CrowdFunding FAQ
Basics
What is CrowdFunding?
CrowdFunding is a service to easily collect money through the Internet.
Who can use Artsy.us CrowdFunding?
Anyone who has an ARTISTIC PROJECT they need financial backing for. For example, an artist who needs to raise money to be in an art show, a songwriter who needs money to record an album, anything in the arts field is allowable including writers looking to raise money to publish a book.
How does CrowdFunding work?
1. You create a CrowdFunding page and set the target amount you need to raise.
2. Send the URL of the CrowdFunding Page to the people you know, like friends or family to get the ball rolling. Even contributors who browse our site are free to donate to your project.
3. People go to your CrowdFunding Page and send you the money through PayPal.
Is CrowdFunding an investment mechanism?
No. All money transfers are CrowdFundings and there is no return for contributors.
Is it secure?
The CrowdFunding payment process is completely secure. The money transfers and all sensible operations are managed by the secure and popular PayPal service.
Do you save my credit card information?
PayPal processes all of the transactions on CrowdFunding. No one sees your credit card information besides PayPal, not even us.
What fees do CrowdFunding charge?
Currently, the service is free! People send money directly to your PayPal account. PayPal may charge you some processing fees.
Sending Money
Do I have to register with Artsy.us to send money?
No, you don’t need to register with Artsy.us to send a contribution.
How much can I send?
It depends on the project and how much you'd like to give. Some projects allow opened amount contributions, so you can send any amount you want. Some projects allow only set amounts of money transfers; for example: $10, $25, or $50.
Which payment methods do you accept?
You send money through PayPal, so usually through your credit card. However, you can use any payment method accepted by PayPal.
Do I have to be a PayPal customer to send money?
No, you just need a credit card.
If I make a contribution, when will my money be withdrawn?
When you make a contribution, your credit card or PayPal account is charged immediately and the project page owner receives the donated funds instantly.
Receiving Money
How much can I raise?
Each project page can raise up to $1,000,000.
Can I change the target amount of a project once it has started?
Yes, you can change it at the My CrowdFundings page.
Is there a maximum number of contributors allowed for a project?
There is no maximum number of contributors allowed for a project.
What’s the difference between a Public and Private project?
By default, a CrowdFunding Page is "private", meaning it is not visible to search engines. This is done via the the HTML Meta robots attribute. Only people who know the URL address can navigate to the project page. This protects your privacy. It is entirely up to you to spread the word and share the URL with your friends if you'd like.
When you create a project, you can also choose to set it as "public": in this case Google and other search engines will index the page and it may show up in their results. Choosing this option will attract even more people and potential contributors.
How can a Public CrowdFunding Project succeed?
When you create a Public CrowdFunding project, you have to spread the word over the Internet and convince people to donate. Here are some tips:
- Insert an accurate description. Describe who you are and your project's goal.
- Insert a link to your website, so that people can check it out.
- Insert a custom image.
- Invite your Facebook friends to contribute: you can find the Facebook Share invitation in the My CrowdFundings page.
- Link your CrowdFunding page from your website or write a post about it on your blog to promote it.
CrowdFunding projects have a duration. How long can a CrowdFunding project last?
The set duration of a CrowdFunding project is a way to get people to contribute immediately. A CrowdFunding project can last up to 1 year at the most. The time limit is set by the CrowdFunding project page creator when a CrowdFunding project page is started. Once the CrowdFunding project page has expired, people can’t send you any more money through the CrowdFunding Page.
What if a CrowdFunding project reaches its target amount before time expires?
If a CrowdFunding project reaches its target amount before its time expires, your project will continue to accept contributions until the full time period expires, even if it exceeds the target monetary amount.
What if a CrowdFunding project doesn't collect its target amount in time?
The CrowdFunding page remains online, but stops accepting contributions. Of course, the money you raised is still yours! You can use the partially raised amount for your project's need. And you can start a new CrowdFunding page to try to collect more money.
How can I see the list and details of contributors?
Since all money transfer are managed by PayPal, you can view the list and details of CrowdFunding donators from the PayPal site.
What kind of CrowdFunding projects are acceptable?
PayPal processes all contributions on Artsy.us as long as they are artistic projects as mentioned above. Also, CrowdFunding projects and pages must fall under the PayPal Legal Agreement.
Can I leave Artsy.us and my project at any time?
Yes, you can. From My Account, choose Delete Account.
PayPal and Money Transfer
What is PayPal and how does it work with CrowdFunding?
PayPal is a popular service that allows online transactions to occur instantly and securely. With PayPal, individuals and businesses can send and receive payments via the Internet. Artsy.us has integrated its functionality with PayPal's popular service to provide the most efficient and effective ways to collect money. For more information on PayPal and to sign up, please click here.
Do I have to be a PayPal customer to use Artsy.us?
You do not need to be a PayPal customer in order to send money. However, the only way to receive money is through PayPal. Therefore, CrowdFunding project creators must have PayPal accounts.
What type of PayPal Account (Personal, Premier, or Business) do I need?
Artsy.us works with any type of PayPal account. You may need to use a Premier or Business account to overcome some limitations of Personal Accounts.More Info
How can I display the Artsy.us Logo on the PayPal page?
The Artsy.us logo is automatically shown during the PayPal payment process if you use a Premier or Business PayPal account.