Many providers ask that the donation be placed in an envelope. Most make a point of not taking it until after the session. I assume they think this somehow protects them from LE stings, etc. Perhaps the logic is that this is an offer but not acceptance so  'no contracted business'.  

If you're in a room with LE, then you're busted.  End of story.

Which leaves the question why the envelope ritual is very often requested by providers. I don't have an issue witb it but curious why this is so commonly required.
 

my thoughts are these.... there are a lot of myths and beliefs that may or may not be true.  I've seen many different preferences for the payment, envelope, no envelope at all ( cash spread out on the table I guess)  envelope marked "donation"  or "gift" . Just never handed directly to the provider.  Personally, I fail to see the protection for either party but I will always comply with the ladies' directions.
I also have questions about legal disclaimers on websites that the money is strictly for the provider's time only. Never for a specific act. Yet, many providers will set a price on their additional offerings, Greek being the most common upsell. I think naming a price for an act completely negates the disclaimer about money for time.  
DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer.

At the risk of stating what Joe Jackson once termed a "sexist observation", I think some gals are very skittish about the whole subject of money, and therefore, for their own mental equilibrium, prefer to have the subject an arm's length away from the encounter; something that the envelope helps ensure.

I do think there are a lot of myths out there and combinations of behaviors and rituals that make one feel safe.  Certainly discussing particular acts, menus, or assumed and scheduled activities is entrapping.  Many ladies end the possibility of meeting at the moment the conversation heads that way.  Based on my experience, I doubt that all ladies hold as rigid to this as claimed.  I have on many occasions asked the gent doing this to please cease to assume how it is we wil spend out time together...this can scare newbies away, but also is to be a reassurance to them that I am safe and that I will control these variables to keep us all safe.

I always have a small "Thank you" card in an unmarked envelope in which I leave my "gift" for the lady I am seeing.

I would like to post my personal experience with LE. Not to frighten anyone, but when I first started what I do, I had an appointment set a few days ahead at the lovely National Casino & Hotel Resort which was about $1500-$5000 a night for one room. A man had verified who he was(not with an ID however) and we had chatted several times prior to the appointment. I was comfortable with meeting him because LE doesnt have the budget to spend more than $100 on a room per night depending on the city/county you are in. So I got into the  hotel an so went to the lobby, he came down & he was dressed in a suit and tie. We did our greeting and talked for a bit. Well he was a gentlemen, very nice. After we conversed, we walked to his room. Beautiful, large , upscale. As I walked in, he says make yourself comfortable. OH and keep in mind, this was a two hour appointment for $1000. So I ask to use the bathroom first and he was like "Let  me go first" & I was like okay I guess(not thinking anything of it). Then before he enters the bathroom, he says, here is your donation, and he placed it on the counter. I could clearly see 10 one hundred dollar bills. So he placed it on the chest. Then he walks into the bathroom, opens the closet and bathroom door and two cops come out and say POLICE, PUT your hands behind  your head. I did NOT even touch the money nor did we discuss ANYTHING that suggests we were doing anything intimate. Once you are IN THAT room with LE, you're busted. They do not care. So they open up the door that is connected to another hotel room, I walk inside and there are two other escorts sitting on the bed in handcuffs.  I was so shocked, then about 16 cops/detectives entered the room. They were on the phone with other escorts. I had to sit in the room with two other girls for hours. Then every 15-30 min, they would bust another girl in the same room. A few of the girls were women charging $500-$800 an hour and some girls were charging $100 an hour.... One girl was charging $800 an hour and she worked for an escort agency, which they do hard  verification  there. I was a shocked. Then they had cops paying for girls UBERS, going down stairs and paying for girls TAXI cabs!!! The undercovers even went as far as getting NAKED with some of the girls. Depending on who you had. One guy, he went and paid for the girls taxi, then they walked holding arms to the bar in the lobby & order two drinks for themselves. They talked then came to the room. He got completely naked and she got naked as well, he then cuddled with her on the bed and then says he needs to lock the side door, gets up, puts his robe on and walks to the side door and opens it. & she jumps up and screams and i'm sitting in the other room watching this happened. It was so insane. These cops truly did business way different than the typical stings. They would even do the police check with the cops. They ended up busting  25 escorts in one day. We went to jail, I ended up getting out and moving to a new state for a little while. The cops in this county were just putting a huge budget into the sex trafficking bust. Now, of course they were busting high end providers, and then the girls who charge very low prices on BP. There were a mix. They didn't care about the price or anything. So your not safe regardless once you're in the room with LE. Even if you don't touch the money.

That this would be seen as the manner of payment and giving the provider no cover at all.

I know this is a bit late, but from what I experienced, yes, if you are in the room you will probably get arrested, but, if you didn't take/give anyone money, didn't discuss any sexual acts, your case will more than likely get tossed out in court. Can't be convicted of soliciting a prostitute, if you didn't.  That's why I like to talk for 5 minutes or so, to see what the lady is about. If she starts talking about what I want to do, or bringing up sex acts, I say, I just wanted to talk. Then, in court, all they can say I did was ask to talk.