diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6560657..62e6f5b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -12,3 +12,4 @@ appointments/
 test.py
 *.pyc
 .cache
+.pytest_cache/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pisa/api.py b/pisa/api.py
index a218af2..c91513e 100644
--- a/pisa/api.py
+++ b/pisa/api.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def get_appointment():
 
     if appointment_in_watcher:
         for uuid in appointment_in_watcher:
-            appointment_data = watcher.appointments[uuid].to_json()
+            appointment_data = watcher.appointments[uuid].to_dict()
             appointment_data['status'] = "being_watched"
             response.append(appointment_data)
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ def get_appointment():
 
         for job in responder_jobs.values():
             if job.locator == locator:
-                job_data = job.to_json()
+                job_data = job.to_dict()
                 job_data['status'] = "dispute_responded"
                 response.append(job_data)
 
@@ -98,11 +98,11 @@ def get_all_appointments():
 
     if request.remote_addr in request.host or request.remote_addr == '127.0.0.1':
         for uuid, appointment in watcher.appointments.items():
-            watcher_appointments[uuid] = appointment.to_json()
+            watcher_appointments[uuid] = appointment.to_dict()
 
         if watcher.responder:
             for uuid, job in watcher.responder.jobs.items():
-                responder_jobs[uuid] = job.to_json()
+                responder_jobs[uuid] = job.to_dict()
 
         response = jsonify({"watcher_appointments": watcher_appointments, "responder_jobs": responder_jobs})
 
diff --git a/pisa/appointment.py b/pisa/appointment.py
index 39569f9..f8a442a 100644
--- a/pisa/appointment.py
+++ b/pisa/appointment.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class Appointment:
         self.cipher = cipher
         self.hash_function = hash_function
 
-    def to_json(self):
+    def to_dict(self):
         appointment = {"locator": self.locator, "start_time": self.start_time, "end_time": self.end_time,
                        "dispute_delta": self.dispute_delta, "encrypted_blob": self.encrypted_blob.data,
                        "cipher": self.cipher, "hash_function": self.hash_function}
@@ -24,5 +24,5 @@ class Appointment:
 
         # ToDO: #3-improve-appointment-structure
 
-    def serialize(self):
-        return json.dumps(self.to_json())
+    def to_json(self):
+        return json.dumps(self.to_dict())
diff --git a/pisa/responder.py b/pisa/responder.py
index 0b948e0..6a1457d 100644
--- a/pisa/responder.py
+++ b/pisa/responder.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class Job:
         #        can be directly got from DB
         self.locator = sha256(unhexlify(dispute_txid)).hexdigest()
 
-    def to_json(self):
+    def to_dict(self):
         job = {"locator": self.locator, "justice_rawtx": self.justice_rawtx, "appointment_end": self.appointment_end}
 
         return job
diff --git a/pisa/watcher.py b/pisa/watcher.py
index e3aa405..03743f6 100644
--- a/pisa/watcher.py
+++ b/pisa/watcher.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class Watcher:
             logger.info("New appointment accepted.", locator=appointment.locator)
 
             if (self.signing_key is not None):
-                signature = self.signing_key.sign(appointment.serialize().encode('utf8'))
+                signature = self.signing_key.sign(appointment.to_json().encode('utf8'))
 
         else:
             appointment_added = False
diff --git a/test/unit/test_appointment.py b/test/unit/test_appointment.py
index 0caf459..b1fa6bb 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_appointment.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_appointment.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from os import urandom
+import json
 from pytest import fixture
 
 from pisa.appointment import Appointment
@@ -35,13 +36,25 @@ def test_init_appointment(appointment_data):
             and dispute_delta == appointment.dispute_delta and hash_function == appointment.hash_function)
 
 
+def test_to_dict(appointment_data):
+    locator, start_time, end_time, dispute_delta, encrypted_blob_data, cipher, hash_function = appointment_data
+    appointment = Appointment(locator, start_time, end_time, dispute_delta, encrypted_blob_data, cipher, hash_function)
+
+    dict_appointment = appointment.to_dict()
+
+    assert (locator == dict_appointment.get("locator") and start_time == dict_appointment.get("start_time")
+            and end_time == dict_appointment.get("end_time") and dispute_delta == dict_appointment.get("dispute_delta")
+            and cipher == dict_appointment.get("cipher") and hash_function == dict_appointment.get("hash_function")
+            and encrypted_blob_data == dict_appointment.get("encrypted_blob"))
+
+
 def test_to_json(appointment_data):
     locator, start_time, end_time, dispute_delta, encrypted_blob_data, cipher, hash_function = appointment_data
     appointment = Appointment(locator, start_time, end_time, dispute_delta, encrypted_blob_data, cipher, hash_function)
 
-    json_appointment = appointment.to_json()
+    dict_appointment = json.loads(appointment.to_json())
 
-    assert (locator == json_appointment.get("locator") and start_time == json_appointment.get("start_time")
-            and end_time == json_appointment.get("end_time") and dispute_delta == json_appointment.get("dispute_delta")
-            and cipher == json_appointment.get("cipher") and hash_function == json_appointment.get("hash_function")
-            and encrypted_blob_data == json_appointment.get("encrypted_blob"))
+    assert (locator == dict_appointment.get("locator") and start_time == dict_appointment.get("start_time")
+            and end_time == dict_appointment.get("end_time") and dispute_delta == dict_appointment.get("dispute_delta")
+            and cipher == dict_appointment.get("cipher") and hash_function == dict_appointment.get("hash_function")
+            and encrypted_blob_data == dict_appointment.get("encrypted_blob"))