Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is ChalPals?

ChalPals is an accountability web app where friends create challenges to stay on track with their goals. Participants check in by uploading a photo as proof, and those who fail to meet the challenge requirements are charged a penalty. The total penalty pot is split at the end of the challenge among participants who completed all check-ins.

How do I join ChalPals?

• Sign up with your full name, email, and password.
• Link a payment method before joining or creating a challenge.
• Accept an invite or create your own challenge to share with others.

Challenge Rules

How do challenges work?

• Challenges last at least one week.
• Check-in cadence is set when the challenge is created.
• Monthly cadence is equal to four weeks -- not calendar days.
• Photos are required for check-ins to prove validity.
• If you miss a check-in, you are charged the penalty amount chosen by the challenge creator.
• At the end, the penalty pot is divided among participants who complete all check-ins.

Can I check in more than once per day?

No, you can only check in once per day. Certain challenges may not require a daily check-in.

Can I check in for previous days?

No, you must check in on the correct day before 11:59 PM (local time).

What happens if I miss a check-in?

• You automatically forfeit the penalty amount per missed check-in.
• Weekly and You Choose challenge misses are calculated at the end of each week.
• You will no longer be eligible to receive a portion of the total penalty payout.
• If your payment fails, you will have 3 days to fix it before you are disqualified.

Can I request a missed check-in to be removed?

Only the challenge creator can remove a missed check-in if they approve a request.

Payments & Penalties

How much do I pay if I miss check-ins?

The penalty is defined by the challenge creator per missed check-in.

Example:

• A daily challenge with 5 missed check-ins and a $5 penalty = $25 penalty.
• A weekly challenge (3 check-ins required and a $3 penalty) where you only check in once = $6 penalty.

Where does the penalty money go?

• ChalPals keeps 10% for operations.
• The rest is split evenly among participants who completed the challenge without a miss.

What happens if my payment fails?

• Your payment will automatically retry for 3 days.
• If it still fails, you are disqualified from the challenge.
• You cannot join another challenge until you pay the balance owed and prepay 20% of your portion of the potential pot of the new challenge as a deposit.

How do I get my payout?

Payouts are sent to your linked bank account at the end of a challenge. You must link a bank account in Settings to receive money.

Challenge Management

Can I leave a challenge after joining?

• If the challenge has not started, you can leave without penalty.
• If the challenge has started, you can give up by paying a 125% penalty of your remaining penalty total.

Check-Ins

How do I check in?

You upload a photo or take a photo directly in the app. Your photo must be uploaded before 11:59 PM (local time) to count.

Can I check in without a photo?

No. Every check-in requires a photo for proof. This photo should be related to the challenge activity.

Can others see my check-in photos?

Yes, only the challenge participants can see the check-in photos.

What if I upload the wrong photo?

We are unable to delete uploaded photos unless they violate our terms of use. If you believe your upload was a mistake, please contact support.

What if I forget to check in?

If you miss a check-in, the penalty is automatically applied and cannot be reversed.

Notifications

How do I get reminders?

You can enable email and SMS text message reminders in Settings. Desktop push notifications can be enabled within the web browser window.

Can I turn off notifications?

Yes, you can turn notifications on or off for email and/or SMS text messages in Settings.

Issues & Support

What if I have a problem with my challenge?

Check your challenge details on the dashboard or contact support@chalpals.com.

What if I get charged incorrectly?

Contact ChalPals support with details, and we’ll review the case.