When a deal goes wrong.

The money stays with us until the work is approved, so most problems can be fixed before anyone is out of pocket. Here's what to do, and how fast we'll help.

Not paid for a deal you did outside HotInfluencer? Read what to do when a brand didn't pay.

Email support@hotinfluencer.com

We aim to reply within one business day. Include the deal name, and send it from the email address on the deal so we can help straight away.

If you're a creator

The brand hasn't responded since I delivered

You don't need to chase them. When the review period in your deal ends with no response, the work is approved automatically and your payment is released. We remind the brand before that happens.

The brand keeps asking for changes

They can only ask for as many rounds of changes as your deal includes, and each request has to fit what you agreed. Once they're used up, the brand can approve or open a dispute, not ask again. Requests that go beyond the deal terms aren't grounds for a refund.

I can't deliver by the due date

Message the brand on the deal as early as you can. They can give you more time from their deal page. If the deal can't go ahead, you can cancel it and refund the brand from your deal page at any time before the work is approved.

The brand asked to cancel because I was late

You have 2 days to either deliver the work, which ends the request, or object if you agreed a new date with the brand, which opens a dispute. If you do neither, the deal is cancelled and the brand is refunded.

My payment hasn't arrived

Check the deal page first: it shows when the payment is released and why it might be waiting. On a new account's first deals we may hold it for up to 7 days after the brand paid. Payouts also need your Stripe setup to be finished. Once released, Stripe pays it to your bank on your Stripe payout schedule.

I want to open a dispute

Use "Open a dispute" on your deal page while the payment is held. Both of you then give your side and links to evidence on the deal page, and we decide.

The brand's bank is disputing the payment (a chargeback)

The deal is frozen until the bank decides: no money moves. We contest it for you with the deal record: the terms the brand accepted, the work you delivered, their approval and the messages. You don't need to do anything unless we ask.

If you're a brand

The creator hasn't delivered by the due date

From the deal page you can give them more time, or ask to cancel. When you ask to cancel, the creator has 2 days to deliver or object. If they do neither, the deal is cancelled and you're refunded automatically.

The work doesn't match what we agreed

Ask for changes from the deal page, and say what needs to change. Your deal includes a set number of rounds. If it still doesn't match the deal terms, use "Report a problem" before you approve: the payment is paused, both of you give your side on the deal page, and we decide.

A post was deleted or made private too early

Report it from the deal page before you approve. We also check that posts are still public before we release a payment, and hold the release if one has gone.

I paid by bank transfer and the deal hasn't started

Transfers usually arrive in 1 to 3 business days, and the deal starts once the full amount is in. If too little arrives, the deal waits for the rest. If the full amount still hasn't arrived after 10 days, the transfer is cancelled and anything received is returned to you.

Can I get a refund?

While we still hold the payment, yes: if the creator cancels, if a late-delivery cancellation goes through, or if a dispute is decided in your favour. You get the refunded amount back minus the matching share of Stripe's processing fee. Card refunds take 5 to 10 business days. Once a payment is released it can't be refunded through us.

Should I ask my bank for a chargeback?

Please don't: report a problem on the deal instead, while we still hold the money. A chargeback freezes the deal for weeks, and our terms ask you to use the dispute process first.

I've lost the link to my deal

Our emails about an active deal each include a fresh link to it. Search your inbox for HotInfluencer, or ask the creator to send you a new link.

How disputes are decided

  1. 01

    The deal is paused

    No money moves, and the review period stops.

  2. 02

    Both sides tell us what happened

    We ask each side for their account and any evidence. Each has 5 business days to reply.

  3. 03

    We review the record

    The deal terms both sides accepted, what was delivered, the messages on the deal, and the evidence you send.

  4. 04

    We decide

    Within 10 business days of both replies, aiming for sooner. We release the payment, refund it, split it, or let the deal continue with a new due date, and tell both sides why.

We decide on what the deal terms say was agreed and what was delivered, not on creative taste. The more specific the brief, the easier this is. Try the deal's message thread first: most problems are a misunderstanding a short message fixes, and it becomes part of the record if you can't agree.

The full rules are in the Dispute Policy and the Payment Protection Policy.

Staying safe

  • We'll never ask for your password, a security code, or your bank details, by email, phone or message.
  • Keep payments on HotInfluencer. If someone asks you to pay or be paid another way, that deal isn't protected. Tell us.
  • Only enter security codes on hotinfluencer.com.

Your account and data

  • Creators can change their name, download all their data or delete their account under Account, once signed in.
  • Brands, email privacy@hotinfluencer.com from the address on your deals to get a copy of your data or have it deleted.
  • Records of paid deals are kept as the law requires, even after an account is deleted. Our Privacy Policy explains.