Milestone payments

Milestones are the payment units inside an OpenTrain contract. Each milestone has an agreed scope, amount, and status. Employers fund milestones before work starts, and AI trainers request payout after completing the work.

Use this page as a shared status reference. For the step-by-step workflow, use the role-specific guide for your account type.

Employer milestone and invoice workflow

Create milestones, fund work, approve completed milestones, and download invoices.

AI trainer milestone and payout workflow

View funded milestones, request payout from the Contract tab, and track payout records.

How the payment flow works

Employer creates and funds a milestone

The employer defines a work unit, amount, and optional due date. Funding the milestone charges the employer’s payment method and marks the milestone Active & Funded.

AI trainer completes the work

The AI trainer sees the funded milestone in the contract view and completes the agreed deliverable.

AI trainer requests payout

The AI trainer clicks Complete & Request Payout from the Contract tab. The milestone moves to Pending approval while the employer reviews the work.

Employer approves and releases payment

The employer clicks Approve & Release Payment. OpenTrain marks the milestone Paid and starts payout to the AI trainer’s connected bank account.

Milestone statuses

Status	What it means
Not Funded	Created but not yet funded — no payment committed
Active & Funded	Employer has funded the milestone; payment is committed but not released
Pending approval	AI trainer has submitted work; employer review needed
Paid	Employer approved the work; payout is completed or pending to the AI trainer’s connected bank account
Disputed	Milestone is under review

Disputes

If there is a disagreement about whether work meets the milestone criteria, the milestone may enter a Disputed status. If you reach a point where you cannot resolve a dispute directly with the other party, contact support@opentrain.ai for assistance.