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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about PoolJar · Can't find your answer? support@pooljar.app

TL;DR — Quick Answers

✓First payout: 7–14 days (Stripe verifies your account). After that, 2 business days.
✓Your money is safe: Stripe (PCI Level 1) handles all funds. PoolJar never touches your money.
✓No passwords: Sign in with Google, Apple, Facebook, or a magic email link.
✓Bot protection: Cloudflare Turnstile runs silently — no annoying CAPTCHAs.
✓AI is optional: AI generates nudge templates and themes. Your data isn't used for training.

Payouts & Timing

How long until I get my money?

Payout timing is determined by Stripe, not PoolJar. Here's what to expect for US-based accounts:

✓First payout: 7–14 days after your first successful payment. Stripe uses this period to verify your identity and bank details.
✓Subsequent payouts: 2 business days. Once Stripe has verified your account, funds from each payment settle on a rolling 2 business-day schedule.
✓Weekends & holidays: Payouts only process on banking business days. A Friday charge won't arrive until the following Tuesday at the earliest.

Can I get paid faster?

Stripe offers Instant Payouts on eligible debit cards for an additional fee. This is managed entirely through your Stripe Express Dashboard and is not controlled by PoolJar.

Why is my payout on hold?

Stripe may pause payouts if they need additional verification documents (government ID, proof of address, etc.) or if unusual activity is detected. Check your Stripe Express Dashboard for any pending action items. PoolJar cannot override or expedite Stripe's review process.

Stripe & Payments

How do I access my Stripe Dashboard?

You can open your Stripe Express Dashboard directly from PoolJar:

✓Step 1: Sign in to PoolJar and go to Settings (gear icon in the sidebar or bottom tabs).
✓Step 2: Scroll to the Stripe Connect section.
✓Step 3: Click "Open Stripe Dashboard." This opens your Stripe Express Dashboard in a new tab.

From the Stripe Dashboard you can view your balance, payout history, upcoming payouts, and update your bank account details. This dashboard is managed entirely by Stripe — PoolJar does not have access to it.

What is Stripe Connect Express?

Stripe Connect Express is a payment platform operated by Stripe, Inc. — a publicly traded, PCI Level 1 certified payments company. When you create a Pool, you onboard directly with Stripe and create your own Stripe Express account. PoolJar does not manage, own, or have access to your Stripe account or your funds at any point.

Does PoolJar hold my money?

No. PoolJar never holds, possesses, or controls any funds. All money flows directly from the Contributor's card to the Organizer's Stripe Express account. PoolJar is purely the software layer that facilitates the collection.

What are the fees and how are they different?

There are two separate fees on every transaction — one goes to Stripe, the other to PoolJar:

✓Stripe processing fee (2.9% + $0.30): This is Stripe's standard card-processing fee. It goes directly to Stripe — PoolJar does not receive any portion of it.
✓PoolJar platform fee (1.5% + $0.25, capped at $5.00): This is PoolJar's service fee for providing the software. No matter how large the contribution, the platform fee never exceeds $5.00.

Example: $50.00 contribution

Contribution amount$50.00

Stripe fee (2.9% + $0.30)−$1.75

PoolJar fee (1.5% + $0.25)−$1.00

Organizer receives$47.25

If the contributor opts to cover the fees, they pay $52.78 and the organizer receives the full $50.00.

Can I get a refund?

Because funds go directly to the Organizer's Stripe account, PoolJar cannot issue refunds. Refund requests must be handled between the Contributor and the Organizer. The PoolJar platform fee is non-refundable. See our Terms of Use for full details.

Security & Verification

What is the bot verification when I pay?

PoolJar uses Cloudflare Turnstile, a privacy-preserving challenge that verifies you're a real person without invasive CAPTCHAs. It runs automatically during checkout to protect against automated fraud and card-testing attacks. You typically won't even notice it.

Is my payment information secure?

Yes. Your card details are handled entirely by Stripe's PCI Level 1 certified infrastructure — the highest level of payment security. PoolJar never sees, stores, or processes your card number. Apple Pay and Google Pay transactions are additionally authenticated via biometric verification on your device.

What is 3D Secure?

3D Secure (3DS) is an extra authentication step required by some card issuers. When triggered, you'll see a pop-up from your bank asking you to confirm the payment (via code, app approval, or biometrics). This protects both the Contributor and the Organizer from unauthorized transactions.

Accounts & Sign-In

How do I sign in?

PoolJar supports multiple sign-in methods for your convenience:

✓Google: Sign in with your Google account. Fastest option if you use Gmail.
✓Apple: Sign in with Apple. You can choose to hide your email for extra privacy.
✓Facebook: Sign in with your Facebook account. Requires a Facebook account with a verified email.
✓Email (Magic Link): Enter your email and we'll send you a one-time sign-in link. No password needed.

Do I need an account to contribute?

No. Contributors can pay via Guest Checkout using Apple Pay or Google Pay without creating an account. Your name and email are captured from the payment method so the Organizer knows who contributed.

What happens if I use Apple's "Hide My Email"?

When you sign in with Apple, you can choose to hide your real email. Apple generates a unique private relay address (e.g. abc123@privaterelay.appleid.com) that forwards messages to your actual inbox. This works fine with PoolJar — you'll still receive all notifications and receipts.

Important: This may create a separate account

Because the private relay email is different from your real email, PoolJar treats it as a separate account. If you already signed in with Google or Facebook using a different email, you will end up with multiple PoolJar accounts. This means:

!Pools you created on one account won't appear on the other.
!Your Stripe Connect dashboard is tied to each account separately.
!Contributions made under one account won't show on the other.

Tip: To avoid this, choose "Share My Email" when signing in with Apple, or consistently use the same sign-in method (Google, Facebook, or Apple) every time.

AI Features

AI Features Features

What AI features does PoolJar use?

PoolJar uses AI to help Organizers communicate effectively:

✓Nudge Templates: AI-generated payment reminder messages in various tones (friendly, urgent, humorous) that Organizers can customize before sending.
✓Thank You Notes: Auto-generated appreciation messages after someone contributes to the Pool.
✓Pool Themes: AI-suggested visual themes based on the Pool title and category.

Are there limits on AI features?

Yes. To keep costs manageable and prevent abuse, AI-generated content (nudges, thank you notes, and themes) is rate-limited per user. You'll see a notice if you reach the limit. Limits reset periodically and are generous enough for normal use.

Is my data used to train AI models?

Pool titles and categories are sent to our AI providers (OpenAI / Vercel AI) to generate themes and messages. This data is anonymized where possible. We do not use your personal information, payment data, or contributor lists to train any AI models. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Still have questions?

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