3 min read
Updated 2 November 2026
For guestsWhen you pay for a trip, your money does not go straight to the operator. It is paid to the operator only after your trip, not when you pay.
How it works
- You pay at checkout. For private jets, see Paying for a private jet charter.
- Payments are processed by Flutterwave, a licensed payment provider. Pickup collects your payment as the operator's limited payment collection agent.
- The money stays in Pickup's balance with Flutterwave until it is paid to the operator by transfer or refunded.
- Your trip starts on its own at the booked time (for a private jet, at wheels up).
- The operator is paid 1 hour after your trip ends, if you have not reported a problem.
When the operator is paid
| Trip | When the operator is paid |
|---|---|
| Chauffeur driven cars | 1 hour after your trip ends |
| Boats and yachts | 1 hour after your trip ends |
| Private jets | 1 hour after landing, and nothing for a flight that never left |
| Bookings of 7 days or more | Weekly: each completed 7 days 1 hour after those 7 days end, and the rest 1 hour after the trip ends |
| Flagged bookings | Up to 72 hours after the trip |
None of your payment goes to the operator before the trip.
Before you get in
Check that the chauffeur, car and plate match your booking. On a boat or a jet, check the vessel or aircraft and that the crew are expecting you. If anything does not match, do not travel and report a problem in the app.
Why it matters
- If an operator cancels or does not turn up, you get a refund under the Cancellation and Refund Policy.
- If a booking request is declined or not answered in time, you get a full refund.
- If you cancel, any refund under the Cancellation and Refund Policy comes from your payment. Nothing has been paid to the operator before the trip.
- If you do not turn up, the operator is paid under the same policy after the waiting time shown on the booking.
If something goes wrong
Report a problem in the app as soon as you can. Open the trip in Trips or go to Profile > Help. If you report within 1 hour of the trip ending, the payment stays on hold while it is looked at. An open case holds the whole payout for that booking until it is decided. You can still report a problem within 72 hours of the trip ending. If a refund is due after the operator has been paid, you still get it, and Pickup recovers it from the operator's future payouts. See How to raise a dispute.
Payments outside the app
All of this applies only to trips paid through Pickup. Pickup cannot refund cash or transfers made directly to an operator or chauffeur.
