FAQ

If you are having problems uploading, it could be due to the size or format of the images. The following is important to know:

1. The cover image can be uploaded in JPEG or PNG format.
   • The size of the title images is at least 2000px wide and 1000px high
2. All other images can be uploaded in JPEG, PNG and GIF formats
   • The size is at least 900px wide and 600px high
3. All images must not be larger than 5000px and 5120 KiB

In order to use external videos, you have to enable embedding in your hosting provider settings.

Here you can find how this works for Youtube and Vimeo.

1. Go to the project interface in a text you have written
   1. For example in the tab 'Project description
2. Click on the 'chain icon' in the toolbar above the text field. A sample link will now appear in the text field [url=http://www.example.com][/url]
3. Replace the example link with the URL you want to link to
4. Then write behind the word that will appear in the text as a link [url=http://www.example.com]example[/url]

No.

As soon as you have reached the start level, the next level will automatically be unlocked. This happens continuously until the funding phase will be finished.

The levels are the same for all projects and are calculated based on the Fibonacci sequence:

In the main menu of the platform, top left, you will find the language change.

If you have entered German texts so far, then these were also taken over into the English version. This is an automatism, if no English texts are available. You can overwrite the German texts in the English version without problems.

You can also access and edit the project directly via the English and German URL.

German URL: https://www.startnext.com/projektname
English URL: https://www.startnext.com/en/projektname

There is an embed code called project widget. You can find the widget and embed code on the project page under the project questions.

The project widget is a preview of your project with the preview picture, the short description and the current funding status. 

Anyone who clicks on the widget will be taken directly to the project page on Startnext. You also have the option to embed only the support button.

Yes.

From the start of the funding phase you can adjust the amount in the interface in the tab 'Start level'. The start level can be set several times higher or lower. The amount must be higher than the current collected amount. Your project update will be sent to your supporters by email. 

The starting level cannot be adjusted if:

• you did not set a start level,
• your project has only 24 hours or less left.

Do you want to know more about what you can edit and change in the phases? Then read the manual, chapter 'Basics' in section 'The project phases'.

Yes.

From the start of the funding phase you can extend the duration of the financing phase in the interface in the tab 'Duration':

1. extend it once for maximum 30 days.
2. shorten it several times.

The duration can no longer be adjusted if:

• you have not set a startlevel,
• your project runs only 24h or less.

If this project has not reached the start level, then you can hide it  via the 'Visibility' tab that appeared in phase 4.

This will do the following:

• the project will no longer be found by search engines
  • the conversion of the search engines can take a few days
• on Startnext the project can only be accessed by logged in Startnext users

The Startnext Marketplace is a space where different rewards from Startnext projects are listed. This provides more visibility for the rewards and the projects.

Explore the marketplace.

Your rewards can be listed in the Startnext marketplace alongside the products of many other active projects. They are listed without the context and information within your project page. For this reason, they must be self-explanatory and meet certain requirements:

• Rewards have a concise title (for example, instead of "CD", the reward title should also include the name of the album/artist)
• Rewards have a detailed description
• Rewards have appealing pictures
• Reward prices include the shipping price
• If necessary, the reward has detailed features and variations, e.g. sizes for t-shirts.
• Rewards are available regardless of location (no self pickup, no events)
• The reward is not a bundle (not a package consisting of several other products)

If your reward meets the guidelines and criteria for permitted products, you can list it on the marketplace yourself while editing. To do this, click on the checkbox in the interface and save your selection.

As soon as you see a petrol-colored indicator in your reward list in the interface, you know that the reward can now be found on the marketplace.

You can create different variants of your rewards that your supporters can choose the right one directly in the checkout. Proceed as follows:

1. Enter a attribute (e.g. size)
2. Set the checkmark at query variants
3. Add single variants (e.g. S,M,L)

You can query several variants, which refer to one reward. 

An example: You offer a t-shirt as a reward. Now create the size as the 1st attribute and query the individual variants. As 2nd attribute you can query e.g. the color.

Yes, we see no problem.
It is your responsibility to check whether the respective supporters are allowed to purchase them and have reached the age of 16 or 18.

You can use for example the age verification of DHL to check the age. You can find it here 

A bundle is a set, which is offered as a package of several products or services. For example: the music album with T-shirt or coffee beans plus coffee mug is offered as a reward. 

A bundle offers itself, if it is offered more favorably than the individual products. In principle, keep the rewards simple so that your supporters can create their own „bundles".

In some rare cases, payments don't go through. This may happen in the following cases:

• Payments made with direct debit or credit card are drawn only after the funding goal has been reached. In exceptional cases, it’s possible that the payment can’t be collected—for example, if the account isn't covered or the credit card is no longer valid.
• Payments by advance payment are transferred by the supporters. If we don't receive the money, we automatically send the supporter two reminders before cancelling the support.

Tip: If a supporters payment is still pending, we recommend waiting until it has been confirmed before sending them a reward.

You can view the pending payments in your project interface under 
"Supports > List of supporters". Use the filter "Pending". Those supports will also be marked with an exclamation point in the list of supporters.

In 21 days at the latest the money will be on the deposited payment account.

Did you wonder what happens between the end of the project and the payout? This:

• Your project will now be checked again by the payment service provider Stripe according to the Money Laundering Act and finally legitimized for the payout
  • As a result, you may receive a request to submit documents or data
  • This is because the higher the funding amount, the stricter the guidelines for the payout
• If everything is green for the legitimation, the supports will be collected
• the supporters will be informed about:
  • that the money will be collected now so that there are no unpleasant surprises and all accounts are nicely covered
  • if a collection was not possible, so that the collection data can be corrected and the collection can be tried again
• discrepancies are checked
• the costs are deducted
• And tadaaa then it goes off and the payout sum is on the way 

On the disbursed funding amount. That's why the costs are already deducted before the payout, so that you have fewer tax complications.

How high the taxes will be depends on many factors, e.g. your tax status or the type of the rewards.

Startnext does not provide professional advice on this topic. In one blog post, you can nevertheless browse through the current empirical values.  

Blog post (in German)

No.

Once you've cracked the start level, you can celebrate the first time. Any money collected beyond that will end up in your payout account.

1. Approximately one week after the payout to the account you have deposited, you will be provided with the invoice and a funding receipt for download.
2. In the project interface in the tab 'Supports`" > 'Funding stats' you will see the buttons 'Funding receipt` and 'Invoice`.
3. Clicking on the button will start the download of the receipt or invoice as a PDF.
   1. In the funding receipt you will find a summary of the important facts and numbers.
   2. In the invoice you will find an overview of your funding amount, minus the costs and the amount paid out.

In exceptional cases it may happen that payments cannot be collected.

Payments will only be collected after the funding goal has been reached and the starters have been successfully verified. Payments can e.g. not be debited if there is insufficient funds in the account or if the credit card is no longer valid.

The affected supporters will then receive an email from us and can update their account details in their "Support details". The money will only be withdrawn again when the supporters confirm or update their account details as just explained. If the money still cannot be collected, we have to cancel the payment. If the payment arrives too late and the remaining money has already been paid out to the starter, the money will be returned to the supporter and the payment will be canceled.

As a supporter, where can I edit my account details?

Before the money is collected: You can edit your account details or credit card in your profile under "Supported projects" in the "Support details" of the respective project. If you do not have a Startnext profile, you will find a link to your "support details" in your confirmation email. 

After a failed debit: You can change or confirm your account details or credit card in your profile under "Supported projects" in the "Support details" of the respective project. If you do not have a Startnext profile, you will find a link to your "support details" in your confirmation email. The money will only be withdrawn once you have re-entered and saved your bank details or credit card. If you don't do anything, the money won't be recovered.

If funds are withdrawn by the supporters with the help of the bank after the payout of Startnext, we will automatically withdraw the same money from your payout account.

Like everywhere on the internet, there are people on Startnext who misuse opportunities on the platform for fraudulent activities and scams. Please check all contact attempts thoroughly and be careful with unusual offers.

To quickly recognize fraudulent offers, you can look out for these signs:

1. Contact initiation:
   You are contacted via a channel through which you do not normally receive offers. The first contact is usually made by email. Frequently used salutations here are not personalized and a simple "Hello" or "Good afternoon". At times scammers also will address you personallyby your name. If you offer to meet the person in person, you will usually be rejected.
   
   
2. Content and visual anomalies:
   The subject line of the e-mail seems randomly chosen. The text in the e-mail is not followed by any signature or graphic elements.
   The e-mail contains spelling mistakes, typos or the sender uses strange grammar: the offers are often poorly worded or translated from other languages.
   
   
3. Private sender & email address:  
   The credit or loan agreement is offered to you by a private individual. We know from starters who have received messages that these people pretend to be Peter Becker, Bernhard Vogt, Gunter Wlassek, André H. Pittet and Hailey Nicolas, among others.
   
   
4. Data protection:  
   You will be asked to submit various personal documents of yours. These may include: identity card, credit card details, important company documents. You will receive contracts already signed by other people as a template.
   
   
5. Down payments:  
   To obtain your loan, you will be asked to make an advance payment of a small amount of money. Only when you have transferred the money, which is supposedly needed for bank charges, insurance or transaction fees, will you be promised your loan.

We know from starters that bank accounts to which the requested deposits are to be paid are held by Serge Huyghe or Alexys Paul Emmanuel.

Please pay attention and trust your gut feeling - if an offer sounds too good to be true, it usually is. In that case, it's better to keep your hands off it.

Yes, especially campaigns with a high funding goal should look into additional funding methods. Project initiators sometimes combine their campaign with public funding, grants by foundations, their own capital or loans.

We have many organizations who offer additional financial support for Startnext projects. They run cofunding campaigns for this on their page:

• Matching: The organization directly matches the crowd's support and, for example, adds another euro to every euro from the crowd.
• Boost: The organization supports you with a fixed cofunding amount.
• Contest: The organization announces a contest and awards cofunding money and other prizes.

An overview of all current and past cofunding campaigns can be found on Cofunding. Also, suitable organization will be suggested to you in the interface on your project page under the item "cofunding" if you have maintained the fields "City" and "Category" under "Basic information". 

Besides, a large number of different partners from German-speaking countries are represented in our Startnext community with their organization profiles. If an organization becomes aware of your project, he can contact you.

You will be informed of new cofunding requests via email. It's  also listed in the interface of your project page under "Cofunding". You can choose between accepting and declining the cofunding request.

1. Go to the page and click on "Apply now".
2. Log in or register. 
3. Choose the project, confirm the page guidelines and apply for curation.

If you have any questions about the support from one of the organizations, contact the them directly via Startnext.

• Log in and call up your project
• Go into your projects interface and open “Cofunding”
• Open the partner campaign and click on “Go to message stream”

You can pitch your project in our Launch Day Show for a chance to win up to €1,000 in co-funding.

The Launch Day takes place each Thursday. Take part and enter the race together with other starters to feel even more crowd power and potential. The Startnext team accompanies what happens on the launch day on our social media accounts and a lucky winner will take the launch day prize of up to €1,000 into their own crowdfunding campaign.

The show takes place if at least 5 projects enter the show. Per project participating, the prize money increases by €100, up to a maximum of €1,000.

The pitch with the most likes on Startnext's social media channels wins.

Apply now!

1. For the verification of your person and the withdrawal account, Stripe requires a document that confirms your identity.
   1. You can choose between a passport, driver's license and ID card.
   2. Once you have chosen a document, you have the following options: Either take a photo, upload a file or drag and drop it.
2. Enter your personal information.
   1. For organizations:
      1. If you are the account owner of the organization, check the first box if you alone or jointly with others own at least 25 percent of the organization.
      2. If you then click on "Next", you can add more people as owners.
3. You will be now redirected to a confirmation overview and can check all entered data.
   1. For organizations:
      1. Here you can update the information about management / board (administration) and shareholders (ownership). 
4. When you have filled in all the required data for your type of organization or as a private person, you can proceed with the verification.
5.  For verification, select a document that confirms the address.
   1. This can be e.g. the bill of an electricity provider, a current registration certificate, the last tax assessment or a bank statement.
   2. It is important that the address there matches the address on the document that confirms your identity (passport, ID card).
6. After this You will be redirected to the overview and have the possibility to check your entered data and still make changes if necessary.
7. If you then click on the "Done" button, you will be redirected back to Startnext and your data will be checked.
8. Once you have submitted all required documents and clicked 'done', Stripe will process and analyze your data within 24 hours. 
   1. The current status of your legitimation can be found at any time in the project interface under "Legitimation".

The master data that you enter in the project interface under "Legitimation" is sent to the payment service provider Stripe, which carries out the legitimations and transactions for Startnext.

Both Startnext and Stripe have a high standard for the protection of your data:

• A public statement from Stripe regarding the handling of personal data can be found here
• Personal data is transmitted using recognized SSL encryption
• Detailed information about Startnext's privacy policy can be found here

You can choose between two legal forms of legitimation for Stripe: Individual and Organization.

These apply to:

• Individual: private individual, freelancer
• Organization: GbR, GmbH, association

Depending on whether you will make the crowdfunding as an individual or as an organization, the requested documents differ:

An overview, selectable by organization form, which documents are relevant for a verification via Stripe, can be found here.

Stripe asks for an ID number or a commercial register number?

In this case you can simply enter the tax number of the association or the GBR. 

As a document for verification, you can upload the latest notice of exemption.

If this certificate of exemption shows the tax number, name and address of the association, this document will usually be accepted by Stripe.

As a document for the verification as a GBR, you can deposit a letter from the tax office, which shows your tax number, as well as the name and address of the GbR. From experience, this is accepted by Stripe.

The account holder of the payout account must also be the name of the GbR in the document.