Marketplace Safety
Building confidence between artists and commissioners.
A healthy creative marketplace depends on trust, communication, and informed decisions. Artifact provides guidance and community systems to help members buy and sell more safely.
Our marketplace philosophy.
Artifact is not a payment processor, escrow service, legal representative, or party to private commission agreements. We provide education, verification systems, moderation, and community standards that help members make more informed decisions.
Every transaction remains an agreement between the individuals involved. Our goal is to help artists and commissioners approach those agreements with more clarity, care, and confidence.
Before you commission.
Commissioners can reduce risk by asking good questions and confirming expectations before payment.
Review Portfolios
Look for examples, consistency, style fit, and signs that the creator’s work is their own.
Communicate Clearly
Discuss scope, references, deadlines, revisions, delivery format, and expectations upfront.
Read Terms
Review the artist’s terms of service, refund policy, queue expectations, and usage rights.
Use Protection
Use payment methods that provide records, invoices, and buyer protections whenever possible.
Before you accept a commission.
Artists and artisans can protect themselves by setting expectations before work begins.
Set Clear Scope
Confirm what is included, what is not included, and what changes may cost extra.
Be Honest About Time
Give realistic turnaround estimates and communicate if delays happen.
Invoice When Possible
Invoices create clearer records and help both sides understand what was agreed to.
Communicate Updates
Progress updates help maintain trust, especially for larger or longer projects.
Payment safety.
Different payment methods carry different levels of protection. Artifact encourages members to choose methods that create clear records and offer dispute protections.
Generally Recommended
- PayPal Invoices
- PayPal Goods & Services
- Stripe invoices
- Square invoices
- Other invoice-based payment systems with records
Use With Caution
- Venmo
- Cash App
- Friends & Family-style payments
- Gift cards or codes
- Any method with limited dispute options
Good commissions begin before payment is sent.
Common red flags.
No single warning sign proves something is wrong, but patterns of behavior can help members make safer choices.
Be cautious if someone refuses payment methods that provide clear records or protection.
Urgency, guilt, or pressure tactics can be signs that you should slow down and ask questions.
If pricing, scope, deadlines, or refund expectations are unclear, clarify before payment.
Watch for portfolios that appear copied, traced, mismatched, or taken from unrelated accounts.
Requests for gift cards, codes, or non-refundable transfers should be treated carefully.
Repeated avoidance, changing stories, or refusal to confirm details can indicate higher risk.
What Artifact can and cannot do.
Artifact can provide education, verification systems, moderation, reporting channels, and community standards that help members make better decisions.
Artifact cannot guarantee outcomes, recover payments, force private parties to complete work, or eliminate all risk from creative transactions.
Marketplace safety is strongest when members combine community tools with clear communication, protected payment methods, and good judgment.
Continue exploring.
Learn how marketplace safety connects to verification, youth protections, reporting, and community standards.