Pricing, Fees & Refunds
Last updated: September 5, 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. For purchases you make from a venue — drinks, tickets, and VIP reservations — the venue is the merchant of record: the payment is made to the venue through Stripe, and BarMatch collects a separate service fee on top. The venue sets its own prices, taxes, and refund policy.
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 | $1.99 (one-time; free during the launch period) | One-time purchase, never a subscription. Required for the Match Game and before sending/accepting drinks, tickets, or VIP. Charged only after you consent to biometric processing in-app and proceed — declining consent is never charged. Waived with Premium. Paid verification includes 3 bonus refreshments; free launch-period verification includes 1. |
| 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. Authorised when you send the offer and charged only when the offer reaches a completed state. 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. For purchases from a venue (drinks, tickets, VIP), the venue is the merchant of record and decides refunds under the refund policy it posts; the BarMatch service fee is not returned when a venue refunds the purchase price. It is returned to you when BarMatch issues the refund — see “When BarMatch refunds you” below.
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. Note that the verification fee (free during the launch period; later a $1.99 one-time charge, never a subscription) is collected only after you provide biometric consent in-app and proceed — if you decline consent, no biometric data is created and you are never charged.
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 is captured on the same charge and 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.
- Accepted but not redeemed before the venue closed — no charge at all; the full pre-authorization is released. The recipient wanted the drink, so if the bar closed before it was poured you are not charged — not even the $2.00 service fee.
- Declined or ignored by the recipient, or refused for intoxication — only the $2.00 service fee is charged; the drink portion is not.
Outside of these outcomes, the recipient's and staff's decisions are final. If we charged you in error — a technical failure on our side, an amount you were not shown, or a double charge — contact support@barmatch.com and we will refund it in full. BarMatch does not sell or serve alcohol; the licensed venue is the seller of record for every drink.
Event tickets & VIP reservations (Stripe)
The venue is the merchant of record for tickets and VIP reservations, so refunds are at the hosting venue's discretion and follow the refund policy posted on that event or VIP offer when you purchased. You can request a refund in the app from the ticket in your wallet (choose a reason); the venue then approves or declines it. If the venue approves, you are refunded the ticket price and any tax you paid, and your ticket is voided. The BarMatch service fee is non-refundable. Each venue also provides a support email you can reach directly, shown on your ticket.
The venue is the merchant of record, so its refund decision is final on the merits of its own posted policy — if it declines your request, follow up with the venue directly using the support email shown on your ticket. BarMatch does not overrule a venue's judgement about its own policy.
We refund you ourselves, in full and including the service fee, in three cases: a technical failure on our side meant you were charged and got no valid ticket, VIP reservation or drink offer; you were charged an amount you were not shown, or were charged twice; or we are required to refund by law, a regulator, or our payment processor. You do not need the venue's agreement, and it does not matter whether they have already declined. If you were charged but received nothing, contact support@barmatch.com.
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 & purchase abuse
Before disputing a charge with your bank, please request a refund in the app or contact us first at support@barmatch.com — we can almost always resolve it faster than a formal dispute. We monitor purchases for fraud and abuse and may decline, hold, or refuse transactions. Accounts that show a pattern of fraudulent purchases, abusive refund requests, or chargebacks may have purchasing restricted (you can still use the rest of the app) or, in serious cases, be suspended.
Contact
Questions about a charge, refund, or cancellation? Email support@barmatch.com or use our contact form.