Money for calls goes straight from your client to you, through Stripe. It doesn't pass through your Sociala balance, which is why it behaves differently from the rest of your earnings here.
Without Stripe there is no paid call
This is stronger than it sounds. Until Stripe is connected:
You see Connect Stripe to enable call on the call's card, where the booking button would be.
Visitors don't see the call at all. Your widget shows them only your free calls.
The settings screen says it plainly: Link Stripe so this consultation is visible to clients. So connect Stripe before you share the link, not after — otherwise people arrive at a page that's missing the thing you sent them for.
Free calls work without Stripe, and you can build and share the widget without it.
What happens to your client's money
At booking — for a call more than four days away, we check the card works; nothing is charged. For a call four days away or less, the amount is held on the card right away, and the booking is confirmed only once that works.
Four days before the meeting — the amount is held on the card. If the meeting is less than four days away, that happens right after booking.
After the meeting — the money is usually charged then, according to how the meeting went (see Cancelling a Meeting). We may also capture the held amount before the hold expires, and return whatever is due.
About three calendar days after the meeting ends — your share is transferred to your connected Stripe account. That's an estimate, not a guarantee of when it will reach your bank.
If the hold fails, we email your client and try again daily. If it still hasn't worked 24 hours before the meeting, the booking is cancelled, the slot reopens and you're both told.
What you're charged
Fees are calculated on the amount actually charged — if a late cancellation means half the price is kept, they're worked out on that half — not one after another.
Sociala's platform fee — 5%, where it applies.
Payment processing fee — 5.9% + $0.30 where it applies. It can differ by payment method, country and provider.
Referral fee — the standard 25% referral fee doesn't apply to calls booked directly through your widget or a call page created by Sociala.
Donations on a call
Each call has a Donations switch in its Pricing & duration settings, off by default. Turn it on and your client is offered the chance to leave you something extra after the call.
Donations don't work like the call payment: they go through your Sociala balance in the normal way, with the usual fees. See How the Donation Feature Works.
What you'll see in your wallet
About three days after each meeting, a Transfer entry appears for the full price, with Sociala's fees in its details. It's a record of money moving to you directly — it doesn't change your Sociala balance.
Your client sees two entries instead: Held when the money is reserved, and Released when it's charged or returned.
If a client disputes a payment
Disputes go through Stripe, who hold the money, and a client is free to use their bank or payment provider. We'll point you to the right place and stay reachable, but we're not a party to it. A refund or a reversed payment can reduce what's paid out to you. Questions about a charge for a call can also be sent to us at [email protected].
Need help? Contact support at [email protected]