The OSCAR process

How OSCAR works

From describing the job to the professional at your door — here is every step, in plain terms.

Five steps, zero surprises

Everything that happens between tapping "book" and the job being done.

Describe the job

Choose your service category, describe the problem in a few lines, and optionally upload a photo. The more detail you give, the more precise your price estimate. Takes under a minute for most jobs.

Get your fixed price

Our AI estimates job complexity from your description and photo, then returns a single flat price before you commit. No ranges, no "it depends". The number you see is the number you pay — unless specialty materials above the standard threshold are needed, in which case those are quoted separately upfront.

Choose your slot

You see available same-day and next-day windows, each with a professional arrival confidence score. Our scheduler has already accounted for the professional's current location, travel time to your address, and job complexity to set a realistic window — not a vague "morning" or "afternoon".

Professional arrives — tracked in real time

Once booked, you get a live map showing the professional's route to your door. Their name, trade, and photo appear before they arrive. They show credentials at the door. No need to wonder who is ringing the bell.

Job done — pay by card

No cash, no invoice chasing. Payment is card-only, processed through the app after the job is confirmed complete. The amount charged matches the fixed price you confirmed at booking — exactly.

Behind the booking

The scheduling engine

Three inputs. One slot that actually holds.

Getting a professional to your door at the time promised is harder than it looks. Most services fail here. OSCAR's scheduler treats it as an optimisation problem with three live inputs:

Live traffic + travel time

The professional's current GPS position is factored in with real-time Porto traffic data. A plumber finishing a job in Matosinhos gets a realistic 40-minute travel estimate to Paranhos — not a map-straight-line guess.

Job complexity score

Estimated from your category, description, and photo — cross-referenced with historical duration data for that job type in similar apartments. A drain unblock averages 45 minutes. A boiler installation averages 3.5 hours. The scheduler knows the difference.

Professional ratings by job type

A plumber rated 4.9 for burst-pipe repairs but 4.1 for boiler installations gets different job-type assignments. Ratings are tracked per job category, not as a single average — so the right professional gets the right job.

Abstract visualization of OSCAR's AI scheduling algorithm inputs — traffic, job complexity, professional ratings

Professional trust

Who comes to your home

Before any professional enters a customer's home, they clear three checks. No exceptions.

License & credentials check

We verify the relevant Portuguese professional license for each trade: Alvará de Instalador for plumbers, EDP/ERSE certification for electricians. A submitted credential is confirmed against the issuing body where verifiable. Expired or unverifiable credentials: rejected.

Identity + background check

Identity is confirmed against government-issued documentation. We run a background check using available public records. This takes 1–2 business days. Professionals with relevant criminal history in the last 7 years do not proceed.

Probationary first two jobs

New professionals complete two supervised jobs before full activation. These jobs are monitored more closely: customer feedback is collected immediately, and any red flags trigger a review before they are cleared to take independent bookings.

Pricing model

Fixed price — how it actually works

The price you see before booking is the price on your receipt. We don't mean "approximate" or "starting from". We mean the number is locked after you confirm. If the job takes longer than our estimate, that's absorbed from the professional margin — not added to your invoice.

Base rate by job type

Each service category has a market-calibrated base rate reflecting what qualified professionals earn in Porto.

Complexity multiplier

Estimated from your description and photo. A simple tap replacement scores low. A bathroom retile scores higher. The multiplier adjusts the final price proportionally.

Travel adjustment

A small adjustment for outlying addresses in the Greater Porto area. Porto city centre: no adjustment. Outer municipalities: a flat supplement disclosed upfront.

Common questions

If a professional cannot make their window, we notify you immediately with a revised ETA or a replacement professional. You are not charged if we cannot honour the booking. We track no-show rates per professional — repeated failures lead to suspension.
Contact us within 48 hours of job completion. We investigate with the professional and, where fault is confirmed, arrange a rectification visit at no cost to you. Our dispute resolution process is described in detail on the contact page.
Yes. Reschedule up to 2 hours before the booked window at no charge. Cancellations within 2 hours of the window incur a €10 late-cancellation fee, as the professional's slot has been reserved.
Yes — same-day bookings are available seven days a week, including public holidays. Professional availability may be lower on Sunday afternoons and some bank holidays, which will be reflected in the slot options shown to you.
Card only — Visa, Mastercard, and MB Way (Portuguese mobile payment). No cash. Payment is processed through the app after the professional marks the job complete. You receive a digital receipt immediately.
OSCAR operates under GDPR. Your address and contact data are shared with the matched professional only for the duration of the job. We do not sell personal data. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.
Yes. In your booking history, you can mark a professional as a preference. When you next book the same service category, the scheduler prioritises them — subject to their availability and your chosen time window.
Porto city and the wider metropolitan area: Matosinhos, Maia, Gondomar, Vila Nova de Gaia, Espinho, Valongo, and Póvoa de Varzim. We are expanding to Braga and Aveiro in 2026.

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