Legal

Terms of Service

How ViberClaw works, what each party can and cannot do, how escrow moves, and how disputes are resolved. Read carefully before using the platform.

Last updated: February 2026

01 — Overview

What ViberClaw is

ViberClaw is a milestone-based freelance marketplace connecting founders who need software built with vibecoders — AI-native developers who ship fast and with proof.

—ViberClaw is a marketplace and escrow intermediary. It does not employ vibecoders, guarantee project outcomes, or act as a party to the service agreement between founders and vibecoders.
—All payments flow through escrow managed by the platform. Funds are never held indefinitely — release is triggered by accepted delivery, silence timeout, or a dispute resolution.
—By creating an account and using the platform, you agree to these Terms of Service in full. If you disagree with any section, do not use the platform.
—ViberClaw reserves the right to update these terms at any time. Continued use of the platform after a change constitutes acceptance.

02 — Roles

User roles

There are two active roles on the platform. Each role has a distinct purpose, different capabilities, and separate obligations.

Founder

A founder is a company or individual who needs software built. Founders post scoped projects, define milestones, fund escrow, review delivered work, and release payment on acceptance.

—Posts projects and sets scope, milestones, budget, and acceptance criteria.
—Reviews bids and selects the best-fit vibecoder.
—Funds escrow per milestone before work begins.
—Reviews submitted work against acceptance criteria.
—Approves or requests revision for each milestone.

Vibecoder

A vibecoder is an AI-native developer who builds projects for founders. Vibecoders bid on projects, deliver work with verifiable proof, and unlock escrow upon accepted delivery.

—Creates a public profile listing skills, AI capabilities, and case studies.
—Browses the marketplace and submits competitive bids.
—Delivers milestones with a repo link, commit/PR reference, and a working preview URL.
—Responds to revision requests within the agreed window.
—Communicates with founders exclusively through in-app chat.

03 — Workflow

Full project lifecycle

Every project on ViberClaw follows a defined sequence of states. Understanding this sequence protects both parties.

1Project posted: The founder creates a project with title, scope, deliverables, stack, milestones, budget, and acceptance criteria. The project enters bidding status and becomes visible on the marketplace.
2Vibecoders bid: Vibecoders review the project and submit bids with a proposed amount and timeline. A vibecoder can submit one active bid per project. The founder can review all bids at any time.
3Bid accepted: The founder selects the winning bid. The project status changes to bid_accepted. Other bids are automatically rejected. The vibecoder is notified.
4Escrow funded: Before work starts on a milestone, the founder funds the escrow for that milestone. Work may only begin once escrow is confirmed as funded. This protects the vibecoder.
5Work in progress: The vibecoder works on the active milestone. Progress is communicated through in-app chat. The project is in in_progress status.
6Work submitted: The vibecoder submits the milestone with a repo link, commit or PR reference, and a preview URL. A submission note documents what was built against the acceptance criteria.
7Founder reviews: The founder has a defined review window to evaluate the submission against the acceptance criteria. The project status is in_review during this period.
8Approve or revise: The founder either approves the submission (releasing escrow) or requests a revision with written feedback. If the review window expires with no action, the milestone is auto-approved and escrow is released.
9Milestone complete: Once approved, escrowed funds for that milestone are released to the vibecoder minus the platform fee. The next milestone begins if one exists.
10Project complete: When all milestones are accepted, the project status changes to completed. Both parties may leave a review.

04 — Milestones & Escrow

How milestones and escrow work

All payments on ViberClaw are milestone-scoped and escrowed. Funds never go directly from founder to vibecoder without passing through the escrow and review cycle.

Milestone types

—Per project: A single escrow covering the full project. Released once the entire project is accepted.
—Per milestone: Separate escrow entries for each milestone. Each is funded and released independently.
—Per hour: Defined total hours with release against accepted hourly scope. Each hourly tranche follows the same review cycle.

Escrow rules

—Funds are locked per milestone at the time of funding. Founders cannot withdraw funded escrow while work is in progress.
—Release is triggered only by explicit founder approval or by the auto-accept timeout.
—If a founder does not review a submission within the defined review window, the milestone is automatically approved and escrow is released.
—Disputes freeze the escrow. Funds remain locked until the dispute is resolved at Level 1 or Level 2.
—ViberClaw deducts the platform fee from the released amount before crediting the vibecoder.
—Refunds are possible only via a successful dispute resolution or a mutual cancellation before work begins.

Escrow statuses

Unfunded

Milestone created, no funds deposited yet.

Funded

Payment confirmed, work can begin.

Held

Frozen due to open dispute.

Released

Funds sent to vibecoder minus platform fee.

Partially released

Some milestones paid, others pending.

Refunded

Returned to founder per dispute or cancellation.

Failed

Payment processing error; contact support.

Funding

Payment in transit, not yet confirmed.

05 — Vibecoder obligations

What vibecoders can and cannot do

Permitted

—Submit a bid on any open project that matches your skills.
—Negotiate bid terms before acceptance by communicating via in-app chat.
—Request clarification on acceptance criteria before submitting work.
—Submit work with a revision round counter — each revision is tracked.
—Open a Level 1 dispute if a revision request is unreasonable or outside the agreed scope.
—Submit a counter-offer during a Level 1 dispute negotiation.
—Request escalation to Level 2 if Level 1 negotiation fails.
—Upload evidence files (screenshots, screen recordings, documents) for Level 2 dispute review.
—Leave a public review for the founder upon project completion.

Prohibited

—Submitting work that does not meet the project's defined acceptance criteria and claiming it is complete.
—Requesting payment for work that has not been submitted through the platform review system.
—Abandoning an in-progress project without notice. Abandonment is recorded on your profile.
—Communicating with founders outside in-app chat about payment or project scope changes.
—Creating duplicate accounts or misrepresenting skills, past work, or identity on your profile.
—Sharing confidential project information with third parties.
—Using AI-generated output without disclosure when the project brief explicitly requires original work.
—Filing a dispute in bad faith to delay or avoid a legitimate revision request.

06 — Founder obligations

What founders can and cannot do

Permitted

—Post any number of projects with clearly defined scope, deliverables, and acceptance criteria.
—Review all submitted bids and accept the one that best fits the project.
—Reject a submission and request a revision with written, specific feedback.
—Define a review window to evaluate deliverables against acceptance criteria.
—Open a Level 1 dispute if delivered work materially fails to meet the acceptance criteria.
—Submit a counter-offer during a Level 1 dispute negotiation.
—Request escalation to Level 2 if Level 1 negotiation fails.
—Upload evidence files for Level 2 dispute review.
—Cancel a project before escrow is funded with no penalty.

Prohibited

—Withholding payment after explicitly approving a milestone submission.
—Requesting work that falls outside the agreed scope without adjusting the milestone budget and terms.
—Using revision requests as a tool to delay payment when the acceptance criteria have been met.
—Failing to respond to a submission within the review window. Silence triggers an automatic approval and escrow release.
—Disputing a milestone after the auto-release window has closed and funds have been released.
—Posting fraudulent, misleading, or non-existent projects to extract proposals or ideas from vibecoders.
—Communicating payment terms outside of the in-app system.
—Rejecting work purely on subjective preference when it meets all stated acceptance criteria.

07 — Fees

Platform fees & pricing

ViberClaw charges a tiered platform fee on each milestone release. The fee is deducted from the released amount before crediting the vibecoder. Founders pay the gross amount; vibecoders receive the net.

Fee tiers by cumulative project value

First $2,000

10%

Applies to the first two thousand dollars of any project.

$2,001 – $10,000

Reduced rate for mid-range project value.

Above $10,000

Best rate for high-value, long-term projects.

—ViberClaw covers all payment processing and transaction fees. There are no hidden charges on top of the listed tiers.
—The platform fee is automatically calculated and deducted at the time of escrow release. Vibecoders do not need to invoice separately.
—In a dispute resolution where funds are split, the platform fee is calculated on the full escrowed milestone amount, not on the portion returned to either party.
—Fees are non-negotiable for standard accounts. Enterprise arrangements are not currently available.

08 — Dispute resolution

Level 1 dispute — direct negotiation

A Level 1 dispute is a structured negotiation between the founder and the vibecoder. It is designed to resolve disagreements without platform intervention. Escrow is frozen for the disputed milestone during this process.

When a Level 1 dispute can be opened

—The vibecoder believes a revision request is outside the agreed scope or acceptance criteria.
—The founder believes the submitted work materially fails to meet the acceptance criteria after multiple revision attempts.
—Either party believes the other is acting in bad faith during the review cycle.
—A dispute can only be opened on a milestone that is in an active review or revision cycle. It cannot be opened after the milestone escrow has been released.

How Level 1 negotiation works

1Dispute opened: Either party opens the dispute. The disputed milestone escrow is immediately frozen. Both parties are notified.
2First offer submitted: The party that opened the dispute submits an opening offer — a proposed settlement amount — with a written note explaining their position.
3Counterparty responds: The other party reviews the offer and can Accept it, Reject it, or Counter with a new amount and note.
4Negotiation rounds: Offers and counters continue in rounds. Each round has a response deadline. Expired offers are automatically marked and the counterparty must re-engage.
5Settlement reached: If either party accepts an offer, the dispute is settled. The agreed amount is paid to the vibecoder and any remainder is returned to the founder, minus the platform fee.
6No agreement reached: If the parties cannot agree after exhausting negotiation rounds, either party may escalate to Level 2.

Level 1 negotiation states

Awaiting offer

Dispute opened. Initiator must submit the first offer.

Awaiting founder

A vibecoder offer is pending the founder's response.

Awaiting vibecoder

A founder offer is pending the vibecoder's response.

Settled

Both parties agreed. Funds distributed per settlement.

Escalated — Level 2

Parties could not agree. Admin adjudication begins.

09 — Escalated dispute

Level 2 dispute — platform adjudication

A Level 2 dispute is escalated to ViberClaw's administration team. A designated admin reviews the evidence, the negotiation history, and the statements of both parties, then issues a binding decision.

How Level 2 works

1Escalation request: Either party requests escalation from within the Level 1 dispute. The dispute enters under_review status.
2Evidence submission: Both the founder and the vibecoder upload supporting evidence — screenshots, screen recordings, documents, git history, or any relevant proof. Evidence is reviewed by the admin, not the other party.
3Written statements: Each party submits a written statement explaining their position and why they believe they should receive the disputed funds.
4Admin review: A ViberClaw admin reviews: the original acceptance criteria, all submission history, all revision requests, the Level 1 negotiation history, evidence files, and both statements.
5Decision issued: The admin selects one of three outcomes: Founder wins, Vibecoder wins, or Split funds. The decision is final and binding.
6Funds distributed: Once the decision is locked, funds are automatically distributed according to the ruling. The platform fee is always deducted. The decision and fund movement are permanently recorded.

Possible Level 2 outcomes

Founder wins

The full escrowed amount (minus platform fee) is returned to the founder. The vibecoder receives nothing from this milestone.

Vibecoder wins

The full escrowed amount (minus platform fee) is released to the vibecoder. The founder receives no refund.

Split funds

The admin sets a percentage split between founder and vibecoder. The platform fee is always deducted first. Splits are determined at admin discretion.

—Level 2 decisions are final. There is no appeal process within the platform.
—The platform fee tier is calculated on the full milestone amount regardless of the dispute outcome.
—Filing a Level 2 dispute in bad faith — for example, to delay a legitimate payment — may result in account suspension.
—Evidence must be submitted within the window communicated by the admin. Late evidence may not be considered.
—ViberClaw's admin decisions are made in good faith based on available evidence. The platform is not liable for outcomes where evidence was withheld or fabricated by either party.

10 — Prohibited conduct

Platform-wide prohibited conduct

The following actions are prohibited for all users regardless of role. Violations may result in account suspension or permanent ban.

—Off-platform payments: Arranging or soliciting payment outside of ViberClaw's escrow system for work introduced through the platform. This circumvents platform protections for both parties.
—Fake reviews: Submitting false, incentivised, or coordinated reviews for any user or project.
—Account sharing: Sharing your account credentials with another person, or operating on behalf of another user using their account.
—Duplicate accounts: Creating multiple accounts to circumvent suspensions, bid limits, or other platform policies.
—Intellectual property violation: Delivering work that infringes third-party intellectual property rights. The vibecoder is solely responsible for the originality of their deliverables.
—Harassment: Harassment, threats, or abusive communication directed at any user through the in-app messaging system or any other channel.
—Fraud: Misrepresenting the nature of a project, your identity, your skills, or your track record in any material way.
—Scope creep coercion: Demanding additional work without additional payment, or threatening negative reviews to extract unpaid work.

11 — Liability

Limitation of liability

ViberClaw acts as an intermediary and escrow facilitator. It is not a party to the service contract between founders and vibecoders, and is not responsible for the quality, legality, or fitness of any delivered work.

ViberClaw's liability is strictly limited to the amount held in escrow for the specific milestone in dispute. Under no circumstances is ViberClaw liable for consequential, indirect, incidental, or punitive damages arising from the use of the platform.

ViberClaw does not guarantee that the platform will be available at all times, that disputes will be resolved in any particular way, or that any user will fulfill their obligations. Users engage with each other at their own risk, subject to the protections provided by the escrow and dispute system.

These terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which ViberClaw is incorporated. Any dispute arising from the use of the platform that cannot be resolved through the in-platform dispute system must be submitted to binding arbitration.

Questions about these terms?

We are here to help.

If you have questions about how any section of these terms applies to your situation, use the in-app support channel or reach us through the contact page.

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