Find a local professional. Agree the price. Pay in the app.
Whatever the job, from a dripping tap to a garden clean-up to a babysitter for the evening, OnStandby helps you find someone, agree what it costs, and keep it all in one place.
No account needed to browse.
How it works
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Browse
Search by service and location. Look at each professional’s profile, prices and ratings. You don’t need an account to look.
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Request
Pick the professional you want and send your request, or book a time that suits you. They can accept or decline your request.
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Agree the price
Chat in the app. For bigger jobs the professional sends a written quote with each item listed. Any callout fee or deposit is shown to you before you agree.
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Pay in the app
You pay through OnStandby, not in cash. See “How paying works” below.
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Confirm and rate
When the work is finished, check it and confirm. Then leave a rating. If something isn’t right, raise a dispute before you confirm.
What can I book?
Professionals sign up by category. Some of the everyday ones:
A new way forward
Social media groups and cash deposits don’t have to be how you find help. OnStandby puts the search, the chat, the quote, the payment and the record of the job in one place.
How paying works
It costs you nothing to use OnStandby. You pay the professional’s price, which they show on their profile.
You pay in the app
No cash and no bank transfers to a stranger. Card payments are processed by Paystack, and you enter your card details on the payment provider’s own page, not on ours.
Callout fees and deposits
Some professionals charge a callout fee to come out, or ask for a deposit to cover materials. It’s shown to you before you agree, and it’s paid straight away to the professional.
The main payment goes into escrow
The main job payment is held by TradeSafe, a South African escrow service, and goes to the professional only when you confirm the work is done. If you don’t respond, the job is confirmed automatically 24 hours after the professional marks it complete, unless you’ve raised a dispute.
The full details are in our Terms & Conditions.
If something goes wrong
Raise a dispute
Do it before you confirm the job. The payment is paused while an OnStandby administrator reviews the job record: the messages, photos and payments.
Report or block
You can report or block anyone you don’t want to deal with, from inside the app.
Talk to us
Email support@onstandby.co.za with the job details and what went wrong.
Questions
Do I need an account to look around?
No. You can search and read profiles without one. You’ll need an account to send a request.
How much does it cost?
OnStandby is free for users. You pay the professional’s price, shown on their profile and in their quote.
Can I cancel a job?
Yes. You can cancel at any time before the job is complete, and OnStandby doesn’t charge you for cancelling. A callout fee or deposit you’ve already paid is not refunded, and the app tells you so before you cancel.
What if the work isn’t right?
Raise a dispute before you confirm. An administrator looks at the messages, photos and payment record and makes a decision. A dispute doesn’t take away your right to go to court, but our dispute process needs to be tried first. The details are in our Terms.