What is the difference between a deal and a transfer?

This is the most important question on this page.

	Deal (escrow)	Transfer
Money is held until conditions are met	Yes	No
Can be disputed	Yes	No
Can be refunded	Yes, through a dispute	No, never
Speed	Held until you approve	Instant
Use it for	Paying for goods or work	Paying back a friend, sending money home

If you are paying a stranger for something, use a deal. Every week, somewhere, someone sends a transfer to a seller they met online and never hears from them again. A deal would have prevented it.