Pricing, Fees & Refunds
Last updated: July 7, 2026
This page summarizes what BarMatch charges, who processes each payment, and how refunds and cancellations work. It restates the pricing and refund terms in Sections 6, 7, and 8 of our Terms of Service; if anything here conflicts with the Terms, the Terms control. All prices are in U.S. dollars.
How payments are processed
BarMatch uses two separate payment channels, and it matters which one a charge runs through — especially for refunds:
- In-app purchases (chat refreshments, identity verification, and the consumer Premium subscription) are billed by the Apple App Store on iOS and the Google Play Store on Android. Refunds for these are handled by Apple or Google under their policies, not by BarMatch directly.
- Card payments (Buy-a-Drink, event tickets, VIP reservations, the venue-owner Premium subscription, and venue advertising) are processed by Stripe using a card you save in the app. We never store your card number — only a tokenized reference.
Pricing & fees
In-app purchases — billed by Apple App Store / Google Play
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chat refreshment (single) | $0.99 | Extends an active chat window. |
| Chat refreshments (3-pack) | $1.99 | Three refreshments at a discount. |
| Identity verification | $2.99 (one-time) | Required before sending/accepting drinks, tickets, or VIP. Waived with Premium (and includes 3 bonus refreshments). |
| Premium (consumer) | $4.99 / month | Auto-renews monthly via the App Store / Play Store. Cancel anytime in your store subscription settings. |
Card payments — processed by Stripe
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buy-a-Drink service fee | $2.00 per offer | BarMatch's fee. Charged when you send the offer. The drink price, tax, and gratuity (set by the venue) are separate and paid to the venue via Stripe Connect only when the drink is served. |
| Event ticket service fee | 10% of ticket price (5% with Premium) | Added on top of the venue's ticket price. |
| VIP reservation service fee | 10% of VIP price (5% with Premium) | Added on top of the venue's VIP price. |
| Deal redemption | Free | No charge and no service fee. |
| Premium (venue owner) | $29.99 / month ($24.99 each for multiple venues) | Billed via Stripe Checkout. Cancel anytime in the dashboard. |
| Venue advertising | $0.50 per click / $10.00 per 1,000 impressions | Venue-owner ad campaigns (50% off for Premium venues). Prepaid from an ad balance. |
Every fee is disclosed again at the moment of purchase, before you confirm. Sales tax, where applicable, is calculated and added at checkout. We may adjust fees prospectively; changes never affect a transaction already in progress.
Refunds
All purchases are non-refundable except as stated below or as required by law.
In-app purchases (refreshments, verification, consumer Premium)
These are billed by Apple or Google. Refund requests for in-app purchases must go to the store that processed them — contact Apple or Google directly. Identity verification is otherwise non-refundable.
Buy-a-Drink (Stripe)
When you send a drink, we place a hold on your card for the full amount (drink + tax + gratuity + $2.00 service fee). What you are actually charged depends on the outcome:
- Drink served — full amount charged: the drink price, tax, and gratuity go to the venue via Stripe Connect; the $2.00 service fee (already captured when you sent the offer) is retained by BarMatch.
- Refused for out-of-stock, or refused for “other” operational/ID reasons — no charge at all; the full pre-authorization is released.
- Refused for intoxication, declined by the recipient, or expired un-redeemed — only the $2.00 service fee is charged; the drink portion is not.
Outside of these outcomes, Buy-a-Drink purchases are non-refundable and the recipient's and staff's decisions are final. BarMatch does not sell or serve alcohol; the licensed venue is the seller of record for every drink.
Event tickets & VIP reservations (Stripe)
Refunds for tickets and VIP reservations are at the hosting venue's discretion and follow the refund policy posted on that event or VIP offer at the time you purchased. Contact the venue, or email support@barmatch.com and we'll help coordinate.
Deals
Deals are free to redeem, so no refunds apply.
Subscription cancellation
- Consumer Premium ($4.99/mo) auto-renews through the App Store / Play Store. Cancel anytime in your store subscription settings; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period and you keep Premium until then. Store-billed subscription refunds are issued by Apple or Google, not by BarMatch.
- Venue-owner Premium ($29.99/mo, or $24.99 each for multiple venues) auto-renews through Stripe Checkout. Cancel anytime in your venue-owner dashboard or by emailing support; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. Partial-month refunds are not provided.
Chargebacks
We monitor purchases for fraud and may decline, hold, or refuse transactions, or suspend accounts that show fraudulent or chargeback-prone patterns. If you believe you were charged in error, please contact us first at support@barmatch.com — we can usually resolve it faster than a formal dispute.
Contact
Questions about a charge, refund, or cancellation? Email support@barmatch.com or use our contact form.