Payment Protection

Equimeta Payment Protection is built on Stripe — one of the world's most trusted payment infrastructure providers. When a transaction happens on our platform, funds are securely held and only released when both parties have confirmed the deal is complete. Neither the buyer's money nor the seller's payout is ever at risk of disappearing.

1. How It Works

Every transaction on Equimeta follows a protected payment flow designed to give both sides confidence at every stage:

• Agreement: The buyer submits an offer and both parties agree on a price, inspection contingencies, and delivery terms.
• Payment hold: The buyer completes checkout through Stripe. The funds are collected and held — the seller cannot access them yet.
• Inspection window: The seller arranges transport or allows the buyer to take possession. The buyer has an agreed window to inspect the horse and raise any issues.
• Release: Once the buyer confirms receipt and is satisfied, Equimeta releases the funds to the seller's connected bank account via Stripe. The seller typically receives the payout within 2–3 business days.

2. Buyer Protection

As a buyer, your money is never sent directly to the seller. It is collected by Stripe and held until you confirm you have received the horse in the agreed-upon condition.

• If a Pre-Purchase Exam (PPE) contingency is included in the deal and the horse fails the PPE criteria, you can cancel the transaction and receive a refund (minus any non-refundable processing costs).
• If the seller fails to deliver or the horse is materially misrepresented, you can open a dispute before confirming receipt. Equimeta will review the case and work with you toward a resolution.
• Seller contact details are not released until payment is confirmed, protecting you from off-platform fraud.

3. Seller Protection

As a seller, you can list and negotiate with confidence knowing that buyer payment is verified and secured before you hand over the horse.

• Once a buyer completes checkout, Equimeta confirms that funds are held and notifies you to proceed with the transaction.
• You are never asked to ship or transfer a horse before payment has cleared.
• Payouts are sent to your verified bank account via Stripe Connect — the same infrastructure used by Lyft, Shopify, and thousands of other platforms.
• Equimeta deducts the applicable platform fee from the payout before transfer. The exact amount is shown to you before any deal is finalized.

4. Dispute Resolution

If a disagreement arises — over the horse's condition, misrepresentation in the listing, or delivery — either party can open a dispute before funds are released.

Once a dispute is opened, funds remain held and Equimeta's support team will review the case using listing records, the agreed deal terms, and any communication or evidence submitted by both parties. We aim to respond to all disputes within 2 business days.

For complex disputes that cannot be resolved through our review process, we may refer parties to binding arbitration as outlined in our Terms of Service.

5. Fees

A 3% fee is added to the buyer's checkout total and a 3% fee is deducted from the seller's payout — split symmetrically so neither side bears the full cost. These fees cover payment processing, the payment hold infrastructure, identity verification, and dispute support. All fees are clearly displayed before any deal is confirmed.

All transactions are processed in United States Dollars (USD). Equimeta supports cross-border transactions between the United States and Canada. If your bank account is denominated in a different currency, your bank or payment provider may apply currency conversion fees. These fees are outside Equimeta's control.

6. Identity Verification

Sellers are required to connect a verified bank account through Stripe before receiving payouts. Stripe's onboarding process collects and verifies the identity information required by financial regulations. Equimeta does not store your bank account details directly — all sensitive payment data is handled by Stripe.

7. Contact Support

For questions about a pending transaction, an active dispute, or a payout, contact our support team at support@equimeta.co.