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Agent Fee Types

Agents can charge two types of fees:

Assignment Fee

Charged when the agent is assigned to an escrow at creation.

Dispute Fee

Charged only if the agent resolves a dispute.

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Assignment Fee

Some agents charge an upfront fee when selected for an escrow:
  • When charged: At escrow creation
  • Paid by: Buyer (on top of escrow amount + protocol fee)
  • Typical range: 0-2%
  • Purpose: Reserves the agent’s capacity
Many agents charge 0% assignment fee. Check before selecting!

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Dispute Fee

When an agent resolves a dispute, they earn a dispute fee:
  • When charged: Only when agentResolve() is called
  • Deducted from: The escrow funds (before split)
  • Typical range: 1-10%
  • Capped at: 10% maximum (enforced by DAO)

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How Dispute Fees Work

Escrow Amount: $1,000
Agent Dispute Fee: 5%

Agent Decides: 60% buyer / 40% seller

Calculation:
1. Agent fee: $1,000 × 5% = $50
2. Remaining: $1,000 - $50 = $950
3. Buyer: $950 × 60% = $570
4. Seller: $950 × 40% = $380

Distribution:
- Agent: $50
- Buyer: $570
- Seller: $380
- Total: $1,000 ✓

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No Agent Fee If…

If the buyer releases funds without a dispute, no agent fee is charged.
Seller-initiated refunds don’t involve the agent.
If parties agree on a split without agent intervention, no fee is charged.
If the agent doesn’t respond within 7 days and you claim timeout, no fee is charged.

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Fee Bounds

The DAO sets minimum and maximum fee limits:
ParameterValuePurpose
Min Fee0.1% (10 bps)Prevents “free” agents with no skin in the game
Max Fee10% (1000 bps)Protects users from excessive charges
Agents must set their fees within these bounds when registering.

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Choosing an Agent by Fees

When selecting an agent, consider:

Low Fees

Pros: Cheaper disputesCons: May indicate less experience

Higher Fees

Pros: May signal quality/expertiseCons: More expensive if disputes occur
The best strategy: choose based on reputation first, fees second. A skilled agent at 5% beats an inexperienced one at 1%.

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Viewing Agent Fees

When creating an escrow, you can see each agent’s fees:
  1. Click on an agent’s profile
  2. View their Assignment Fee and Dispute Fee
  3. Consider their reputation alongside fees
  4. Select the best fit for your needs

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FAQs

Agents can update their fees anytime, but changes only affect new escrows. Your escrow uses the fees at creation time.
The agent fee is still deducted first. So “100% to buyer” means the buyer gets (100% - agent fee).
Yes. Protocol fee (1%) is paid at creation. Agent fees (if any) are paid from the escrowed funds.