What CHIP costs. In full.

A thin platform fee on processed donation volume. Optional SaaS tiers for advanced features. No hidden charges. No asterisks that lead to fine print. If a number is still being finalized, we say so.

"Every chip, followable."

How CHIP earns money.

CHIP takes a small, transparent percentage of donation volume processed through the platform. This is the primary revenue model — not selling data, not hiding fees, not pay-to-win.

Fee Amount What it covers
CHIP platform fee TBD % — being finalized with payment processor; will publish before any creator signs up Platform operations, game engine, Glass Ledger service, compliance infrastructure, support
Payment processing Pass-through (processor's rate) Card network fees, processing costs — shown separately, never marked up
Total cost to creator Platform fee + processing Both shown transparently in every payout statement

Benchmark context: We are benchmarking against political and nonprofit fundraising platforms. Our commitment: CHIP's total cost will be at or below the industry standard, and fully disclosed. No "volume discounts" that hide the real rate. No "call for pricing."

What the fee is not:

  • Not a cut of the cause's other revenue
  • Not a per-player charge
  • Not a data sale
  • Not a markup on processing

Player option: Players can optionally tip CHIP to cover the platform fee — the "keep CHIP free for causes" toggle. This is opt-in, clearly labeled, and never pre-checked.

Three tiers. Pick what you need.

All tiers include the core platform: chip-in payments, Glass Ledger, compliance infrastructure, and player-facing arcade. Tiers unlock additional cabinets, tools, and support.

Starter

$0/mo

For causes launching their first arcade. Everything you need to run the loop.

  • Core cabinets: Streak, Boss Battles, Glass Ledger, Badge Vault
  • CHIP co-branding on your arcade
  • Standard platform fee
  • Standard support
  • One arcade per account
  • Creator Launch Wizard

Pro

TBD

For growing causes that want all 12 cabinets, deeper analytics, and a custom domain.

  • All 12 cabinets
  • Data feeds (FEC, lobbying, contracts — for Swear Jar and Boss mechanics)
  • Lower platform fee (volume-based tier)
  • Custom domain for your arcade
  • Advanced analytics (retention cohorts, streak survival, viral coefficient)
  • Guardrail metrics dashboard (fatigue, complaints)
  • Priority support
  • Up to 3 arcades

Movement

TBD

For established organizations running multiple arcades or needing white-glove compliance.

  • Everything in Pro
  • Multi-arcade management (unlimited)
  • API access for custom integrations
  • White-glove compliance review (per arcade)
  • Priority support with SLAs
  • Custom badge art and overlays (optional add-on)
  • Dedicated onboarding

Things we will never charge for.

  • Player accounts. Creating an account, joining an arcade, building streaks, earning badges — always free.
  • The Glass Ledger. Reading it, linking to it, verifying it — free for everyone.
  • Badges. Earned through action, never purchased. No pay-to-win. No badge store.
  • Data portability. Export your data, your streaks, your impact receipts. It's yours.
  • The Constitution. The anti-manipulation pledge applies at every tier. We don't sell honesty as a premium feature.

Cover the fee if you want to.

Players can optionally add a small tip to cover CHIP's platform fee on their chip-in. This is:

  • Opt-in — never pre-checked, never default
  • Clearly labeled — "Add $X.XX to cover CHIP's platform fee"
  • Honest about what it is — it's a tip to CHIP, not a donation to the cause
  • Not tax-deductible — even if the cause is a 501(c)(3)

Players who tip are not "premium players." They get no extra badges, no special access, no leaderboard boost. Tipping is functionally anonymous to other players. It's just a way to support the platform if you want to.

The rules our pricing follows.

  1. Every number is public. No "contact sales." No hidden enterprise tiers.
  2. Every fee is explained. You know what you're paying and what it covers.
  3. No asterisk that hides a cost. If a fee exists, it's on this page.
  4. No pay-to-win. Badges and status are earned. Money buys nothing inside the game.
  5. No data monetization. Player data is never sold, rented, or traded. This is a pricing commitment, not just a privacy one.
  6. "TBD" means TBD. We don't publish fake numbers while we finalize real ones. A blank is more honest than a lie.

FAQ

Q: Why a percentage fee rather than a flat subscription?
A: So CHIP's incentive aligns with the cause's success. If a cause raises more, CHIP earns more. If a cause raises nothing, CHIP earns nothing. The platform fee ties our revenue to creator outcomes.
Q: Are there setup fees?
A: No. The Starter tier is free. Pro and Movement tiers may have onboarding/setup if white-glove service is included — that will be on this page when determined.
Q: Can a cause switch tiers?
A: Yes. Upgrade or downgrade anytime. Data and player relationships are never held hostage.
Q: Are donations processed through CHIP?
A: No. CHIP is a technology layer. All funds are processed by [payment processor name] and settle directly to each cause's designated account. CHIP never takes custody of donations. The platform fee is calculated on processed volume and billed separately.
Q: Does CHIP take a cut of donations?
A: No. CHIP charges a platform fee based on volume processed. The donation itself goes entirely to the cause (minus the standard payment processing fee). CHIP's fee is separate and transparent.