When the client launches a contest he makes a choice between a non-guaranteed contest (no cure no pay!) or a guaranteed contest.
In the case of a guaranteed contest, the client pays the entire amount in advance, at the start.
In the case of a non-guaranteed contest, the client pays the placement fee at the start of the contest and the award and the succes fee only when the client picks a winner. No winner? Then no award or succes fee to be paid!
After the client has picked a winner, the award is not directly transferred to the designer. First the designer receives an automatic notification with the request to transfer the final files through a Brandsupply link. The client then receives a request to approve those files. Only when the files have been confirmed by the client, Brandsupply can transfer the award to the designer.
This is an automated process.