Community Guidlines
A commission agreement is an arrangement between you as the project starter (“Project”) and a person who recommends your project (“Ambassador”).
Startnext provides the technology (from the Pro plan), attributes support to the right link, calculates the commission and logs everything. Startnext is not a party to the agreement, does not pay out any commission and is not liable for its payment.
The agreement is concluded when the Ambassador expressly accepts your offer within the offer period. Its content is defined entirely by
the commission rates and conditions shown in the offer,
these guidelines in the version valid at the time of acceptance, and
any increases, payouts and terminations later recorded in the activity log.
The activity log (“log”) is visible to both sides; every change to the agreement is also confirmed by email.
Startnext calculates and records only what is in the log. If you want to change the terms, use “Increase commission” or offer a new agreement. Arrangements you make only by message, verbally or outside Startnext (e.g. fixed fees, product samples, content obligations) are not part of the commission agreement. Startnext does not take them into account and does not help enforce them. If needed, put them in writing yourselves.
Only offer commissions you can pay after fees, costs and taxes, and include them in your project budget.
Don’t make promises that go beyond or contradict the offer.
Don’t put Ambassadors under pressure: no minimum reach, no contractual penalties, no exclusivity without a separate agreement.
Don’t offer an agreement to people you haven’t personally chosen or who have no connection to your project (no mass mailings).
You can’t conclude an agreement with yourself.
You may increase the agreed rates until the end of the funding phase, but never lower them. An increase applies retroactively to all eligible support since acceptance. By accepting the agreement, the Ambassador agrees to future increases.
Pay the full amount due after the project has ended and the funding amount has been paid out to you, at the latest within 30 days.
Record the payment right away via “Pay out amount” with the actual payment date. Never record a payment that hasn’t been made.
With All-or-Nothing, commission only arises if the project is successfully funded. With Flex, it does not depend on reaching a goal.
Support cancelled or charged back after the commission was paid? Settle the repayment directly with each other; Startnext does not reclaim anything.
You handle receipts, invoices or self-billing credit notes and tax matters yourselves. Startnext does not provide legal or tax advice.
You can end an agreement at any time for future support. Before doing so, you pay out all commission already earned in full and give a factual reason. Ending an agreement to avoid commission already earned, or shortly before expected support without a factual reason, is not permitted.
The Ambassador can leave at any time; commission already earned remains owed.
Commissioned recommendations are advertising. Remind your Ambassadors to label their posts (e.g. “Ad” or “Advertisement”), and don’t give them texts that disguise a paid recommendation. Ambassadors must not make false statements about your project or generate support artificially (e.g. click farms, voucher or spam abuse).
In case of violations, Startnext may restrict commission features for a project or an account, deactivate links and review attributions. Any claim that has arisen between you remains unaffected.
An agreement is governed by the version valid when it was accepted. New versions apply only to new offers.