Bond Terms

Presented at date confirmation; incorporated into the Terms of Service (§4).

The deal, plainly

When you and a match both confirm a date, each of you posts a $50 bond ($100 for concierge

dates). It's a temporary authorization hold on your card — not a charge. Show up, and it

releases automatically. Stand someone up, and your bond goes to them.

Mechanics

1. Posting. On mutual date confirmation, each member's card receives a $50 authorization

hold via Stripe. If either hold fails, the date stays unconfirmed and both are notified.

2. Release. The hold is released for both members at the earlier of: mutual post-date

confirmation; or 24 hours after the scheduled end time with no no-show claim filed.

(Banks may take 3–10 business days to reflect released holds.)

3. Cancellation windows. Cancel or reschedule more than 12 hours before the date: both

bonds release, no questions. Cancel within 12 hours: your bond releases only if your

match accepts the reschedule or cancellation in-app; otherwise it's treated as a no-show claim.

4. No-show claims. The attending member may file within 24 hours. The other member has

24 hours to respond with confirmation, dispute, or evidence (venue check-in, messages).

— Uncontested: the no-show member's $50 is captured and **credited to the attending

member** (as account credit, or refund-to-card on request, less required processing).

— Contested: a human reviews within 2 business days. Genuine emergencies (documented)

release both bonds. Outcomes are final but appealable once.

5. Video dates: joining more than 15 minutes late without notice = no-show.

6. Trust effects. Confirmed no-shows also affect your internal standing regardless of bond

outcome; repeated no-shows are grounds for removal.

The fine print that keeps this fair

— The $50 amount is a reasonable, pre-agreed estimate of the time, preparation, and cost a

no-show imposes on the other member — a commitment device both parties accept when

confirming, not a penalty. [Counsel: liquidated-damages framing per state.]

— Marlow keeps no portion of forfeited bonds beyond unrecoverable payment-processing costs

— the money goes to the person who showed up. (This alignment is deliberate: we must never

profit from failed dates.)

— Bonds are never required to browse, match, or chat — only when you choose to confirm a date.

— We may waive, refund, or release bonds at our discretion for fairness, fraud prevention, or

documented emergencies.

— Abuse (fake claims, collusion, serial emergency excuses) is a Terms violation.

— Unclaimed credits: [counsel — escheatment treatment per state; propose auto-refund to card

after 12 months].