Mist Network
Peer-to-Peer Escrow: How to Pay Someone Safely, Step by Step
Met someone on a forum, on Telegram or through work and want to trade safely? Set up an escrow deal on your own terms. Here is the full flow, step by step.
Peer-to-peer escrow is the most practical way for two people to pay each other safely. One side creates a deal with their own terms and sends an invite link, the other accepts, the buyer funds a neutral vault, the seller delivers, and the money is released when the buyer approves. If something goes wrong, the funds freeze and a decision is made from the records.
Marketplace listings don't cover every need. Sometimes the deal is already agreed: a designer you met on a forum, a contact from work, a seller from a community. The challenge then isn't finding the product but paying safely. That's exactly what mistDEAL's peer-to-peer deals are for.
What is peer-to-peer escrow?
Peer-to-peer escrow is an escrow service for deals two users arrange between themselves, independent of the marketplace listings. The parties define the product or service, the terms and the price; mistDEAL holds the money, keeps the records and rules on disputes.
In this model mistDEAL is strictly an intermediary. The subject of the deal, its terms and its legality are the parties' responsibility; mistDEAL doesn't pre-screen deal content and doesn't guarantee what the parties promise each other. The one hard limit: nothing on the prohibited items list can be the subject of a deal. The full terms are on the peer-to-peer escrow terms page.
What is it used for?
- Freelance work: logos, websites, development, translation, editing. See our guide to secure payment for freelancers.
- Website or domain sales: the seller transfers, and the buyer approves once the domain or site is in their own account.
- Channel or community transfers: ownership is moved using the platform's own official tools, then the buyer checks and approves.
- Custom digital content: templates, presentations, training materials made to order.
- Legitimate digital goods agreed outside the listings: something you discussed in a community that isn't listed.
Step by step: creating an escrow deal
- Open "Create a deal" — on the create a deal page, choose your role: "I'm the buyer" (I'll pay) or "I'm the seller" (I'll deliver the product or service).
- Write the title and terms — keep the title short and clear (e.g. "Custom logo package"). In the terms, list deliverables, formats, timelines and acceptance criteria.
- Set the amount and approval period — the amount is in USD. The approval period (in hours) is how long the buyer has to check the delivery.
- Choose who pays the fee — buyer, seller or half each. The service fee is a percentage of the deal amount and is only charged if the deal completes successfully.
- Optional: add the other party's username — it's only a hint, to help you remember who the link is for.
- Accept the terms and create — you'll get a unique invite link for the deal.
What the other side sees and does
Whoever opens the invite link sees the deal title, amount, their role, the approval period and the terms. If they accept, the flow is: the buyer funds the mistDEAL vault, the seller delivers, and the money moves to the seller when the buyer approves. They need to log in to accept, and can sign up free if they don't have an account.
Both sides should read the terms carefully before accepting, because they're the first thing the team looks at in a dispute. The creator can cancel the deal before the other side accepts.
Payment, delivery and approval
Once the deal is accepted, it moves to payment:
- Buyer: funds the vault with crypto (USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, LTC, TRX, BNB) or site balance. The deal page shows clearly what the buyer pays, including any fee, and the net amount the seller receives.
- Seller: is notified once funds are in escrow and delivers what was agreed. When done, they click "I've delivered" and can add notes or details in the deal chat.
- Buyer: checks the delivery. If the work is complete they click "I approve" and the amount, minus fees, moves to the seller's balance.
If something goes wrong: disputes
After the seller clicks "I've delivered", a buyer whose delivery doesn't match the terms can open a dispute instead of approving. The funds freeze immediately; the mistDEAL team reviews the terms, the chat and the records and decides on one of three outcomes: full refund to the buyer, payment to the seller or a partial refund. The decision and its reasoning are shown to both sides. See how the dispute process works for preparing evidence.
mistDEAL's liability for any deal is always capped at the amount held in escrow for it. And most importantly, if the parties move the deal off mistDEAL, no protection applies.
Listings or a peer-to-peer deal?
| Feature | Listing purchase | Peer-to-peer deal |
|---|---|---|
| Who defines the product? | The seller's listing | The terms the parties write |
| Seller application | Required | Not required; both sides need an account |
| Who pays the fee? | Deducted from seller revenue | Buyer, seller or half each |
| Inspection time | The category's protection window | The approval period the parties set |
| Delivery | Instant or manual | Between the parties, flagged with "I've delivered" |
| Disputes | Funds freeze, the team decides | Funds freeze, the team decides |
If the product is already listed, buy through the listing; if you've agreed the work between yourselves, a peer-to-peer deal fits better. Either way, the money goes to the vault, not the seller, until approval. Our escrow vs direct payment comparison explains why that matters.
How to write good deal terms
The terms are the most important document in any dispute. A short but complete template:
- Deliverables: "3 logo concepts, 2 revision rounds on the chosen concept, SVG and PNG files."
- Acceptance: "The work is complete when files are delivered in the stated formats and resolution."
- Timeline: "Delivery within 5 days of funds entering escrow."
- Out of scope: "Business cards and social media graphics are not included."
- Rights: "Usage rights pass to the buyer when payment is released to the seller."
Common mistakes on peer-to-peer deals
- One-line terms: "Logo design, $100" says nothing about what should be delivered. Always itemise deliverables and acceptance criteria.
- A too-short approval period: give the buyer time to actually test the delivery. A rushed approval leaves later problems unresolved.
- Posting the invite link publicly: send it directly to the person you agreed with. Filling in the "other party" hint makes it easier to spot if the wrong person accepts.
- Delivering before the vault is funded: as a seller, don't start until the deal page shows the payment in escrow. A screenshot from the other side isn't proof of payment.
- Discussing changes outside the deal chat: revisions, interim approvals and delivery notes that aren't in the chat won't be seen in a dispute.
Keep your account secure too
Escrow protects the money, but your account security is up to you. Turn on two-factor authentication under My account › Security and use a password you don't use anywhere else. Seller withdrawals already require your password and a 2FA code. Never share logins, 2FA codes or wallet recovery phrases; the mistDEAL team will never ask for them. If something goes wrong, reach live support on the site or @mistnetwork on Telegram with your deal code.
