Safety and transaction rules

1. Public places only

Every meetup happens in a public place: a mall, a cafe, a restaurant, a park, a trail, a gym, a hospital lobby, a venue. Never a private residence, a hotel room or a private vehicle you do not both trust. If a member asks to move somewhere private, decline and report them.

For out-of-town trips, hikes and beach days, agree on the meeting point and the route in the chat before the day, and keep the group in public spaces throughout.

2. Unagreed companions

Who is coming is agreed in the chat, like everything else. If the other member arrives with people who were not agreed in the chat, a friend, a "cousin", a driver who stays, be prudent: do not proceed. Cancel the meetup, leave, and report the profile. This applies to both sides; a client who shows up with extra people is treated the same way.

A cancellation for this reason counts as a safety concern under section 9: any downpayment already paid is refunded in full.

3. Payments: 50% at the start, 50% after

• Agree on the rate and the number of hours in the chat and in the booking request, so both sides have a record.
• The client pays 50% at the start of the meetup and the remaining 50% after it ends.
• First meetup: the 50% downpayment is handed over in cash, in person, when the members meet. Nothing is transferred before you have met.
• E-wallets (GCash, Maya) or bank transfer are for repeat Phriends the client has already met and trusts, for convenience. Even then, never more than 50% upfront, and only to the account shared in the chat.
• Never pay more than 50% upfront. No member may ask for full payment, a "reservation fee" on top of the downpayment, or any other advance. A member who pushes for a transfer before a first meetup is a red flag: be prudent and report them.
• The downpayment is deducted from the total. It is not an extra charge.
• Phriend does not process payments and does not hold money. Payments happen directly between members.

4. Pay only the account shared in the chat

When a transfer is appropriate, that is with a repeat Phriend you trust, the Phriend shares their GCash, Maya or bank account in the chat. Send money only to that account. Any request to pay a different number, a relative's account, a "company" account, a link, a QR code sent by SMS or Messenger, or anything outside the chat is a scam. Stop, do not pay, and report the member.

5. Tell someone your plan

Before you go, share the meetup place, the time, the other member's profile and your expected return with a friend or family member. Keep your phone charged and your location sharing on. Trust your instincts: if something feels off, leave.

6. Identity verification

Members verify their identity and age through Didit, an independent identity verification provider. Didit checks a government ID and a selfie and confirms the member is 18 or older. Verified profiles show a blue badge. Prefer verified members, and verify yourself so others can trust you.

7. Report and block

Every profile and every gig has a report button, and the chat menu leads to it. Use it for anything that breaks these rules or the community guidelines: requests for private meetups, unagreed companions, romantic or sexual propositions, off-platform payment requests, harassment, impersonation, or a member who looks under 18. You can attach up to 4 photos as evidence. Blocking, from the chat menu, hides the member's profile and chats and stops their messages reaching you. Reports get an AI first pass; anything unclear goes to a person on the moderation team, and serious cases are passed to the authorities.

8. Late arrivals

• If a member is more than 30 minutes late without notice, the other member may cancel the meetup.
• If the Phriend is the one late, any downpayment already paid is refunded in full.
• If the client is the one late and the Phriend waited, the agreed hours still count from the agreed start time.

9. Cancellations

• Cancel at least 24 hours before the meetup: cancel the booking in the app with a reason, and say so in the chat.
• If the client cancels with less than 24 hours' notice, the Phriend may keep any downpayment already paid.
• If the Phriend cancels with less than 24 hours' notice, any downpayment already paid is refunded in full. Repeated late cancellations lead to removal.
• Cancellations because of typhoons, floods, unagreed companions or any other safety concern are refunded in full, no questions asked.

10. Emergencies

After you are safe, report the member in the app and email support@phriend.app with the profile name and what happened. We cooperate with law enforcement.

11. The short version

1. Meet in public.
2. Only the people agreed in the chat. Extra companions: cancel, leave, report.
3. First meetup: half in cash when you meet, half after. Never more than half.
4. E-wallet only for repeat Phriends you trust, and only to the account shared in the chat.
5. Tell a friend where you are.
6. Report anything that feels wrong.