OnStandby Technologies
South Africa's emergency services network — one tap away.
The Platform
A dispatch-first marketplace connecting people in crisis with trusted, verified professionals — routed in real time, paid in escrow.
For People
Request any service from your phone. Track your vendor in real time. Payment held securely in escrow — released only when the job is done.
For Vendors
Accept jobs on your schedule. Your rating is your currency — merit-only placement means the best vendors rise naturally. No ads, no pay-to-win.
The Network
Every trade. Every emergency. Every professional service. One dispatch engine, routing the right person to the right place — in seconds. Click any domain to explore.
Pricing
Every vendor sets their own pricing structure — visible to clients before they request. No negotiation at the door. No hidden extras after the fact.
A flat charge for showing up — covering travel and initial assessment before work begins. Settled the moment you arrive on site, before any further commitment is made.
Time-based billing from the moment you arrive on site. You set the rate. The platform tracks job duration and calculates the total automatically.
Know exactly what a job costs upfront. Set a single fixed price per job type — no surprises for the client, no time-tracking required from you.
Bill by sqm, room, vehicle, item, or any unit that fits your trade. Ideal for cleaning, painting, tiling, and any scope-driven service.
For full-day or extended engagements. Set a flat daily rate for project work, on-site standby, event coverage, or multi-day assignments.
A separate rate applied outside business hours or on emergency callouts. You define what "after hours" means for your trade — the platform enforces it.
Charge for the distance you travel from your base. Compensates fairly for fuel and time on longer callouts — you never absorb travel costs silently.
Set a minimum job duration so small callouts are always worth your while. A 10-minute fix still bills at your minimum — say, 1 hour.
Apply a percentage markup on parts and materials used. Covers procurement, sourcing, and handling — itemised clearly for the client. For jobs requiring materials upfront, a deposit can be collected before work begins.
Set a free cancellation window, a late cancel fee, and a no-show fee independently. Your time is protected at every stage — from dispatch to on-site.
For jobs where scope determines price, activate Survey Before Quoting — your profile shows this flag clearly, so clients know before they request that a formal price follows your on-site assessment. Your full rate card — base fees, travel, after-hours differentials, and minimums — is shown to every client before they confirm. Nothing is a surprise after the fact. OnStandby charges a 8% platform commission on confirmed jobs. No monthly subscription. No listing fees. You only pay when you earn.
Payments
Different jobs call for different payment structures. OnStandby handles all of them — securely, transparently, and always in your favour.
When you request a job, payment is authorised and held — not released to the vendor until you confirm the work is complete. No vendor receives a cent before you are satisfied.
Callout fees, site survey charges, and agreed deposits that need to move immediately are settled instantly. You are always told the type and amount before you pay — no surprises.
For jobs that need an assessment first, vendors send a formal quote — line items, labour, materials, and timeline. You review, approve, and pay only once you are satisfied with the scope.
Vendors can require a deposit before work begins — to cover materials or secure their availability. The deposit is paid immediately. The balance is held in escrow until the job is confirmed complete.
Raise a dispute before confirming and the escrow balance freezes immediately. Neither party can access the funds until the issue is reviewed and resolved. You are never left without recourse.
Released funds land in the vendor's earnings wallet the moment you confirm. Payout requests transfer directly to their registered bank account — processed daily. No invoice chasing. No delays.
Jobs auto-confirm 24 hours after a vendor marks completion — unless a dispute is raised first. This window gives you time to review the work before payment releases automatically. You can confirm early at any point.
The Technology
Infrastructure that performs when stakes are highest. No downtime. No excuses. No single point of failure.
01
Vendors are contacted in weighted waves — proximity, rating, acceptance rate, and response latency all factor into priority. If wave one doesn't respond, wave two fires automatically.
02
WebSocket-first delivery. Job requests reach active vendors in under a second. Web Push ensures offline vendors are woken up — no job goes unseen.
03
Funds are held from initiation and released only on your confirmation. Disputes freeze the balance instantly. Deposits, callout fees, and structured quotes are all handled natively — the right payment type for every job.
04
Automated emergency triage at intake — classifying urgency, domain, and required credentials before dispatch begins. The right vendor, not just the nearest one.
Coming SoonGuardian AI
Smartwatch health monitoring with zero-touch dispatch. When vitals signal a crisis, Guardian classifies the emergency and dispatches the right vendor — no button press required.
B2B Enterprise
A dedicated interface for companies managing service needs at scale. Multi-job accounts, VAT invoicing, purchase order references, and multi-tier approval workflows.
Project Tendering
Post a project — build a house, renovate a block, install an entire solar farm. Vendors across multiple domains tender for specific roles. You award. Jobs spin up. One platform, one payment flow, the whole project.
Vendor Collaboration
Lead vendors sub-contract specialists directly through the platform. The electrician brings his certified installer; the builder brings his plumber. One job, multi-vendor payout — without the invoice chaos.
Protected Engagements
High-value jobs demand more structure. Require a signed NDA before a vendor sees job details. Collect a deposit upfront, hold the balance in escrow. Release in stages as milestones are reached.
National Scale
The dispatch engine is built to grow nationally — same merit-only principles, same real-time infrastructure, every city. One platform. The whole country.
RedLine Initiative
A dedicated command-and-control environment for EMS operators — built for life-safety response, not convenience bookings. AI-assisted triage classifies incoming incidents by severity. Wave-based dispatch coordinates multiple units in real time. RedLine runs on OnStandby infrastructure but operates as a separate, hardened environment for paramedics, fire services, and emergency coordinators who cannot afford a miss.