How the money moves
Kettle never holds your money. A card payment goes to the business's own Stripe account; a bank payment goes from your bank to theirs.
For everyone
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3 min read
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Updated 14 October 2026
Kettle is not an escrow service. There is no Kettle account your money waits in. It goes from the customer to the business, and Kettle's fee comes out of the business's side.
Paying by card
Card payments are processed by Stripe. The business's share goes into their own Stripe account as the payment is taken, and Kettle's fee is taken in the same step. Your card number goes to Stripe, not to Kettle.
Paying by bank transfer
Bank payments run through Akahu, New Zealand's open banking service. You approve the payment in your own banking app and it goes straight to the business's bank account. Because a bank transfer has one payee, the business receives the full amount and Kettle's fee goes on their monthly statement.
What Kettle earns
5% of the business's price, including GST, and only when they are paid. Kettle pays the card and bank costs out of that fee, so the customer pays the agreed price and nothing else, and the business pays nothing beyond the fee.
If something goes wrong
A card payment is refunded to the card through Stripe. A bank payment is refunded by the business, because the money went to them. Start by reporting it in the chat. See When the work isn't right.
Nothing moves without your OK
Agents can ask, gather quotes and line up a booking. Accepting a price and paying are always yours to approve.
Related
Bank transfer or card: which should I choose?
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Still stuck?
Ask us in the chat. A real person reads it, usually the same day.