How BLACKdrop Works

Project Types

🌍 Public Projects

Open to everyone - any visitor can see project details and participate directly.

✅ Anyone can pledge during funding phase
✅ Anyone can purchase during group buy
💰 Non-pledgers may pay small premium (project dependent)
👥 Pledgers get best price guaranteed

🔒 Private Projects

Exclusive access - anyone can see details but email verification required to participate.

📧 Email verification required to pledge
📧 Email verification required to purchase
🛡️ Pre-registered customer access only
🎯 No premium pricing - all verified users get best price

Project Development Stages

🎯 1. Pledge Stage

Fund the prototype development

Back promising projects to fund their development. Your pledge helps creators build prototypes and validates market demand.

What You Get:
• Priority access to group buy
• Guaranteed best pricing
• Development updates
• Automatic pledge refund if you don't purchase

Important:
• This is funding, not a purchase
• Product ships only after group buy
• Variable conversion rate for MOQ calculations

📦 2. Prototyping Stage

Development and testing phase

Creators use pledge funds to develop, test, and refine their products. No purchasing available during this phase - development in progress.

👥 3. Group Buy Stage

Final product ready for purchase

Product is finalized and ready for manufacturing. Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) achieved through community buying power unlocks best pricing.

For Pledgers:
• Best price guaranteed (no premium)
• Private link via email
• Must purchase within deadline or get an automatic refund — less Stripe's fee (base 2.9% + 30¢, varies by country and payment type, almost always under 5%)

For Non-Pledgers:
• Public projects: May pay small premium (project dependent)
• Private projects: Email verification required
• Still great pricing through group buying

✅ 4. Completed Stage

Project finished and delivered

Group buy period has ended, products manufactured and shipped. Project archived as a success story for the community.

Pricing Model

MOQ Tier Pricing

Bulk purchasing power drives down costs. Higher order volumes unlock better pricing for everyone in the group buy.

Example Pricing Tiers:
50-99 units: $89.00 each
100-199 units: $79.00 each
200+ units: $69.00 each (best price)

Pledge-to-Group Buy Benefits

Pledger Advantages:
✅ Base price always (no premium)
📧 Private purchase link via email
🛡️ Automatic pledge refund if you don't purchase

Automatic Pledge Refund:
🕐 5-10 business days after group buy deadline
💰 A Stripe processing fee (base 2.9% + 30¢, varies by country and payment type, almost always under 5%) is deducted on cash refunds — or keep it as store credit to avoid the fee
✅ Automatic if pledger does not purchase by deadline

💳 Refunds & Store Credit

If you're owed a refund — an unfulfilled pledge, an MOQ price drop, or an order amendment — you can take it as cash back to your original payment method, or keep it as store credit.

Store credit:
• Applies at checkout on eligible projects
• Is not redeemable for cash, and converting a refund to credit can't be reversed
• Lets you avoid losing the payment processing fee

Amendments: after ordering you can adjust your order (add or change items) using the secure link we email you, up until the group buy closes.

Privacy and Security

ℹ️

Privacy and Security

🛡️ Data Protection:
• Legal Minimum data collection
• Secure payment processing via Stripe
• No sharing of customer information
• GDPR compliant data handling

📧 Email Communications:
• One-time codes for access control, no sessions or cookies
• 15-minute expiry for security
• Used only for private project access
• No marketing emails whatsoever

Project Types

🌍 Public Projects

🔒 Private Projects

Project Development Stages

🎯 1. Pledge Stage

📦 2. Prototyping Stage

👥 3. Group Buy Stage

✅ 4. Completed Stage

Pricing Model

MOQ Tier Pricing

Pledge-to-Group Buy Benefits

💳 Refunds & Store Credit

How It Works

Discover

Pledge

Group Buy

Receive

Privacy and Security

Privacy and Security