Hey HN,<p>I’m based in Texas and am working with a consulting platform (that I otherwise enjoy collaborating with). They’re based in the UK with an office in Barcelona, and the work itself has been great. However, I’ve run into an issue regarding payment processing.<p>Here’s the situation: I signed on to provide consulting services, and the payment terms weren’t fully clear upfront. Now that payment is due, I’ve been informed that I must use Tipalti, a third-party payment platform, to receive my payment. The issue is that Tipalti wasn’t mentioned as a required platform when I took on the work, and I wasn’t fully aware of its terms. Now they are insisting that I use it, and I’m uncomfortable with their terms, which may involve selling my data.<p>I expressed my concerns, and as a response, the company offered me gift certificates as a workaround to avoid using Tipalti. While I appreciate the gesture, it still feels like an inadequate solution. It seems insulting and a bit dismissive of my genuine concern over privacy and payment methods.<p>I’d love to hear thoughts on a few things:
1. Mandating Payment Platforms: Is it legal for a company to require a third-party payment platform (like Tipalti) after an agreement has been made? They didn’t specify Tipalti upfront, and now I feel like I’m being forced to accept it.
2. Privacy Concerns: Tipalti’s terms seem to include provisions around selling data (which makes me uncomfortable). How should I approach this from a legal perspective?
3. Gift Certificates as a Payment Workaround: The company has offered gift certificates as a temporary solution, but it still doesn’t feel like a fair or permanent resolution to the issue. Should I just accept the gift certificates, or is this potentially a sign of the company trying to sidestep the core issue of payment and privacy concerns?<p>Any advice or thoughts on how to approach this while also maintaining a good working relationship with the company would be greatly appreciated!<p>Thanks in advance!
It is a normal practice. Managing global payroll is not an easy task. Tipalti is one of the industry standard payment platforms used in many global companies.