and suspend the accounts involved. Filing a card chargeback for a payment that was properly delivered may lead to your account being suspended while we investigate.
9. Getting help
For any payment question, email support@workam.com with the transaction or withdrawal reference shown in your wallet.