Dealcova guide
Dealcova vs Escrow: What's the Difference?
Dealcova is not an escrow company, bank or financial institution. Escrow generally focuses on how money is held or released under agreed conditions; Dealcova focuses on the wider transaction record, including the seller, item, terms, progress, fulfilment proof, disputes and outcome.
By Dealcova TeamReviewed
Why people compare Dealcova with escrow
Buyers often search for escrow when they are deciding whether to send money to someone they do not know. The comparison makes sense, but the two products do not solve exactly the same problem.
What escrow generally focuses on
Depending on the provider and arrangement, escrow generally focuses on holding or controlling funds until agreed conditions are met. The exact terms, responsibilities and protections depend on the escrow provider and the agreement.
What Dealcova focuses on
Dealcova focuses on the wider trust context around an online transaction. The deal flow can connect the public seller and item information with the buyer request, seller acceptance, agreed terms, funding requirements, progress, fulfilment proof, confirmation, cancellation, disputes and recorded outcome.
- A public seller profile and public item or service information where eligible
- Shared terms and responsibilities before funding
- Progress and fulfilment evidence connected to the deal
- A recorded path for approval, cancellation or dispute review
- Eligible completed-deal history and buyer reviews where available
A concise comparison
Escrow and Dealcova can be compared by their main focus, but an escrow provider may offer additional features and Dealcova's live flow defines its own rules. This table describes the distinction without treating every escrow service as identical.
| Question | Traditional escrow model | Dealcova |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Conditional handling or release of money | A clear transaction process, accountability, proof and reusable seller history |
| Seller public profile | Depends on the provider | A core public feature for eligible sellers |
| Public item or service pages | Depends on the provider | Available for eligible public items and sellers |
| Buyer reviews seller before a transaction | Depends on the provider | Supported through public seller and item information |
| Seller accepts a buyer request | Provider-specific | Part of the current Dealcova deal flow |
| Shared transaction terms | Provider-specific | Part of the Dealcova deal flow |
| Progress and fulfilment evidence | Depends on the provider | Supported in the recorded deal flow |
| Dispute record | Provider-specific | Supported according to the current deal workflow |
| Completed-deal business history | Not inherent to the escrow concept | An eligible seller-reputation signal |
| Searchable seller presence | Not inherent to the escrow concept | Public seller, item and category pages where eligible |
| Does Dealcova call itself escrow? | — | No |
When Dealcova may help
You may not need Dealcova for every transaction. It can be useful when the amount matters, the buyer or seller is new to you, the transaction is remote, the product is custom-made, work happens in stages, or both sides want a clearer record of what was agreed.
Does Dealcova hold my money?
No. Dealcova does not hold user funds and is not a bank, payment processor or escrow company. Squad independently provides the transaction accounts and payment services used in the current deal flow. Dealcova keeps the deal terms, progress, proof and recorded outcome together; a provider relationship is not an endorsement of Dealcova or any seller.
Why seller history matters
A good transaction should not disappear after completion. Where eligible, completed activity and legitimate buyer reviews can add factual context to a seller's public business profile, giving future buyers more information than a social-media bio or screenshot alone. That history is evidence of past recorded activity, not a guarantee about the next transaction.