Safety
Trust is the entire product. Here's exactly how Helpward verifies helpers, protects bookings, and handles things when they go wrong.
The four guarantees
Every Helpward booking is backed by four operational commitments. Click through to any topic for the full mechanics — what we screen, what the policy covers, how a dispute actually works.
Every helper passes a Checkr (US) or Triton (Canada) background check before approval. What we screen, what we don't, and when we re-check.
Helpward's $1M platform insurance covers every active booking. What's included, what's excluded, and how to file a claim.
If something goes wrong on a task, open a dispute within 24 hours. Step-by-step on what happens, who reviews it, and how refunds work.
Quarterly stats on the marketplace: helper approval rate, response times, incident rate, refund rate. Updated every three months.
What protects every booking
Beyond the four major topics above, every Helpward booking is shaped by the same baseline of operational safeguards. None of these are optional or behind a premium tier.
- Government ID verification. Every helper uploads a government-issued photo ID, verified by Stripe Identity with a live-selfie liveness check before any background check runs.
- Real-time GPS tracking. Customers see their helper's position update every 15 seconds from acceptance through completion. The trail is retained for 90 days and is available to dispute reviewers.
- End-to-end encrypted chat. In-app messages between customer and helper are encrypted in transit and at rest. Phone numbers stay private — relayed-call infrastructure ships with the Twilio integration.
- Escrow payments. Funds are authorised at booking, held by Stripe, and released only after the customer confirms completion. A 24-hour dispute window keeps that release pausable.
- Trip share. One tap sends a tracking link to a friend or family member. The link expires when the booking does.
- 24/7 safety hotline. Every active booking has a tap-to-reach safety hotline; the on-call team responds within 4 hours and routes urgent reports to a senior reviewer immediately.
Active safety incidents
If you're in immediate danger, call 911 (US/Canada) first. Then email safety@helpward.com with the booking ID — the on-call safety reviewer responds within 4 hours, 24/7. Property damage and major safety incidents are auto-escalated to a senior reviewer; the dispute and insurance processes start the same hour the report arrives.
Read deeper
Every claim Helpward makes on this page links to a topic page with the full mechanics — what we screen, what the policy covers, how a dispute actually works. We don't hide the details behind PR copy because the details are how the platform actually earns trust.
- Background checks — Every helper passes a Checkr (US) or Triton (Canada) background check before approval. What we screen, what we don't, and when we re-check.
- Insurance coverage — Helpward's $1M platform insurance covers every active booking. What's included, what's excluded, and how to file a claim.
- Disputes & refunds — If something goes wrong on a task, open a dispute within 24 hours. Step-by-step on what happens, who reviews it, and how refunds work.
- Transparency report — Quarterly stats on the marketplace: helper approval rate, response times, incident rate, refund rate. Updated every three months.
Customer-friendly summaries also live in the help centre under /help.