Frequently Asked Questions

Sign up with your email, confirm your account, and you're in. There's no commitment—you only participate when you opt in for a specific month. Think of it like RSVPing to an event: some months you're in, some months you're out. No pressure, no recurring charges you forgot to cancel.

Nope. You opt in month by month, so you're in complete control. Maybe December is crazy with family stuff, or you just stocked up on beans—skip it. When you're ready to jump back in, opt in for the next month. The community will still be here.

Opt-in closes on the last day of each month, and matches go out on the 1st. So if you want to participate in February's exchange, opt in anytime before January 31st. We send reminder emails so you don't miss it, but you're the one who decides each time.

On the 1st of the month, you'll get an email with your match's name, shipping address, and a little info about their coffee preferences. You buy a bag of coffee from a local roaster, ship it to them, and they do the same for you. By the end of the month, you've both sent and received. Simple.

You tell us if you want a domestic or international match, and we pair you accordingly. We also try to match people with similar participation histories—new members with new members, veterans with veterans. This keeps things fair and builds trust over time.

Not right now. Random matching is part of the magic—you're discovering coffee from places you'd never think to look. That said, if you and a friend both want to exchange, you can always do that on your own outside the platform. We won't be offended.

Life happens. If something comes up, message your match as soon as possible and let them know. Most people are understanding if you communicate. But here's the thing: if you bail without warning, that's tracked. Do it more than once and you'll be removed from the platform. We're building a community, not enabling flakes.

We track sending confirmations and follow up if someone doesn't mark their coffee as sent. You'll also get a chance to confirm when you receive your coffee. If someone consistently doesn't send, they're out. We take this seriously because the whole thing falls apart if people don't hold up their end.

No. You're not paying us anything. The only costs are the bag of coffee you buy (usually $15-25) and whatever shipping costs to send it to your match. No hidden fees, no "processing charges," no premium tiers. Just coffee and postage.

Domestic shipping in the US usually runs $5-10 via USPS Priority Mail. International is where it gets pricey—$25-50 depending on the country. We're upfront about this because nobody likes surprise costs. If international shipping feels too steep, stick with domestic matches. No judgment.

Absolutely. When you opt in, you pick domestic or international matching. Most people start with domestic to keep costs down and get a feel for how it works. International is there when you're feeling adventurous and want coffee from Norway or Australia, knowing you'll pay more to ship.

We track every exchange and follow up on non-sends. If someone ghosts repeatedly, they're removed from the platform. We also have a backup matching system—if you get stiffed, you'll get priority matching in the next exchange. This isn't the honour system; there are real consequences for not sending.

Yes, because your match needs somewhere to ship the coffee. If that makes you uncomfortable, consider using a work address or a PO box. We don't display addresses publicly—only your matched partner sees it, and only for that month's exchange. We take privacy seriously, but shipping physical goods requires real addresses.

Quickly. If someone doesn't send, doesn't communicate, or behaves badly, they're flagged. Multiple flags mean removal. We also verify email addresses and watch for suspicious patterns (like someone creating multiple accounts). The community polices itself to some extent, but we're actively monitoring too.

Something you'd be excited to drink. Hit up a local roaster and grab a bag of their good stuff—not the dusty commodity coffee from the grocery store. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, just fresh and interesting. The whole point is sharing what makes your local coffee scene special.

We collect basic preferences (roast level, flavoured vs unflavoured) and share those with your match. But part of the fun is trying something outside your comfort zone. If you only drink light roasts and get a medium, that's okay—it's an adventure. That said, if someone requests "no flavoured" and you send hazelnut cream, you're missing the point. Respect the basics, but don't stress about finding the perfect bean.