Terms of service

Poolsy lets a host create a private, invitation-only pool for an event — a baby reveal, a wedding, a birthday, a golf trip, an office celebration. The host names a designated recipient. Invited participants make contributions to that recipient's gift fund, and everyone can join in a fun prediction about the outcome for entertainment. When the event happens, the gift fund goes to the person, couple or group, or registered charity the host named.

Poolsy is not a bookmaker, casino, or betting operator. Poolsy does not set odds, does not take a position against you, and has no house edge. Contributions are gifts to the designated recipient; predictions are for entertainment among invited participants and do not determine who receives money by default. The gift fund is only ever the money participants contribute, and it always leaves the platform to the recipient the host named.

You must be at least 19 years old and legally able to enter a contract where you live. We ask for your date of birth at signup and refuse accounts below that age. You must use your real identity and one account per person.

The host creates the pool, invites participants, names the designated recipient, sets the contribution amount, and confirms the outcome once the event happens (for the entertainment prediction only). Pools are private and invitation-only. Poolsy does not referee outcomes and does not verify events. Only start or join a pool with people you trust.

Hosts must confirm outcomes honestly and promptly. We may cancel a pool and refund every contribution if we believe an outcome was declared in bad faith or a pool is being used to route money away from the designated recipient.

Poolsy keeps 2.5%, taken once when the gift fund is distributed. Card processing (2.9% + 30¢ per entry) is charged by Stripe on each contribution as it comes in and is never received by Poolsy. Every pool shows this breakdown before you pay.

Distributions are sent through Stripe. Before any money moves, the designated recipient must complete Stripe's onboarding, which can include their legal name, date of birth, government ID, and bank details. Poolsy never sees or stores ID documents or bank account numbers.

A distribution stays on hold until Stripe confirms the recipient's account is verified and eligible. If a recipient never completes verification, the gift fund is refunded to the contributors instead.

Charities listed on Poolsy are shown for convenience. Unless a charity page says otherwise, Poolsy is not their agent and does not issue tax receipts. A charity distribution only sends once that organisation has a verified payout account.

No pools built around harm, illegal activity, or the misfortune of a specific person. No commercial bookmaking, no pools open to the public as a business, no money laundering or moving funds on someone else's behalf, no pools where you control both the confirmed outcome and the distribution.

We may suspend accounts, cancel pools, and refund contributions for any of the above.

Refund and dispute rules live on the Refunds & disputes page and form part of these terms.

Poolsy is provided as-is. We are not responsible for a host confirming the wrong outcome, a recipient refusing verification, disagreements between friends about an event, or delays caused by Stripe or a bank. To the extent the law allows, our total liability to you is limited to the Poolsy fees you paid us in the twelve months before the claim.

We may update these terms; material changes will be announced in the app. These terms are governed by the laws of Ontario, Canada, and the courts there have exclusive jurisdiction.