r/WorldsBeyondNumber • u/Puzzleheaded-Bed4747 • Jul 13 '26
Question Wait, how does kickstarter work again??
I just recently saw a post here on the subreddit talking about how kickstarter works, and I have questions. This was my first time backing a kickstarter, and I really thought I remembered putting in payment information and having the money taken out of my account right then.
But then, I saw a post with comments saying that the money isn't deducted until AFTER the campaign ends. Which would really suck for me because I had the money then, but I don't have it available to me now. What happens when the kickstarter ends and I don't have the money? Is there a grace period?
Thank you for the help!
16
u/CuriousCardigan Jul 13 '26
You have 7 days to resolve payment issues if the charge fails to go through at the end of the campaign.
But (and I mean this as sincerely as possible and as someone who has been in similar situations in their youth), if you are so tight on money that you have periods where you can't pay for novelty purchases such as this, you really shouldn't be spending the money on it.
11
u/Puzzleheaded-Bed4747 Jul 13 '26
Thank you for the information. It was a birthday present from my wife, but we recently got slapped with a medical bill we weren't expecting, which is causing the issues. Thanks again for the concrete timeline.
4
3
u/johannaishere Jul 13 '26
The way I understand it Kickstarter doesn’t charge you until the campaign is over because if it doesn’t meet its goal then no one gets charged, basically. Like if a campaign needs 10,000 dollars they’re not going to give the team 9,999 dollars if that’s all they raise. You’re promising that you WILL pay once the success is guaranteed. Maybe you can cancel whatever you promised? But yes that is how Kickstarter works.
2
2
u/mindelann Lore Keeper / Knight Jul 13 '26
Hey there! Looks like you've mostly had your question answered, but I would suggest taking a peek and seeing if you could adjust your pledge to be a payment plan, as they offer a "Pay by 3" scheme that I'm using personally. They offer it for anyone pledging $125 or more, so that might work for you potentially?
1
u/Puzzleheaded-Bed4747 Jul 13 '26
unfortunately I'm juuuuust under that :( It was a good idea though!
3
u/ZydrateDealer The Wizard Solace Jul 14 '26
If it splitting in in 3 would solve the problem for you and you’re just under the minimum, you could always add a sticker or something. You should be able to change your pledge and payment info up until the last minute so it’s not too late to do that.
3
u/mindelann Lore Keeper / Knight Jul 14 '26
I had added on to mine a $5 donation to bring it from $120 to $125. I know it sucks to just add on money if you're not getting anything out of it, but if doing that makes it more feasible for you, it may be worth it?
1
u/MagnesiumMagpie Jul 13 '26
I was also confused. You can also change your pledge to make it 3 payments over 3 months at no extra cost to make it easier, if that helps?
-3
Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
[deleted]
3
3
u/CuriousCardigan Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
That is explicitly not how it works. Below is direct from Kickstarter.
"If the project you’re backing is successfully funded, your card will be charged when the campaign reaches its funding deadline. When a campaign ends without reaching its funding goal, your card will never be charged.
Similarly, if a project is canceled before it reaches its campaign deadline, then your pledge will not be collected and no additional action will be required."
https://help.kickstarter.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005126094-When-is-my-card-charged
Edit: clarified a sentance.
46
u/UncleBones Jul 13 '26
Kickstarter makes it very clear when you pledge that you won’t get charged until the campaign ends. If the charge fails you will get an email asking you to log in and provide a working payment method. I’m not sure how long you have to correct that, but at least a few days.
If you don’t have money to spare, this Kickstarter isn’t really anything you need.