Payments, Reviews & Platform Rules

• Free during our pilot phase

  Our Futures Trading is currently free to use, with no platform administration or listing fees. As the platform grows, we may introduce modest fees for certain services, including funded transactions and opportunity listings or renewals. Any fees will be clearly explained before they apply. Users will receive advance notice and can choose whether to continue using the relevant services. If you would like to help support the platform during the pilot phase, you can make an entirely optional contribution. This does not affect the approval, visibility or treatment of your listing.

• Payments are processed through Stripe

  Open Opportunities are not funded through Our Futures Trading. People apply or enquire directly with the Provider. All Funder contributions are processed securely through Stripe. A Funder pays Longer Table Limited, which operates Our Futures Trading, to support a specific funded opportunity or funding scope. Once a milestone is met, Longer Table Limited makes the payment it owes the Provider under the platform arrangement: the first payment at start, the final payment at completion. In New Zealand these payments are processed through Stripe Connect. International Provider payouts are being prepared and are not yet available. We do not store payment card details on our servers.

• Payment protection — no money moves at claim stage

  When a Trusted Partner claims a funded opportunity, no payment is released. The first 50% is released only once the opportunity has started and BOTH the Provider and Trusted Partner have confirmed it. The remaining 50% is released only once the opportunity has been delivered and both confirm it. Disputed milestones pause payment pending review. Provider-contributed value is not paid back to the Provider.

• Claims and delivery — direct arrangement

  Trusted Partners match funded opportunities with people they support. Providers deliver opportunities. Once a claim is confirmed by the Provider, contact details are shared with both sides so they can arrange delivery directly. Our Futures Trading does not select recipients.

• Clarification, escalation and disputes

  Providers can ask the Trusted Partner for clarification before confirming. Providers can ask the Trusted Partner for clarification before declining a claim. Either party can report a problem or request Our Futures Trading review. Our Futures Trading may intervene where there is a dispute, fraud, suspicious behaviour, complaints, no contact, no progress, a safeguarding concern, or other manual review needed. Our Futures Trading has authority to pause payments, confirm milestones, cancel claims, and resolve disputes. Our Futures Trading may pause payments or require Admin review where delivery, completion, refunds, cancellations, withdrawals or payment disputes cannot be resolved through the normal process.

• Expiry, refunds and reallocation

  A Provider may set an expiry date or leave an opportunity open until funded.

  If an opportunity expires with unused, uncommitted funding attached, the Funder has 14 days to choose a refund or reallocation to another eligible opportunity in the same currency.

  Our Futures Trading does not reallocate unused funding attributable to a Funder’s contribution to another opportunity without that Funder choosing to do so.

  If no choice is made within 14 days, the unused amount is refunded automatically.

  Funders may also request an earlier refund of genuinely unused, uncommitted funding.

  If only part of an amount is needed for a chosen reallocation, that amount is reallocated and the remainder is refunded.

• Cancellation and withdrawal

  Before delivery starts, a Provider may cancel an opportunity and a Trusted Partner may withdraw from a claim, subject to the platform rules. Unstarted claims may be released and unused funding handled appropriately.

  Once delivery has started or a payout has been released, cancellation or withdrawal may require Admin review.

• Consent, privacy and photography

  Privacy-first by default. An anonymous outcome / impact note is the minimum required at completion. Anonymous quotes, photos and identifying stories may only be shared where the Trusted Partner confirms the recipient has given written consent. Trusted Partners are responsible for obtaining and retaining that consent. For more detail on personal information, consent and public impact reporting, see our Privacy Policy.

• Reviews must be honest

  Reviews must be based on genuine experience. Reviews that are false, abusive or coordinated may be removed. Verification is not endorsement.

• Suspension for misuse

  Accounts may be suspended where there is fraud, abuse, unsafe activity, repeated breaches of these rules, or risk to recipients or the network.

The content of this page will evolve during the pilot phase. For questions, contact hello@ourfuturestrading.com.