How BackBoard works
Fees, holds, withdrawals and taxes — no fine print games.
- What does BackBoard cost?
- We take exactly 5% of the gross amount funded. Stripe charges card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 per checkout. At checkout you can tick 'Cover processing fees so builders get more' — it's on by default — and then the processing cost comes out of your card charge instead of the builders' share.
- How much does a builder actually receive?
- Fund $50 with the cover-fees box ticked and you pay $51.75, Stripe takes $1.75, we take $2.50, and the builder receives $47.50. Leave it unticked and you pay $50, Stripe takes $1.75, we take $2.50, and the builder receives $45.75. Every checkout shows these four numbers live before you pay.
- Why can't I fund some projects?
- Projects are listed as soon as their site is verified, but they can only receive money once their Stripe payout account is fully active. Until then they show 'Not yet accepting funds' and can't be added to a slate.
- When can a builder withdraw?
- Funding is held for 7 days after payment to cover card disputes, then it moves to your available balance. Withdrawals are always owner-initiated — we never push money out on a schedule you didn't ask for.
- Are withdrawals free?
- Withdrawing is free at $50 or more. Below $50 you can still withdraw early for a flat $2.50 fee, shown as exact arithmetic before you confirm. The minimum early withdrawal balance is $5.
- Does my balance ever expire?
- No. Your balance never expires. There is no deadline to withdraw and we never reclaim unwithdrawn funds.
- Can funding be refunded?
- Before funds are transferred we can reverse a payment. Once funds have been transferred to a builder, payments are not refundable — treat funding like backing a project, not buying a product.
- How do the leaderboards rank people?
- Top funders are ranked by the number of distinct projects they've funded — funding the same project twice still counts once — with total dollars funded as a secondary sortable metric. Top funded businesses are ranked by gross dollars received.
- What about taxes?
- Funding you receive is generally taxable business income, not a charitable donation, and BackBoard is not a tax-exempt organisation. Stripe may issue you a 1099-K based on your payment volume. We don't provide tax advice — talk to your own accountant.