Pricing, Fees & Refunds

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

Card payments — processed by Stripe

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 non-refundable and is not returned when a venue refunds the purchase price.

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 (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)

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 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 — if it declines your request, follow up with the venue directly using the support email shown on your ticket. BarMatch support handles problems with BarMatch itself, not appeals of a venue's refund decision: for example, if we're unable to deliver a ticket you paid for (an event sells out during checkout), we refund you in full, including the service fee. 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.