Why this matters
At some point, every business that works with external contractors or vendors faces the same moment: someone needs to be paid, and the only way to do it seems to be asking for their bank details over email. It feels harmless. It isn't.
Email vs. a Secure Payment Channel
The email approach
- Bank details sent in plain text through unencrypted email
- Details stored indefinitely in both parties' inboxes
- No verification that the details belong to the right person
- No audit trail of who accessed the payment information
- Vulnerable to business email compromise and spoofing attacks
- Re-collected every time details change — more email, more risk
The Garded approach
- Payee fills out details through an encrypted, AES-256 form
- Details stored with row-level security — not in any inbox
- Encrypted link verifies the submission came from the intended recipient
- Full audit log of every access and change
- Immune to email interception — details never travel over email
- Profile stays on file — no re-collection needed unless details change
Why This Matters More Than You Think
Business email compromise is one of the fastest-growing categories of financial crime. The FBI reports that BEC attacks cost businesses over $2.7 billion annually — and the most common vector is intercepted payment detail exchanges.
Attackers don't need to break into your banking portal. They just need to intercept one email containing a routing number and account number, and redirect your next payment before you realize anything has changed. The legitimate payee still sends their invoice. You still process payment. The money just goes somewhere else.
The fix isn't complicated. It's removing bank details from email entirely.
How web developers payments typically work
| Detail | Notes |
|---|---|
| Payment model | milestone-based, hourly, or monthly retainer |
| Typical range | $75–$200/hour or $2,000–$25,000 per project |
| Usually managed by | your project manager or technical director |
| How it typically flows | Developers invoice at milestone completion — design approval, staging launch, production deploy |
| Where the risk enters | Large milestone payments are high-value targets; wire instructions exchanged over email can be intercepted and redirected |
Your Next Payment Doesn't Have to Go Through Email
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