Payment Structure & 6-Hour Deposit Window
All payments are made securely via Stripe — directly to Stagely, not to the talent. Stagely holds funds in escrow and transfers the talent's share after the event is completed. This protects both parties.
- 1. Talent accepts the booking request (within 12 hours)
- 2. Venue receives a Stripe payment link and must complete full payment within 6 hours — bookings without payment within this window are automatically cancelled
- 3. Payment is held securely by Stagely until the event is completed
- 4. Stagely transfers the talent's full quoted rate after the event is marked completed — Stagely's 15% service fee is charged to the venue on top of the talent's price
Cancellation Rules
Outcomes depend on who cancels and how many days before the event.
If the Venue Cancels
| When Cancelled | Venue Refund | Talent Kill Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 7+ days before event | 100% refund | None |
| 2–7 days before event | 50% refund | 25% kill fee |
| Less than 48 hours | 25% refund | 50% kill fee |
If the Talent Cancels
| When Cancelled | Venue Refund | Talent Receives |
|---|---|---|
| 7+ days before event | 100% refund | Nothing |
| 2–7 days before event | 75% refund | 25% kill fee |
| Less than 48 hours | 50% refund | 50% kill fee |
Kill fee is paid from the held deposit. Stagely retains its platform commission from the remaining balance.
No-Shows
If the talent fails to appear without prior notice, the venue receives a full refund of all amounts paid. The talent forfeits any entitlement and may be suspended from the platform.
Since all payments go to Stagely in advance, this scenario is prevented by design. If a venue fails to pay the remaining 50% balance, the booking will not be marked as completed and Stagely will contact the venue directly. Repeat offenders are removed from the platform.
How Refunds Are Processed
- Either party cancels via their dashboard — the reason is logged and timestamped
- Stagely calculates the applicable refund and kill fee automatically based on this policy
- Stagely contacts both parties within 2 business days to confirm amounts
- Refunds are transferred to the venue's registered bank account within 5–7 business days
- Kill fees are transferred to the talent's registered bank account within 3–5 business days of cancellation confirmation
Stagely platform commission (15%) is non-refundable in all cases once a booking has been confirmed and the deposit received. Refunds are processed to the bank account registered in your Stagely profile — ensure your bank details are up to date in your settings.
Disputes
If either party disputes a cancellation outcome, they must contact Stagely within 48 hours of the cancellation notification. Stagely's decision is final.
Contact Stagely SupportForce Majeure
In cases of verifiable force majeure events (natural disasters, government-mandated event bans, serious medical emergencies with documentation), Stagely may at its discretion issue a full refund to the venue and a partial kill fee to the talent, regardless of the standard policy above. Each case is reviewed individually.
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