How does an Escrow.com transaction work?

In five steps. Both parties register and agree the terms; the buyer pays Escrow.com by an approved method and the funds are verified; the seller is cleared to ship or transfer and submits tracking; the buyer has a set number of days to inspect and either accepts or raises a dispute; and once accepted, Escrow.com releases the funds to the seller.

Who actually provides the escrow service?

All escrow services offered on the site are provided by Internet Escrow Services (IES), an operating subsidiary registered in California as Internet Escrow Service, Inc. IES is licensed and accredited as an escrow company and is subject to applicable escrow regulation including the California Financial and Business Code.

What can customer support help with?

Support can verify transaction status, send amendment forms, and explain general escrow. Because of regulatory rules it cannot enter tracking information, accept or reject merchandise, submit a payment, or send a lost password on a customer's behalf, even though it can walk a customer through each of those steps.

Surety

Escrow.com

Escrow.com is an online escrow payment service headquartered in San Francisco, California. It holds a buyer's payment in a licensed escrow account and releases it to the seller only once the buyer has received and accepted what was bought, across domain names and websites, motor vehicles, electronics, jewellery and watches, IPv4 blocks, artwork, and general merchandise.

A transaction runs in five steps: the parties agree terms, the buyer pays Escrow.com, the seller ships or transfers, the buyer inspects within an agreed number of days and accepts or raises a dispute, and Escrow.com then releases funds to the seller. Milestone escrow releases money in stages, broker escrow lets a third party run the deal, and an API, payment buttons, and Escrow Offer let businesses embed the same flow in their own sites.

Escrow services on the site are provided by Internet Escrow Services (IES), registered in California as Internet Escrow Service, Inc. The company states it is licensed to operate as an escrow company in 48 states, is audited by each state regulator, and holds an A rating accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. It was founded in 1999 by Fidelity National Financial, bought by Freelancer.com in 2015, and has since opened offices in Sydney, Buenos Aires, and Manila. Phone support runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This is general transaction escrow, not a real estate closing escrow: the published service list covers domains, vehicles, merchandise, mergers and acquisitions, and digital letters of credit rather than property closings. Support is also limited by regulation in what it can do on a customer's behalf. Confirm eligibility and the fee for a specific transaction before relying on it.

Best for

Buyers and sellers who need a neutral third party to hold funds on a high-value online transaction such as a domain, vehicle, equipment, or business sale. Not a substitute for a title or closing escrow on real property.

What they do

Domain and website escrow
Motor vehicle escrow
General merchandise and electronics escrow
Milestone (staged-release) escrow
Broker escrow
Mergers and acquisitions escrow
IPv4 address escrow
Escrow API, payment buttons, and Escrow Offer for businesses

Details

Attribute	Value
Founded	1999
Ownership	Subsidiary
Licenses	Licensed escrow company in 48 states, Registered in California as Internet Escrow Service, Inc. (IES)
Memberships	Better Business Bureau accredited, A rating
How they charge	Fees are published through a fee calculator on the site; the company markets pricing as low as 1% of transaction value.

What stands out

States it has securely handled transactions worth more than $4.5 billion since it was founded in 1999.
Licensed to operate as an escrow company in 48 states, and one of only four licensed escrow companies in California according to the state Department of Financial Protection & Innovation.
Accredited with an A rating by the Better Business Bureau.
Covers transactions from $100 to $100 million or more, with 24/7 phone support on 888-511-8600 in the US and Canada.
Owned by Freelancer Limited, which bought the company in 2015; it was founded by Fidelity National Financial.

Common questions

How does an Escrow.com transaction work?: In five steps. Both parties register and agree the terms; the buyer pays Escrow.com by an approved method and the funds are verified; the seller is cleared to ship or transfer and submits tracking; the buyer has a set number of days to inspect and either accepts or raises a dispute; and once accepted, Escrow.com releases the funds to the seller.
Who actually provides the escrow service?: All escrow services offered on the site are provided by Internet Escrow Services (IES), an operating subsidiary registered in California as Internet Escrow Service, Inc. IES is licensed and accredited as an escrow company and is subject to applicable escrow regulation including the California Financial and Business Code.
What can customer support help with?: Support can verify transaction status, send amendment forms, and explain general escrow. Because of regulatory rules it cannot enter tracking information, accept or reject merchandise, submit a payment, or send a lost password on a customer's behalf, even though it can walk a customer through each of those steps.