CleverCrow is operated by Clever Crow, LLC. The core promise: you back an issue, and if a fix merges the pool pays the maintainer. If no fix merges, you get your money back. You never pay for work that didn't ship. The rules below spell out how money moves back to you at every stage.
Last updated 26 July 2026.
A backing is withdrawable in full at any time before the issue settles. Un-backing returns the money to your CleverCrow wallet instantly; use the issue page or My backings. If a maintainer never fixes an issue you back, your money simply sits there until you withdraw it; nothing is ever spent without a merged fix. More detail lives on the About page.
Settled pools. When a fix for an issue you backed is merged, your contribution settles: it pays the maintainer and CleverCrow's settlement fee, itemised on a receipt you can see on the issue page. A merged fix is the outcome you paid for; settled amounts are not refundable.
Card processing fees paid at top-up. When you back an issue or fund your wallet, card processing fees are added to the charge (shown before you pay) so your full chosen amount lands in your wallet. Those fees go to the card networks and Stripe and are not returned on refund. A refund returns 100% of your wallet and backing amounts; it does not return the processing fee. Example: a $200 top-up charges your card $200 plus fees; refunding it returns exactly $200.
Nothing else. CleverCrow deducts nothing on withdrawals or refunds: no cancellation fees, no holding fees, no cut of your money.
Anywhere we say “returned” or “refunded” above, we mean a credit to your CleverCrow wallet. To send a wallet balance back to the original card, open your wallet and use Withdraw: you can pull your available balance (anything not currently backing an issue) back to your card yourself, no email needed. Refunds are issued via Stripe and can take a few business days to appear. If anything looks off, email support@clevercrow.io and we'll help.
If you don't recognise a charge or believe a settlement is wrong, please email support@clevercrow.io before opening a dispute with your card issuer. Every backed issue and merged pull request is public and timestamped on GitHub, and every settlement carries a line-item receipt, so we can trace every cent of your contribution and will correct genuine errors promptly, including issuing a card refund where appropriate.
If a dispute is filed with your issuer or Stripe flags the charge for early fraud warning, we automatically pause the associated wallet until the matter is resolved. This protects both you and the other backers funding the same issues.
Un-backing credits your wallet instantly. Card refunds are issued via Stripe and typically appear on your statement within 5-10 business days, depending on your bank.