1. Purpose of This Policy
This Stakes & Payouts Policy explains how financial stakes work, how prize pools are formed, how winners are determined, and how payouts are executed. It is an appendix to the Terms & Conditions and forms part of the binding agreement when you use Motiw8.
2. Nature of Stakes — NOT Gambling
Motiw8 challenges are skill-based fitness competitions, not games of chance.
- Outcomes depend solely on each participant's verified fitness performance.
- No randomness or luck contributes to results.
- Payouts are earned through actual weight loss, steps improvement, and consistency, verified with strict anti-cheat mechanisms.
- Motiw8 is not a betting platform, casino, or game of chance.
- Stakes are competition entry fees — NOT wagers on uncertain or random events.
This classification is critical for legal compliance globally.
3. Stake Payment & Fees
3.1 When Stake is Charged
Stakes are charged immediately at the moment of joining a challenge.
3.2 Stake Refund Window
A 24-hour refund window exists starting from the moment of payment, provided:
- The challenge has not yet started, and
- You have not submitted baseline evidence.
Refunds are executed via Stripe (see Section 10).
3.3 Fees
- Standard user: 10% platform fee deducted from their stake amount.
- Premium subscriber: 0% fee (full stake goes to prize pool).
Fees help cover verification, fraud prevention, infrastructure, and payouts.
3.4 Currency
Stakes are priced in the currency displayed at checkout.
Exchange rates are handled by Stripe.
4. Prize Pool Formation
Prize pools are formed from:
- Net stakes (after platform fees for standard users)
- Optional bonuses from sponsors (future)
- Promotional challenges funded by Motiw8 (future)
All funds are held in Motiw8's Stripe platform account until winners are determined.
Funds are not held in user-owned accounts until payout execution.
5. Payout Eligibility Requirements
A user must satisfy all of the following:
- Complete Stripe Connect account setup (onboarding) to receive payouts; payouts are delivered only to a connected Stripe account
- Submit baseline and final weigh-in properly
- Complete verification (AI + manual review if flagged)
- Not be disqualified for fraud or rule violations
- Have an active account at payout time
- Complete required KYC identity verification if:
- Total annual payouts exceed €600 / $600
- Suspicious activity is detected
- Required by Stripe
- Required by law
Stripe Identity or equivalent service is used for KYC.
6. How Winners Are Determined
6.1 Weight-Loss Challenges
Winners determined by:
- Percentage of weight lost
- Consistency rules (premium)
- Weekly check-in bonuses
- Anti-cheat screening
- Face matching & liveness results
- OCR documentation of scale weight
6.2 Steps Challenges
Winners determined by:
- Total steps
- % improvement over baseline
- Consistency score
- Device integrity checks
- No allowance for manual entry
6.3 Tie-Breaking
- Highest consistency score
- Lowest finishing weight
- Earliest final submission
- Platform discretion in case of technical ties
7. When Payouts Occur
7.1 Standard Timing
Payouts are executed within 7 days after final ranking is published.
7.2 Manual Delays
Delays may occur due to:
- Fraud/manual review
- Stripe KYC requirements
- Appeal processing
- Payment processor interruptions
Users will be notified of delays.
8. How Payouts Are Delivered
8.1 Stripe Connect requirement (claiming your prize)
To receive prize payouts, winners must complete Stripe Connect account setup (onboarding) in the app. Payouts are sent only to your connected Stripe account. If you do not complete setup, Motiw8 may hold your payout until onboarding is complete; failure to complete setup within any stated deadline may result in delayed or held payouts as set out in our Terms.
Payouts occur via Stripe Connect Payouts:
- Funds transferred from Motiw8 platform account
- Directly into the user's Stripe Express Account
- User receives funds into bank account via Stripe's payout schedule
Users are responsible for:
- Providing correct payout information
- Completing KYC
- Managing their Stripe Express account
- Meeting tax obligations (see Section 12)
9. Withholding & Suspensions
Motiw8 may temporarily or permanently withhold payouts if:
- Suspicious activity detected
- Verification incomplete or failed
- User refuses required KYC
- Appeal pending
- Fraud risk flags remain unresolved
- User violates Terms & Conditions
10. Refund Policy (Stakes)
Refunds are granted ONLY if:
- Requested within 24 hours of payment, and
- The challenge has NOT yet started, and
- Baseline evidence has NOT been submitted
Refunds occur via Stripe Refund API to the same payment method you used to pay the stake (e.g. the card used at join) and may take 3–10 business days depending on bank processing.
Refunds are NOT granted if:
- Challenge has started
- Baseline evidence submitted
- User quits after challenge begins
- User fails verification or is disqualified
- User is removed for cheating or rule violations
11. Failed Payments
If payment fails:
- The user is not considered "joined"
- No stake is recorded
- User may retry payment
- Challenge spots are not reserved
12. Tax Responsibilities
12.1 United States
If a user earns $600+ in payouts within a calendar year:
- Stripe may automatically issue a 1099-K
- User must provide a valid SSN for KYC
Motiw8 does not provide tax advice and does not file taxes on behalf of users.
12.2 European Union
Prize winnings may be taxable depending on country of residence.
Users must report winnings according to local laws.
12.3 Other Regions
Users are responsible for determining tax obligations in their jurisdiction.
13. Disputes & Appeals
Users may file disputes regarding:
- Verification decisions
- Ranking outcomes
- Fraud flags
- Prize miscalculations
Appeals must be submitted within 72 hours of result publication.
Final reviewed decisions are binding.
14. Amendments
Motiw8 may modify this policy to ensure fairness, security, and regulatory compliance.