Once you have found the right expert and finalized the project details in chat, it’s time to make it official. Hiring on WpCircle involves “funding” the project, which moves it from the bidding phase into Active Development.
1. Initiating the Hire
To hire a professional, navigate to your Review Bids page and locate their proposal card.
- Action: Click the Pay Escrow & Hire button.
- The “One Project, One Pro” Rule: On WpCircle, each project is a dedicated 1-on-1 collaboration. You can only hire one professional per project. If you need multiple experts for different tasks, please post a separate project for each.
- Result: This action accepts the professional’s proposal and immediately creates your dedicated Project Workspace.
2. Navigating the Project Workspace
The Workspace is your command center. When you first enter, you will see a “Funding Required” notice. The professional is notified that you have accepted their bid, but work does not begin until the first payment is secured in Escrow.
3. Funding the Escrow
To move the project into the active stage, you must deposit funds into WpCircle’s secure Escrow system.
Milestone-Based Funding
If the project is broken down into phases:
- Locate the Milestones section in the right-hand sidebar.
- Sequential Funding: You can only fund one milestone at a time. Work follows a linear path: you fund the first milestone, the professional completes it, you approve it, and then you move on to fund the next one.
- Click the Fund Milestone button next to the current “Unfunded” phase.
Full Project Funding
If the project is a one-time payment (no milestones):
- The sidebar will show the total project amount.
- Click the Fund Project button to deposit the full amount into Escrow.
4. Critical Policies (Read Before Funding)
Before you click fund, please be aware of these permanent platform rules:
- Milestones are Locked: Once you fund a project or its first milestone, the structure (price, number of milestones, and descriptions) cannot be edited. Ensure you are 100% happy with the milestone breakdown in chat before you hire.
- No Cancellations After Funding: Once funds are deposited into Escrow and the project is active, cancellations are not permitted. The Escrow deposit serves as a guarantee of payment for the professional’s committed time.
- Finality of Choice: Because you can only hire one professional per project, ensuring technical alignment during the Interview phase is essential.
5. What Happens After Funding?
As soon as the milestone or project is funded:
- Project Status: Updates to “Active Development.”
- Professional Starts: The expert is notified that their payment is secured and they are safe to begin work immediately.
- Escrow Protection: Your money is held safely by WpCircle and will only be released to the professional once you review and approve the finished work.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my mind after I fund the first milestone? No. To maintain a fair and secure marketplace for our professionals, projects cannot be cancelled once they have been funded.
What if the professional doesn’t deliver? While you cannot cancel the project, your funds are protected by Escrow. If the work does not meet the agreed-upon scope, you can request revisions or, in extreme cases, utilize our Dispute Resolution process.
Why can’t I edit the milestones now? Milestones act as a legal contract between you and the professional. To protect both parties, the terms of the project are locked once the “contract” (the funding) begins.