1. Why go du+ch?

People often skip out on booking incredible experiences and great group deals because they don't have enough friends who can join, or the activity is out of reach financially. With Let's Dutch, you can find people outside of your current social circle with similar interests who can join, get to know one another, and securely pool your money together to make anything more within reach.

Let's Dutch is a fantastic way to meet new people and try new things. Our platform helps you group together with people you haven’t met who have similar interests, and gives you a secure place to pool your money together to make it possible to share an experience with them.

Sharing with strangers can be scary. We want to take out all of the guessing that goes with it, which is why we made the site as transparent as possible. You will never be forced to share with someone you don’t feel comfortable sharing with. As a guest, you will be able to view and communicate with the host and everyone attending before you book, and as a host you can approve or decline requests.

For an extra level of protection, our payment system helps eliminate fraud and scams. A host never has to worry about getting stuck with the bill if the person who RSVP'd yes doesn't show, because we notify the host when we have collected everyone’s payment. Likewise, a guest never has to worry about a host stealing his/her money because the host doesn’t receive the payout until 24 hours after the experience takes place.

Dutch makes the experiences that you couldn’t and wouldn’t book by yourself, possible.

2. Do you offer customer service in case I have any issues with my experience?

Yes. You can reach us at support@letsdutch.com at any time. We will get back to you within 24 hours.

3. Do you have an app?

Currently we do not have an app. We felt it was really important to have a full scale desktop and mobile site. We have made the user experience on both desktop and mobile as simple as an app.

Back to top

1. What is a host?

A host is an individual or company who has an experience available that they want to share with others. Let's Dutch allows these hosts to list the available spaces for each experience so other members can view and pay their individual share of that experience.

2. Why host?

Hosting allows you to list just about any activity that can be enjoyed by a group of people. You can list activities that you have already paid for that have extra spaces, allowing you to recoup some money spent, or activities that you want to participate in but you need a few more people to book with. You can also make money by listing something you own like a vacation home, or a unique talent like yoga classes. This is a marketplace for the sharing economy, a place for you to share anything you want. If you can sell anything on ebay, you can share anything on Let’s Dutch.

You can also use Let's Dutch for your business as a way to enter the sharing economy and offer your customers more booking options. You don't have to build your own app to let your customers share your experience. You can use our platform to compete with the ever growing app market.

3. What types of experiences can I host?

You can host any experience or activity that can be shared with others as long as it is compliant with all local laws. A few examples include, local group rates, large format dinners at your favorite restaurant, bottle service at the new nightclub, a VIP suite for your team’s big game, a vacation house, yacht charters, private jets, etc. The list goes on. Please feel free to get creative.

4. How do I host?

Simply click the “host” button on the home page. This will bring you to a questionnaire. The information you enter generates your listing. Once completed, it will be available for the community to share.

You will select the type of experience, set the date, add your description and rules, add images, set your price and number of people, and your experience will be available for our community to share.

5. Can anyone host?

Yes. We are an open marketplace. To get started just create a profile. The more information you provide, the more success you will have in either hosting an activity or participating in one.

As a host, if you have no profile picture, no verifications and limited information about the listing, you will likely have less success in getting other users to book your experience. Your success is somewhat up to you.

6. How do I keep in touch with my group once my experience is booked?

You will be able to communicate with your complete group through the internal messaging system on Letsdutch.com.

If you go to your "experience" tab on your profile, you can view the guest list for every listing you are hosting by clicking "Guest List." You will be able to message each guest from there.

Once your experience is completely booked, you will receive an email with every guest's contact information so you can be in touch directly.

7. If I get a complete group together for my listing, when do I get my payout?

Your payout will be sent 24 hours after the experience takes place. The time it takes to land in your account will vary based on where we are sending the funds. We hold this money until 24 hours after the experience to ensure that you deliver what you are sharing.

8. Can I cancel an experience?

Once someone has paid their individual share you cannot edit or cancel your listing without contacting us. We understand things do come up, so we review each request on a case by case basis and make a decision based on your reason for cancelling. If you need to cancel your listing please contact us at support@letsdutch.com and let us know why you need to cancel.

9. What happens if I don’t get a large enough group together by my book by date?

On your book by date, we will send an email to you with your options. You will be able to accept the smaller group and smaller payout, and everything will go as planned, or you can choose to cancel and all guests will receive a full refund.

10. What are my rules and terms?

This is for you to add any additional rules you would like your confirmed guests to agree to. When checking out, users will be able to view both the policies of Let’s Dutch and your policies, and then check that they agree to them before purchasing. This information will be kept in the event there are any issues with your guests.

11. What are my hosts notes?

This is for you to provide your confirmed guests with any information you want them to know about the listing/experience. For example, you may want to note that you will be in a red shirt on the corner of 67th and Broadway, or you may want to let them know that the reservation will be under letsdutch.com It is up to you. Just information that you want only confirmed guests to see.

12. What is the instabook selection?

If you select instabook, anyone that requests a space for your listings will be a confirmed guest. You will not have the ability to approve or decline these requests if “instabook” is selected. You will receive notification or their payment and guest list as people join your experience.

13. Will the location of my experience be shared with everyone?

The exact location of your experience will only be shared with confirmed guests. When users are viewing the map view of your listing, they will see a geo tag with the approximate location of your experience.

Approved guests will be able to see the complete address by viewing the itinerary of the listing. We will also send everyone an email with the complete itinerary which will include the address, your rules, and any additional notes.

14. What is the book by date?

Your book by date is the date that you need a complete group by. All guests will need to request a space before this date. If you do not have a complete group by the date you provide us with, we will send you an email where you will be able to accept the smaller group, or cancel and issue everyone a complete refund.

15. Can I make my listing available for multiple dates?

Yes, when you are setting up your listing, you will be able to select if the experience is for a single date, or for multiple dates. When you select multiple dates you can then select if you want it repeated everyday, every week, every month, or custom. The system will replicate your listing and make it available for all dates you specify.

16. What is custom pricing vs basic pricing?

Some experiences have different price points. We want you to be able to fully customize your listing so that you don’t have to create multiple listings for multiple price points.

Ex: A yoga retreat sometimes has spaces for single occupancy and spaces for double occupancy. You would be able to have both pricing options on one listing.

17. What are the notification numbers on “My Listings” tab?

Those are to let you know that you either have guests awaiting approval or we need you to add a payout preference.

18. How do I approve guests?

When you receive a request we will send you an email. You will be able to approve, decline, or reply directly from this email. If you no longer have the email you can also do this by going to your listings tab. You can view all requests by clicking the “approve guests” link. It will show you everyone awaiting approval. You can view their profile, message them any questions, and either approve or decline. Please keep in mind that we need you to respond within 24 hours. If you do not respond within the 24 hours on multiple occasions we will be forced to consider removing your ability to host.

19. What is a payout preference?

Your payout preference is where you want us to send the funds we collect on your behalf. We need this information so we can send you the money collected after the experience takes place.

In order for us to gather and store your personal information, we must comply with all federal regulations. To do so we use Stripe connect and Paypal, whose security standards are second to none.

*This information is never shared with anyone.

20. How do I add a payout preference?

You can add your payout preference by going to your account tab and clicking the payout preference section. You will then be able to add your paypal info or your banking info. Whatever you provide us will never be shared and will only be used so we know where to send the funds we have collected on your behalf.

21. I want to book a vip suite but I don't have enough money for the down payment. Can I list it on dutch first and then buy the suite?

Ideally all experiences you list will be something you have confirmed. If you happen to have a price quote that is guaranteed for a certain amount of time, you can list it and see if you can get enough people together by the book by date. We recommend you include this in your description. If guests know that the experience will not happen if you do not get a large enough group together, they will be more inclined to share it with their friends.

In the event that you have a complete group but don't have the available funds to book the experience, you can contact us at support@letsdutch.com with all your booking information and we will be able to book for you from your collected funds. Please keep in mind that you will incur an additional fee for this. You will be billed separately. Also keep in mind that if we are booking an experience for you, the 3rd parties terms and conditions plus their cancellation policy will be enforced.

22. Can I list a home from another website to find people to share the house with?

Absolutely. That is the point of Let's Dutch. Let's say you see a home that accommodates 10 and you are only one. You can easily list the 9 extra spaces in order to find a large enough group to book with. Be sure to message the host of that home to let them know you are interested.

23. I noticed most of the listings are in NY, Can I host something outside of NY?

Absolutely! We are starting with the New York market for multiple reasons, but the marketplace can be used anywhere. If you would like to host something in another city, please do so.

24. Do you offer customer service in case I have any issues with my experience?

Yes. You can reach us at support@letsdutch.com at any time. We will get back to you within 24 hours.

Back to top

1. How do I search for an experience?

You can click the search button on the home page. It will bring you to our available listings. You can browse through these listings and use the top filter to narrow down the results. You can also use the search and filter bar to search for listings in a specific city, a certain host, or even the listing name. The search will pull up any listing that matches your criteria.

2. What is the little plus sign on the listing?

That is our “instabook” icon. This represents a listing that doesn’t require a host’s approval. Once you click the du+ch button for any listing with this plus sign, you will automatically be a confirmed guest and your card will be charged immediately.

3. Why is the du+ch button different colors?

Each color represents a different category. The color of the du+ch button will match the color of the specified category.

4. What is the time shown on the top right corner of the listing?

That is the amount of time you have left to book. Each host provides us with a book by date. This is the date the host needs to have a complete group by. If the host doesn’t have a complete group by this time and date, they can choose to accept the smaller group or issue everyone a complete refund.

5. What is the “other dates” next to the listing date?

This is to let you know that this listing is also available on other dates. When you view a listing that has other dates you will be able to see what other dates it is available on by clicking the “view additional dates” button on the top right corner. When you select another date you will be able to see who else is attending on that specific date.

6. How do I request a space?

Just click the du+ch button on the listing. It is that easy!

7. I have questions about a booking but the host has not gotten back to me and the listing book by date is approaching.

If your host is not responding please contact us. We advise all of our hosts to respond within 24 hours. We encourage our hosts to stay on top of their listings and we will take necessary action for hosts who are not managing their listings properly.

*Keep in mind that sometimes hosts do not respond because a profile is incomplete. If your profile has no photo or verifications of any kind, they may not want to respond. Please be sure to fill out your profile and add as many verifications as you feel comfortable adding. It is important that we make everyone comfortable sharing. Incomplete profiles may cause some trust issues.

8. How can I trust the host or guests?

We want dutch to be a social marketplace; a transparent platform where you can book an experience with confidence. That is why everyone has a profile with reviews and verifications plus access to an internal messaging system.

When viewing a listing, you will be able to view the host’s profile, as well as the profile of everyone attending. You will also be able to communicate with the host and everyone attending before you request a space.

We make it possible for you to get to know everyone attending before you book, so you can make as informed a decision as possible.

Don’t forget, all payments made through letsdutch.com are held until 24 hours after an experience takes place, ensuring you never get scammed.

9. What happens if the host doesn't deliver as promised?

In the event that a host has been fraudulent with their listing, they will be immediately removed from our site and all parties will receive a full refund. It is very important for us to have trusted hosts in our community. If you suspect fraud, please report it as soon as possible. If we don't get any complaints within 24 hours of the experience, the money you have paid is released to your host, so it is important for you to always be in touch.

10. Will I have a problem with “bait and switch”?

You should not experience any bait and switch. None of our hosts receive a payout until 24 hours after the experience takes place. In the event that a listing is not as described, you will receive a full refund. This keeps our hosts honest. You can also leave a negative review for any dishonest host.

We believe in self-policing. Our social marketplace is for you to enjoy and if anyone is abusing the process we expect our members to let us know so we can take appropriate action.

11. Is my payment safe?

Yes. All payments are processed by either Stripe or PayPal, whose security practices are second to none and meet all government requirements. We pool everyone’s payment together and hold it until 24 hours the experience takes pace. If your host is a no show, or doesn’t deliver the listing as described, they will not receive their payout, and you will receive a full refund.

12. Can I book if I do not hear back from the host?

You can submit a request to go dutch. The host then has 24 hours to approve or decline your request. If they do not reply, you can re-submit a request or search for another experience.

13. After requesting a space, how long will I need to wait to get a response from a host?

We advise our hosts to respond to your request within 24 hours. If the host doesn't approve your request within 24 hours your request will expire. You can choose to try and book again or look for another experience if you like. We will also reach out to the host after 24 hours to see why they didn't respond.

14. There are only a few spaces left and I have questions for the host. Can I book to hold the spot then cancel if I have problems or a disagreement with the host?

No. We want all members to work out their dates and communicate with the host before they book. It would not be fair to other members of the community if we had individuals booking experiences just to hold a spot and then cancel.

15. Will I be charged once I go dutch with a group?

You will be charged once the host approves your request. If the request is not approved within 24 hours of your request you will not be charged. If a listing happens to be an "instabook" listing, you will be charged immediately. If the host’s minimum is not met by their book by date, they will have the ability to keep the experience with fewer people, or issue everyone a full refund.

16. Will I be covered if an experience went sour or host lied about the listing?

If something went wrong, or the host lied, you can contact us on the day of the listing with any complaints. We will review your claim and process a refund if we decide in your favor. Be sure to do this within 24 hours of the date of the experience. If we do not hear anything from you, we will assume the experience went well and the host will receive their payout.

17. Can I cancel and get a refund after I book an experience?

In order to cancel and receive a refund you will need to submit a claim with us. We review every claim on a case by case basis and issue refunds based on your circumstances. We understand things come up but a lot of our hosts are planning their experiences based on how many confirmed guests they have, and in some cases they are relying on the funds we collect in order to book the experience. In order to submit a claim, please email us at support@letsdutch.com

If you contact the host and they are ok with your cancelling, you can contact us and we will issue a refund immediately.

We will also be adding an automated cancellation system that will allow the host to create their own cancellation policies.

18. Can I sell my spot if I need to cancel or can't make it or have someone take my place?

We would prefer that you do not do this. It is very important that all guests are able to view everyone attending before they book. All experiences have a transparent guest list so everyone can book with confidence by viewing the other guests. It wouldn't be fair to our members if they are booking based on that guest list and different people show up.

19. How can I check the status of my request?

If you go to your “My Experiences” tab, you will be able to see all listings that you have been approved for and ones that you are awaiting approval for. You will see a yellow button for awaiting and a green button for approved. If the host declined your request or never responded, it will disappear from this section. We will also notify you by mail of any action the host takes.

20. How do I know if the host has accepted or declined my inquiry?

You will receive a confirmation email from us with your itinerary. The experience will show up in your experience tab on your dashboard as well as your calendar.

21. How much time does a Host have to respond to my request to join the group activity?

Each host has 24 hours to accept or decline your request. If host does not respond, you will not be charged anything. You can then resubmit your request or search for other experiences you may be interested in.

22. What happens if the event has not been completely grouped?

In the event that a listing doesn’t get a complete group, the host will be sent an email asking if they would like to accept the current guests and continue with the smaller group, or cancel the experience and issue everyone a full refund. If the host doesn’t make a decision within 24 hours, everyone will automatically receive a refund.

If the host were to select to continue with the smaller group, everything will go as planned and you will not incur any additional fees. In the event they select to refund everyone, you will receive a full refund including fees.

Unlike most crowdfunding sites (where if a goal is not met, everyone gets an automatic refund) we leave it up to the host.

If you want to make sure an experience gets booked make sure you share it with your friends.

23. Can I buy a ticket for a friend through my account?

Yes, but we would love it if you had your friend join letsdutch.com and purchase their own space.

Keeping a transparent guest list is very important to us. We want every member to be able to book shared experiences with confidence and be able to view everyone who is participating.

24. How many tickets can I buy at once?

As many as are available.

25. Will I be responsible if my guest breaks the host's rules?

Yes. You will be held responsible for your guest(s). If the rule breaker is someone else in the group who is not your guest, you will not be held responsible.

If you are at all concerned with your guest, we recommend you have them create their own account and pay their own share so that you are only responsible for yourself.

If at any time during your experience you witness another guest breaking the host’s rules or damaging property, we ask that you send us a message so we can resolve the problem quickly and hold that individual responsible.

26. Can I bring a friend if I rent a room or a home?

All spaces and prices are set by our hosts. Most of the time spaces being sold are per person, but sometimes our hosts list a home per bedroom. We recommend you communicate with your host to clarify how many spaces you need to purchase for you and your guest.

28. Can I sell my spot if I need to cancel or can't make it or have someone take my place?

We would prefer that you do not do this. It is very important that all guests are able to view everyone attending before they book. All experiences have a transparent guest list so everyone can book with confidence by viewing the other guests. It wouldn't be fair to our members if they are booking based on that guest list and different people show up.

29. Can I bring my own alcohol to an event?

We leave this up to you and your host. Just know you will be held responsible for any host rules that may be broken.

30. Can I have a party once I rent a home or apartment?

Again, we leave this up to you and your host. We recommend you ask your host any questions beforehand and view the host’s rules on the listing before you book.

31. If I book a house with a group on dutch will I have any surprises with extra people showing up?

There should be no surprises. That is why we have a transparent guest list for each experience. We expect our hosts to be honest with everyone who is attending. If there are problems please contact us at support@letsdutch.com so we can resolve any issues.

32. What happens if I split the cost of a VIP table and the other guests decide to add extras once we get there. Will I be charged for the extras?

We have no control over what is ordered afterwards. We want all costs to be included in the listing to avoid any complications. Sometimes extras are unforeseen. It will be up to you and your host to work things out. If they add something that you don't want to be a part of, then you will not be responsible to share the cost with them.

33. What happens to my personal information once I book a group experience? I would prefer no one had my personal information except the host.

Your contact information will ONLY be shared with the host. Once the listing is completely booked we will send your host your contact information so they can keep in touch with you and let you know of any issues.

34. Will I have the host’s contact information after I book?

Yes. You will receive the host’s contact information once the experience is booked successfully or once the host accepts the guests on their book by date. If you need to get in touch prior to that date we request that you communicate with them through the internal messaging system.

35. I have allergies to certain foods and a friend booked a dining experience. Will I be charged extra for my special needs?

All listings are user generated so every host is in control of their pricing. Please speak with the host before you book so they can give you their answer.

36. I am allergic to certain animals. Will the host let me know about any pets on the premises?

If you have any allergies we recommend you tell your host about this before you book. Hosts may not think to include this in their listing, so please ask all questions ahead of time. *A host having a cat that you didn't know about will not be reason for a refund. If their listing indicated there are no animals or they told you in a message that there are no animals, then you may be eligible for a refund.

37. How do I know my host is paying their share and not just having all guests pay a little extra to cover the hosts share?

Given the wide variety of listings hosts can share, we don't have a way to control this or stop this from happening. There will always be a few bad apples, but if the community sticks together and reports such abuse, we can keep those numbers under control.

Keep in mind, if a host is hosting a yoga retreat, it is not up to them to pay their share. They are sharing a retreat that they are organizing and managing. If a host is sharing a vacation house that they own we can't charge them their share if it’s their home that they are sharing. But if someone is sharing bottle service for 9 people, we expect they will be the 10th person who pays their share upon final payment to venue. If you see an experience with inflated prices you can tell the host and you can also report it to us. We will do everything we can to keep all hosts honest but we need you to let us know of any abuses.

38. Do you offer customer service in case I have any issues with my experience?

Yes, you can reach us at support@letsdutch.com at any time. We will get back to you within 24 hours.

Back to top

1. What payment types may I use?

All major credit and debit cards are accepted through our payment processor Stripe. To see a list of all major credit cards accepted please go to https://support.stripe.com/questions/which-cards-and-payment-types-can-i-accept-with-stripe

We also accept Paypal.

2. Can I cancel my purchase?

We have a very strict cancellation policy because of the specific time sensitive itineraries each listing has and because many of our hosts are planning based on their group size. However, we do understand that emergencies come up. You can request a cancellation by submitting a claim by emailing us at support@letsdutch.com. We review every claim on a case by case basis and issue refunds based on your circumstances.

If you contact the host and they are okay with your cancelling, you can contact us and we will issue a refund immediately.

We will also be adding an automated cancellation system that will allow the host to create their own cancellation policies.

Please be sure you can attend an experience before you book.

3. What if my credit card is not working?

In the event your credit card is not working, you may want to visit www.stripe.com to figure out what may be wrong. You may also want to call your credit card company in case they are unfamiliar with our site.

4. Is my payment safe?

Yes. All payments are processed by Stripe or Paypal. Their security practices are the centerpiece of their business and they make sure they are meeting all government requirements.

We pool everyone’s payment together and hold it until 24 hours the experience takes place. If your host is a no show, or doesn’t deliver the experience as described, they will not receive their payout, and you will receive a full refund.

5. What are the Let’s Dutch Fees?

We charge each guest a flat 10% fee. This is to cover all credit card processing and all operational costs. Whatever that individual fee may be, will also be deducted from the hosts payout. Ex:

A group dinner for 10 people at $100 per person. Each person will pay $110 which includes the $100 individual share plus the 10% fee of $10. This $10 will be deducted from the hosts payout. Instead of receiving $1000 for 10 people booking, they will receive $990. The $1000 collected, minus their fee.

We didn’t think it was fair for the host to be charged the majority of the fees because for most experiences listed our hosts are not making money, but sharing the cost of the experience with the guests. We wanted everyone to go dutch, even for the fees.

I just booked a ticket for a show, how do I receive confirmation?

6. We will send you an email once your order has processed with confirmation of purchase. As for ticket delivery, each host handles this differently, as each venue has different methods for ticket delivery. If the host doesn't mention this in their description, I recommend you message them and ask any questions you may have. Rest assured, if you don't get your tickets, you will receive a complete refund.

Back to top

1. Why do I have a profile?

We want everyone to have a profile so that Let’s Dutch can be a social marketplace where you can share experiences with old friends and new. There is nothing worse than booking a group trip with Groupon, or meeting up with people from reddit, only to find out that they are not people you want to be with. By giving everyone a profile with reviews and verifications, you will be able to get to know everyone attending before you book, so that you can make an informed decision vs guessing. We want people sharing airbnb mansions, suites to the next big game, the local group rate at the spa, or even a large format dinner at a local restaurant. In order to make people comfortable sharing experiences like this, we want everyone to be able to see who they will be sharing with before they book.

2. What is my dashboard?

Your dashboard is the place within your profile to control every part of your experience. You can edit your profile, add images, view your listings, view the experiences you have booked, add verifications and reviews, and control all your privacy and payment details.

Back to top

1. Why are their reviews?

Reviews have been added to keep the community honest. We feel it is very important for users to feel comfortable sharing experiences with new friends. After every experience, all guests will be able review their host and request a review from their host. These reviews will be saved on everyone’s profile page so when someone is interested in sharing with another user they can make an informed decision. All reviews are from users you have shared an experience with, which ensures you will not receive any fake reviews.

2. How do I leave a review?

After you take part in a Let’s Dutch experience, you will be able to leave a review by clicking on the “Review” tab on your profile page. You will be able to select which host you would like to review and answer a few short questions. You will also receive an email notification 24 hours after the experience you shared, which will bring you to this page.

You can also request a review from your host by clicking the “Request Review from Host” button on the Review page. They will receive notification of this request and be able to review you.

3. What are verifications?

Verifications are ways to show hosts and users that you are who you say you are. You can choose as many verifications as you like including, Facebook, phone number and email. All new users start with no reviews for others to see, so verifications help show that you are authentic and trustworthy.

4. How do I add verifications?

You can either click the “add more” link in the verifications window under your profile picture, or you can click the verifications tab on your profile page. You can then add whichever verifications you are comfortable adding. We recommend you add as many as possible because this shows others in the community that you have an online identity and that you are trustworthy.

Back to top

What can I share?

Some examples of experiences Let’s Dutch members have shared include, large format dinners, group rates to the ballet, dinners cooked by private chefs, charity events, boat charters and much more. Our platform is designed for the sharing economy, so any experience that can be shared with others can be shared on our site. Other examples include:

-Private jets and all private aviation
-Yoga retreats and excursions
-House shares
-Group travel deals
-All group rates to the spa, to the next game, to the theater
-Heliskiing and other extreme sports
-VIP suite for sporting events
-Birthday parties or group gifts
-Bottle service at a club

The list goes on! Feel free to get creative.

Back to top