Managed booking marketplace
Why TradeBooked over Checkatrade Express
Checkatrade Express is a managed booking marketplace. Checkatrade sets a fixed price for the job, the customer books and pays through the Checkatrade platform, and you get paid once the work is marked complete. No quoting, but no control either: the price, the payment and the customer all stay with Checkatrade.
The three reasons trades switch
You set your price, not the marketplace
On Express, Checkatrade sets the fixed price for the job. On TradeBooked you set your own rates and the customer books at your number.
You get paid directly, not after release
Express customers pay Checkatrade, which releases your money after the job is marked complete. TradeBooked payments go straight to your own Stripe account.
You own the customer and the repeat
Express customers book and pay through Checkatrade and go back to Checkatrade next time. TradeBooked customers book you and come back to you.
Where TradeBooked wins
Head-to-head on the things sole UK trades actually ask about.
Who sets the price
Checkatrade Express
Checkatrade sets a fixed price for the job before you ever see it. You accept the work at their number. Checkatrade states you know what you will earn before you accept, but you do not set it.
TradeBooked
You set your own prices. Your booking page quotes your rates, and Price Insight helps you price each job with confidence. The number is yours, not a marketplace's.
Who holds the money
Checkatrade Express
The customer pays Checkatrade through its platform, not you. Your money is released to you after the job is marked complete, rather than landing in your account directly.
TradeBooked
Payments go straight to your own Stripe account. Take a deposit the moment the customer books and the balance your way. No platform sitting on your money until it decides to let go.
Who owns the customer
Checkatrade Express
The customer found Checkatrade, booked through Checkatrade and paid Checkatrade. The next job goes back to Checkatrade, and you pay a fee on it all over again. You never owned the relationship.
TradeBooked
The customer found your booking page and booked you. The repeat job lands on your calendar with nothing to pay a marketplace. The relationship, and the brand, are yours.
A booking on your terms, not theirs
Checkatrade Express
You take the job at Checkatrade's price, on Checkatrade's payment terms, under Checkatrade's brand. The work is yours; the customer is theirs.
TradeBooked
The booking lands on your calendar, under your name, paid into your account, with the customer saved to your records for next time.
Feature by feature
The short version. Tick what you need, see who has it.
What is Checkatrade Express?
Express is Checkatrade's managed booking service. A customer describes a job, gets an instant fixed price set by Checkatrade, picks a slot and pays through the platform. Checkatrade matches the job to a checked trade who accepts it. Checkatrade states there are no monthly fees, just a fee on each completed job, and the trade is paid after the job is marked complete.
Express is a real improvement on the old pay-monthly-for-leads model: no subscription, no bidding, and the work is paid for up front. The trade-off is control. Checkatrade sets the price, holds the payment and keeps the customer, so every repeat job is theirs to charge you for again. Express is a fine way to fill a quiet week. TradeBooked is how you build a customer base that is actually yours. Use Express to win a stranger once if you like, then use TradeBooked so the second job comes straight to you.
Frequently asked questions
What is Checkatrade Express and how is it different from classic Checkatrade?
How much does Checkatrade Express charge tradespeople?
Do I get paid directly with Checkatrade Express?
Does Checkatrade Express let me set my own prices?
Can I use Checkatrade Express and TradeBooked together?
Ready to try TradeBooked?
10-day free trial. No credit card. No commission. UK trades only* (for now).
We're UK-only today, with other markets on the way. Outside the UK? Get in touch and we'll let you know when we're in your market.
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Based on Checkatrade Express's publicly published information (Checkatrade Express website), reviewed 2026-05-31. Spot something wrong? Tell us.