Here's exactly what happens from the moment a deal is agreed to the moment funds are released — no hidden stages.
You and the seller agree on price, deliverables, and what "complete" means. This becomes the terms NEFIMS holds funds against.
You send payment into a NEFIMS-held account. The seller is notified funds are secured — but can't access them yet.
The seller delivers the work, item, or asset. You have an inspection period to confirm it matches the agreement.
You approve, and funds release to the seller. If there's a problem, you open a dispute instead — funds stay held.
Typical timeline: funding clears within 1–2 business days; release is instant once approved.
You never ship, deliver, or start work on a promise. You confirm the funds are already sitting in escrow first.
Review and accept the same terms the buyer agreed to.
You'll see a "Funds Secured" status before doing any work.
Ship the item, hand over the asset, or complete the work as agreed.
Once the buyer approves — or the inspection window closes without a dispute — funds release to you automatically.
If you run a marketplace, brokerage, or platform that needs escrow built into your own checkout flow, NEFIMS offers programmatic access to create, fund, and release escrow accounts directly from your product.
Talk to us about API access →Funds stay held. Either party can open a dispute, which routes the case to NEFIMS' mediation process — funds are never released to one side unilaterally while a dispute is open.
Standard bank transfers typically clear within 1–2 business days. Card-funded escrows can clear faster, subject to verification.
Yes. An agreement can be cancelled by either party any time before funds are deposited, with no fee.
Only the buyer, the seller, and (if applicable) an invited third party like an agent or attorney. NEFIMS staff can access records only for support or compliance purposes.