Should I pay privately or through GigXchange?

Both are fine, and the choice is yours on every booking.

Settle Privately — cash, bank transfer, your own arrangement. No fee at all. You still get the full booking record, messages, contract and reviews. What you do not get is any protection: if the other side does not pay, that is between you.

Pay via GigXchange — a 5% booking fee, so a £300 gig costs the booker £315. The money is held securely until the gig is done and released 5 days after the gig date, there is a dispute process if something goes wrong, and cancellations follow clear rules rather than an argument.

In practice, people tend to settle privately with regulars they have worked with for years, and pay through the platform with someone new. The protection is worth most exactly when you do not yet know the other party.

The 5% fee is not refunded if the booking is later cancelled.