How Giveway works: deposits, KP and fees

Giveway is a game where people share money. Here's the whole journey, with no hand-waving.

1. A host funds a pool

Anyone with an account can host a giveaway. They pick a prize pool and how long bidding runs. Before it goes live, the host pays the pool in through Paystack. That's the whole point: when you see a giveaway on Giveway, the money is really there.

Paystack charges a small fee on every payment (about 1.5% plus ₦100, capped at ₦2,000). The host pays that fee on top, so a ₦10,000 pool costs about ₦10,254 to fund and the winners share the full ₦10,000.

In rare cases an admin can waive the deposit. Those rounds go live too, but they always carry a "Not funded" tag so nobody is surprised.

2. People make bids

Everyone who joins makes one bid: what they'd do with the money, and how much they'd need. There are no sob stories required, and a host can't bid on their own giveaway.

3. Everyone gets 100 KP

Each player gets 100 Kindness Points (KP) for the round, free. You spend them backing the bids you believe in. A few rules keep it fair:

• Money can't buy KP, or visibility, or better odds.
• You can give your own bid only the free KP you started with. KP you earn by inviting friends can only go to other people's bids.
• While voting is open, nobody can see other people's KP or the running totals. That keeps people honest.

4. The arena decides

When voting closes, the algorithm splits the pool across the most-supported bids. It uses a quadratic approach: many people each giving a little beats one person giving a lot. Winners are shown by alias, not by name.

5. Winners get paid

Winners get an email and an in-app notification with a claim link. They enter a Nigerian bank account; we check the account name with the bank and send the money. A flat transfer fee (₦10, ₦25 or ₦50) comes out of the award, and it's shown before you confirm. A ₦25,000 award, for example, lands as ₦24,975.

Backing a pool

Anyone can add money to a running pool. Backers cover Paystack's fee on top too, so the whole amount reaches the pool. It doesn't buy KP or change anyone's chances.

See for yourself

Every finished round is listed on the past giveaways page, with how much was awarded and how much has been paid out. If something looks wrong, tell us.