Making Payments as an Organization

As an organization on Opentribe, you're responsible for paying builders directly from your wallet. This guide explains the process and best practices.

Payment Workflow Overview

Step-by-Step Payment Process

Step 1: Select Winners

1. Review submissions on your organization dashboard
2. Select winner(s) for your bounty or grant
3. Confirm selections in Opentribe
4. System notifies winners of their selection

Step 2: Prepare for Payment

Before sending payment, ensure you have:

• ✅ Builder's wallet address (from their Opentribe profile)
• ✅ Agreed amount and token (DOT or any Asset Hub asset you listed in the bounty)
• ✅ Sufficient balance in your organization wallet
• ✅ Transaction fees (small amount of DOT for fees)

Step 3: Send Payment (Off-Platform)

1. Open your organization's wallet

   • Talisman, SubWallet, Polkadot.js, or any Polkadot wallet
   • This happens outside of Opentribe

2. Create a new transaction

   • Recipient: Builder's wallet address
   • Amount: Agreed payment amount
   • Token: DOT or another Asset Hub asset (as agreed)

3. Review and confirm

   • Double-check the address (transactions are irreversible)
   • Verify amount and token
   • Account for transaction fees

4. Send the transaction

   • Authorize with your wallet
   • Wait for blockchain confirmation (6-12 seconds)
   • Save the transaction hash (you'll need this)

Step 4: Record Payment on Opentribe

After the blockchain transaction is confirmed:

1. Return to Opentribe dashboard
2. Navigate to the bounty/grant
3. Click "Record Payment"
4. Enter payment details:

   - Amount: [Amount sent]
   - Token: [DOT or other Asset Hub asset]
   - Transaction Hash: [0x... from your wallet]
   - Recipient Address: [Builder's address]

5. Submit the record

Step 5: Automatic Verification

Once you submit the payment record:

1. Opentribe queries Subscan API
2. Verifies the transaction exists on-chain
3. Confirms it was successful
4. Updates payment status to "Verified" ✓
5. Notifies the builder of payment

Managing Multiple Payments

For Multi-Winner Bounties

When paying multiple winners:

1. Prepare a payment list

   • Winner names
   • Wallet addresses
   • Payment amounts
   • tokens to use

2. Send payments individually

   • Most wallets don't support batch payments to different addresses
   • Send each payment separately
   • Keep track of transaction hashes

3. Record each payment

   • Record each transaction on Opentribe
   • Include correct hash for each winner
   • Verification happens automatically

Payment Tracking

Your organization dashboard shows:

• Pending Payments: Winners selected but not paid
• Processing: Payments sent, awaiting verification
• Completed: Verified on-chain payments
• Payment History: Complete record of all payments

Best Practices

Before Posting Opportunities

1. Specify payment terms clearly

   • Token to be used
   • Payment timeline
   • Any conditions or milestones

2. Ensure funding availability

   • Have funds ready before posting
   • Account for all winners (multi-winner bounties)
   • Include buffer for transaction fees

Address Management

• Always copy-paste addresses (never type manually)
• Verify first/last characters before sending
• Send test transaction for large amounts
• Save frequently used addresses in your wallet

Record Keeping

• Record payments promptly after sending
• Keep transaction hashes for your records
• Document payment dates for accounting
• Export payment history regularly

Payment Verification

All payments are automatically verified:

Common Issues and Solutions

"Transaction Hash Not Found"

Possible causes:

• Transaction still processing (wait 2-3 minutes)
• Incorrect hash copied
• Transaction on different network

Solution:

• Verify hash in your wallet
• Ensure you're on Polkadot/Asset Hub
• Re-copy and submit hash

"Payment Verification Failed"

Possible causes:

• Transaction failed on-chain
• Insufficient balance
• Network issues

Solution:

• Check transaction status in your wallet
• Verify you have sufficient balance
• Retry the payment

"Wrong Payment Amount"

If you haven't sent yet:

• Simply send the correct amount

If already sent:

• Send additional payment for the difference
• Record both transactions
• Add note explaining the correction

Payment Tokens

Asset Hub lets you handle both native DOT and registered foreign assets (including parachain tokens or bridged stablecoins). Source

DOT (Polkadot Native Token)

• Most common payment method
• Doubles as the fee token for Asset Hub transfers
• Supported by every Polkadot wallet

Registered Assets (Parachain Tokens or Stablecoins)

• Use your ecosystem token or bridged assets after registering them on Asset Hub
• Ideal for USD-pegged payouts or community-aligned incentives
• Still require a small amount of DOT in the paying wallet to cover transaction fees

Tax and Compliance

Consider:

• Tax reporting requirements in your jurisdiction
• Contractor vs employee classifications
• Record keeping for audits
• KYC/AML requirements if applicable

Security Recommendations

Wallet Security

• Use multi-signature wallets for organization funds
• Require multiple approvals for large payments
• Use hardware wallets for significant amounts
• Regular security audits

Payment Authorization

• Establish clear approval processes
• Document who can authorize payments
• Set payment limits by role
• Regular review of payment authorities

Fraud Prevention

• Verify builder identities when needed
• Check work deliverables before payment
• Use milestone payments for large projects
• Keep detailed records of all transactions

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we automate payments?

Currently, payments must be sent manually from your wallet. Opentribe provides verification and tracking, but doesn't process transactions.

What if we sent to the wrong address?

Blockchain transactions are irreversible. Always double-check addresses before sending. If funds are sent to the wrong address, they cannot be recovered.

Can we pay in other tokens?

Yes. As long as the asset exists on Asset Hub (native or foreign), you can pay in it—just record the transaction hash so the payout can be verified.

How quickly should we pay?

Best practice is to pay within 7-14 days of selecting winners. Specify your payment timeline in the opportunity description.

Can we request refunds?

Opentribe doesn't handle funds, so refunds would need to be arranged directly with the builder. Blockchain transactions themselves cannot be reversed.

Next Steps

• Post your first bounty
• Understand payment verification
• Learn about multi-winner bounties