Escrow, verification, payouts, disputes and fees — answered plainly. If you cannot find what you need, email hello@sponsarva.com.
Sponsarva is the verified UK sponsorship marketplace. Creators post sponsorship listings and verified UK brands bid competitively. Funds sit in Stripe escrow until delivery is confirmed — and a single transparent 15% commission is taken from the deal when it completes.
Pick "I'm a creator" or "I'm a brand" from the homepage and follow the registration flow. Creators verify their social accounts in one click (OAuth on each platform). Brands verify against UK Companies House. Most accounts are live in under 10 minutes.
Yes — Sponsarva is for people aged 18 and over. You confirm you are 18 or over when you create an account, and our payments partner (Stripe) requires account holders to be 18+ to receive payouts.
First check your spam folder — new senders sometimes land there. If it's genuinely not arrived after 5 minutes, request a resend from the login page or email hello@sponsarva.com and we'll manually verify your account.
Free to sign up either side. Creators keep 85% of every completed deal — Sponsarva takes a flat 15% commission. Brands optionally subscribe to paid tiers for advanced search and priority support; there's a generous free tier, plus a founders' free promo (all paid features free until 11 September 2026) if you join before public launch.
Creators connect their social accounts through Phyllo, our verification partner — Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, and LinkedIn are supported. Phyllo confirms ownership and pulls follower counts directly from each platform, so we never accept screenshots or self-reported numbers. Where the automatic connection can't complete, a Sponsarva admin checks the public profile by hand and the count is labelled "checked by hand" on the creator's profile. Brands are matched against UK Companies House records. Verification status is visible on every profile and listing.
Yes — 1,000 followers on at least one connected platform. Above the floor you're bucketed into one of four tiers — Nano (1K–10K), Micro (10K–100K), Mid-tier (100K–500K), Major (500K+) — so brands can filter for the audience size that matches their campaign. Nano creators with engaged niche communities often outperform much larger accounts, so we let brands decide rather than gating you out.
Creators globally, yes — Stripe Connect supports payouts to most countries. Brand verification is currently UK-only because we use Companies House. International brand verification is on the roadmap.
Rejections include a reason. Common ones: below the 1K follower floor, the connected social account name doesn't match what you entered, or a Companies House record that doesn't match the trading name you entered. You can re-apply once the issue is resolved.
Most Phyllo failures come from one of three things: the platform isn't supported in your region (TikTok varies by country), the social account is set to private, or the OAuth scope was declined. Try reconnecting with a public account and granting the requested permissions. If it still fails — or the permissions screen just spins, which happens on some phones — use "Having trouble connecting? Request manual verification" under the Connect button. Tell us the platform and your handle and we check the public profile by hand, usually within 2 working days.
Yes, if the automatic connection isn't working for you. Every place you can connect a platform — the setup wizard, your dashboard, and the publish screen — has a "Request manual verification" link. Give us the platform and your handle; we look at the public profile ourselves and, if it clears the 1,000-follower floor, mark you verified by hand. It's the same badge and the same rules, just checked by a person instead of an API. If you later connect that platform through Phyllo, the live count takes over automatically.
No. Going live takes three things: a verified email, one connected platform with 1,000+ followers, and a published listing. Stripe comes later — when a brand's bid on your listing is confirmed we ask you to connect it, because your share of the deal can only be paid to a connected Stripe account. Nothing about the deal waits for it: the brand funds escrow, you deliver, the review window runs. If a payout comes due and Stripe still isn't connected, we hold it and keep reminding you until it is. You can connect Stripe early from your dashboard if you'd rather get it out of the way.
For creators, Stripe periodically asks for additional ID, proof of address, or social-account ownership confirmation. Click the "Connect Stripe" button on your dashboard (or the prompt on the deal itself) — it takes you straight to the form Stripe needs you to complete. Until KYC clears, you can't receive payouts; any payout that comes due is held for you rather than lost. Brands are not affected by Stripe Connect restrictions — brand verification runs through Companies House, not Stripe.
No. Brand verification on Sponsarva runs through UK Companies House — you provide your company number and we look up the live record (active status, registered address, age >60 days). That's the entire identity check. We don't ask for beneficial owners, home addresses, or director ID documents because brands don't receive money via the platform — Sponsarva acts as the creator's authorised commercial agent for collecting your card payment, holds it in Stripe escrow until delivery, then pays the creator net of our 15% commission. Stripe Connect Express (which is what asks for that level of personal info) is only used for creators receiving payouts.
Once a deal is accepted, you have 48 hours to fund escrow. The funding page accepts UK and most international cards via Stripe — same flow as paying for a Substack subscription or any standard online checkout. The amount is held in Sponsarva's Stripe escrow until the creator delivers and the review window passes (or you confirm early). No card on file is required up front; you only enter card details at funding time.
We don't store passwords in a way that lets you change them directly — use "Forgot password" on the login page and we'll email a one-time reset link valid for 60 minutes. Two clicks, no settings page needed.
Yes — email hello@sponsarva.com from the address on the account. We'll close it within 5 working days. Active deals must be completed or formally cancelled first; once you're fully out of the marketplace we anonymise your records per our retention policy.
From your creator dashboard, tap "Post a listing". The editor walks you through opportunity type (Reel, video, carousel, podcast, etc.), deliverables, starting price, auction format, deadlines, and visibility. You can save drafts at any point and the autosave will recover unfinished work.
Auto — the highest bid at auction end wins automatically. Fast and competitive. Curated — you pick the winner from the final bidders, no obligation to pick the highest. Useful when fit matters more than price. Fixed-price — no auction; first qualifying brand to fund wins at the price you set.
Brands only (default) — visible to all verified brands but not to other creators. Best for filling open auction slots. Gated — brands see a teaser and must request access for the full brief; useful for stealth launches. Invite-only — only brands you specifically invite can see it; useful when you want to negotiate with a known partner.
Increments scale with deal size: under £500 the minimum increment is £25; £500–£2,000 it's £50; over £2,000 it's £100. This keeps the auction tight and prevents penny-bid wars.
Most fields stay editable until the first bid lands — you can adjust the brief, deliverables, deadline, and starting price. Once a brand bids, structural fields lock so the auction stays fair. You can always edit the brief description (clarifications) but not the price or deliverables.
Yes, while no bids exist or before any winning bid is funded. Once a brand has funded the escrow, you're in a deal — cancellation requires either the brand's agreement or formally raising a dispute.
Yes. When you post a listing, the contract section lets you pre-block brand industries you don't want to work with — gambling, alcohol, crypto, adult, payday loans, MLMs, weapons, vaping, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, and political campaigns are all on the list. Brands in those categories see a clear "this creator doesn't accept your category" message and can't place a bid in the first place.
You have a 12-hour creator grace window after the auction closes (or after you pick a winner in Curated format) before the brand can fund the escrow. During that window you can confirm the deal or decline with a reason — category fit, audience mismatch, ASA conflict, scheduling, past dispute, or other. If you decline, the auction re-opens — you can promote another bidder via repick, or relist the brief. If you do nothing within 12 hours, the deal auto-confirms and proceeds to funding — so brands aren't left waiting indefinitely.
It quietly closes and archives at the end date. You can duplicate the listing and re-post with adjustments — try a lower starting price, a longer auction window, or a wider visibility setting. Brands tell us starting price is the single biggest factor in whether they bid.
Yes — the editor has a "Collaborators" section. Add them by handle from your connections list, choose how the payout splits, and they'll get an invite to accept. Once accepted, they appear as co-creators on the public listing.
Post one listing per sponsor slot. If you want a single Reel to feature 3 sponsors, post 3 separate listings. Each runs its own auction, gets its own brand, and pays separately. On each listing, tick "This content will share screen time with other sponsors" and set the total count — bidders see a clear flag that they're bidding on shared content. Once all the related auctions close, you message each winning brand naming the other confirmed sponsors. Each brand has the normal 48-hour funding window to decide; if they don't want to share with the now-named partners, they let funding lapse and the auction re-opens — you can promote another bidder or relist that slot.
Open any listing and tap "Place bid". Enter your amount (must meet the minimum increment for the tier), confirm, and you're in. We'll email you if you're outbid. The auction closes at the listed end time — winning bids enter escrow funding immediately.
Your bid is exactly £200 — the amount you typed. Sponsarva uses explicit bidding, not eBay-style proxy bidding. There's no auto-bid system that quietly raises your bid to keep you in the lead; every bid is a public commitment at the amount you set. If you win, you fund the bid amount plus a card processing fee (1.5% + 20p), shown as its own line before you pay — so bid the amount you actually think the slot is worth, not your maximum.
You'll get an email and an in-app notification. Open the listing to see the new lead bid and place a higher one — minimum next bid is shown clearly. Auctions have a soft-close: any bid in the final 5 minutes extends the end time by another 5 minutes, so sniping (bidding at the last second) doesn't work — the auction simply keeps running until the dust settles.
If a bid is placed within the last 5 minutes of an auction, the end time pushes back by 5 minutes from that bid. The auction only closes once a full 5 minutes pass with no new bids. This stops last-second sniping and gives every bidder a fair chance to respond. The listing page shows the live end time, so you always know when the next deadline really is.
On a Curated listing, the creator picks the winner from the bid pool after the auction closes — they don't have to pick the highest bid. Useful when fit matters more than price; the creator might pick the third-highest brand because it's a better audience match. Bid as you would normally; you'll find out the result when the creator decides.
Yes, if the creator has "Accepts proposals" enabled on their profile. Open their profile and use "Send a proposal" — set your offer amount, attach a brief, and the creator can accept, decline, or counter. Proposals stay private between the two of you.
You have 48 hours to fund the escrow. Once funded, the creator is notified and starts work; on delivery + your confirmation, payment releases to them 14 days later. We email you at every step.
The slot lapses and the creator gets a notification — they can then promote another bidder or relist the brief. Either way, you can bid on other listings while you wait. There's no penalty for missing one funding window, but repeated misses may flag your account.
Every winning bid goes through a 12-hour creator grace window before the brand can fund the deal. The creator is reviewing the match — they have the right to decline if there's a category fit, ASA, or scheduling reason they can't go ahead. Most confirmations happen within a few hours; if 12 hours pass with no action the deal auto-confirms and you'll get the funding link. If they decline, the auction re-opens — they can promote another bidder or relist.
The creator has pre-blocked your brand's declared industry from bidding on this listing — usually for ASA, content-fit, or personal reasons. The block applies only to that listing, not to other creators on the platform. Other creators may welcome bids from your category. You can still browse and bid on listings that don't have your category blocked.
A listing is creator-led: the creator publishes a sponsorship slot and brands bid for it in an auction. A campaign is brand-led: the brand posts requirements and budget, and creators apply. Both routes settle through the same escrow flow. Use listings when you want a specific known creator; campaigns when you want creators to come to you.
From your brand dashboard, tap "Post a campaign". The editor asks for the brief, deliverables, budget hint (or hidden), and audience requirements. Once published, verified creators who match see it on their /campaigns page and can apply.
On your campaign's detail page you'll see all applications — sortable by follower count, audience overlap, or recency. Open each to see the creator's pitch, portfolio, rate, and platform metrics. Accept the ones you want to move forward with; declines are private and the creator only sees a decline reason if you write one.
Yes. Each accepted application becomes its own deal, with its own escrow funding step and delivery timeline. Useful for ambassador programs, multi-creator drops, and ongoing content programs.
When a deal is accepted, the brand funds the agreed amount into Stripe escrow — the money leaves their card but doesn't reach the creator yet. The creator delivers the work, marks it complete in the deal, and the brand confirms. Funds release to the creator's Stripe Connect account 14 days after confirmation. If anything goes wrong, the funds stay in escrow until the dispute resolves.
14 days after the brand confirms delivery. The window exists so brands can verify the work went live and stayed live; once it closes, payout is automatic to the creator's connected Stripe account. Your bank typically receives funds within 1-2 working days of release.
On the deal page, tap "Mark delivered" once the content is live. You can attach delivery proof — link to the post, screenshots, or analytics. The brand is notified and has 14 days to confirm. If they don't respond in time, the deal auto-confirms.
You'll get an email and in-app notification when the creator marks delivered. Open the deal, review the proof and the live content, then tap "Confirm" to start the 14-day payout countdown. If anything's wrong, raise a dispute instead — we'll investigate and the funds stay in escrow.
Yes. Funds sit in escrow until delivery is confirmed. If the work materially diverges from the brief, you can dispute within the 14-day review window and we'll withhold release while support investigates. Outcomes can be: full release to creator, full refund to brand, or split.
Only by mutual agreement or formal dispute. Once both sides have committed and money is in escrow, neither party can unilaterally walk away — that's the point of escrow. If circumstances change (illness, content shift), open a dispute with context and we'll find a fair resolution.
It's deducted from the creator's payout when a deal completes. Brands fund the bid (or accepted proposal) amount plus a card processing fee (1.5% + 20p), itemised at checkout — the commission itself never touches the brand side. Subscriptions are separate and don't change the commission rate.
After delivery confirmation: 14-day clearance window in Stripe escrow, then automatic release to your Connect account, then your bank receives funds 1-2 working days later. So roughly 16-17 days from confirmation to bank deposit.
Every brand who registers before public launch gets all paid features free until 11 September 2026 — the same end date for everyone, regardless of when you sign up. Sign up on day one and you get the full window free; sign up near the end and you get the remaining days. We'll email you 30 days before the window closes with a link to pick a tier. Subscribe during the window and you lock 40% off year one, no matter how many days are left.
You're responsible for declaring and paying tax on your earnings (creators) or expenses (brands) per UK rules. Sponsarva sends you a payment summary monthly. If you're VAT-registered, set your VAT details in account settings — invoices will reflect them. We're not your accountant; talk to one if you're unsure.
Open Billing (top-right menu) → Manage billing — that drops you into the Stripe Customer Portal where you can update your card. Most failures are expired cards, insufficient funds, or 3D Secure challenges that timed out. Once the card's updated, return to the listing and retry — the escrow funding step is restartable.
Every deal has its own thread between the creator and brand. You can also message connections (creator-to-creator) for collab discussions. All threads are participant-only — no admin or third party can read them. Messages are persistent and form part of the deal record if anything's disputed.
Yes — every thread is participant-only. Off-platform contact attempts (sharing emails, phone numbers, or external links) are auto-redacted to keep deals on Sponsarva and protect both sides if a dispute arises. Sponsarva staff can't read message bodies, only metadata.
Settings → Notifications. You can mute categories individually (bids, messages, marketing). Critical transactional emails (security, escrow funding, payout) are always sent — you can't fully opt out of those because they're required for the deal flow.
New sender domains often hit spam filters for the first few weeks. Mark a Sponsarva email as "Not spam" once and Gmail/Outlook learns. We're fully authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) so this should improve as our domain reputation builds.
Every connected social account is verified against the live platform — we never accept screenshots or self-reported numbers. The small number of creators we verify by hand (when the automatic connection fails for them) are checked against the public profile by a Sponsarva admin and labelled "checked by hand" on their profile. We also re-check follower counts periodically and flag accounts where the number drops sharply or where suspicious automation is detected.
Audience demographics (age ranges, gender split and top locations) and engagement bands are visible to brands you've sent or accepted proposals from, or to brands using advanced filters. Brands can also filter creator search by audience fit (for example mostly-UK or mostly-women audiences) and by the topic tags you select. Raw follower exports are never shared, and audience demographics are estimates from our verification partner rather than exact figures. See our Privacy policy for the full data flow.
Tags are topics you pick from a curated list (up to 8) when you set up your profile — like 'strength training', 'skincare' or 'gaming'. They show on your public profile and let brands find you in search. Unlike your follower count and audience data, tags are self-selected and aren't verified the way your follower data is — they describe your content focus, so pick ones that genuinely match what you make. You can change them anytime in Settings.
Yes. Search verified creators by location and radius — ideal for local businesses (cafes, gyms, salons, restaurants) who want creators whose followers can actually walk through the door. Set your postcode and a distance, and filter the verified pool to your area. See our For local business page for how it works.
Yes. As well as filtering by a creator's size and platform, you can filter by who their audience actually is — top locations, age ranges and gender split — so you reach your customer, not just a big follower number. Audience demographics are estimates pulled from the platforms, not self-reported.
Email hello@sponsarva.com with the deal ID or username. We take this seriously — every report is reviewed by a human within one working day. Outcomes range from a warning to permanent account suspension depending on severity. Both sides of the marketplace have access to the same protections.
Use the "Report" button on the listing or campaign page (top-right menu), or email hello@sponsarva.com with the link. Common reasons we act on: misleading audience claims, prohibited content, attempts to take the deal off-platform, or impersonation of another brand.
By default, the creator. Listings can grant time-bound usage rights to the brand — typically 30/90/180 days for paid amplification — encoded as part of the contract terms. The accepted bid creates the binding agreement.
Yes — accepting a bid (or a proposal) creates a binding agreement under UK law on the terms in the listing. The platform's Terms of Service govern the marketplace itself; the listing terms govern the deal between creator and brand.
Listings include disclosure expectations (#ad, #sponsored, ASA-compliant tagging). The creator is responsible for executing the disclosure on the platform where the deliverable runs — but we surface the requirement at every step so it can't be missed.
Per UK GDPR. We process data only as needed to operate the marketplace (verification, deal management, payouts), never sell it, and retain it per the timetable in our Privacy policy. You can request a data export or deletion any time at hello@sponsarva.com.
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