Legal
Terms
Terms for using The World's Spare Change — the same honest voice as the Honest note on the homepage.
Effective / last updated: October 2, 2026.
What this is
The World's Spare Change is a personal experiment about the courage to ask. One person is asking the world for a dollar of spare change. Optional $1 contributions go to the person who runs this site personally, less payment-processing fees.
This is not a charity or nonprofit. Tips are not tax-deductible. This is not an investment. There is no product, prize, equity, or financial return in exchange for tipping. The Secret Jar marks mystery thresholds and a commitment to share what happens next at certain milestones (starting at $10). It is not a guarantee of any outcome, reward, or unlock for contributors.
Who this is for
This experiment is meant for adults.
- Under 13: Please do not tip. Do not send a phone number or email. We do not knowingly collect contact details from anyone under 13. If a parent or guardian tells us we have, we will delete them.
- Ages 13–17: A parent or guardian should be with you, and they should be the one who pays.
By contributing, you confirm you are at least 18, or that a parent or guardian is with you and is the one paying.
Optional contribution
Watching, sharing, and following along are free. Paying $1 is optional. Declining is fine. By contributing, you confirm you are doing so voluntarily, you understand this is not tax-deductible charity giving, and you are not buying goods, services, or a stake in anything. The person who runs this site has said they do not know yet what comes next with the money — and that not-knowing is part of the experiment — with a public update commitment at $10.
Contributing does not prove you have courage or understand the lesson. It is one small way to take part. Sharing the story is another.
Payments
Payments are processed by Stripe. The tip amount is USD $1 unless the site says otherwise. We never see or store your full card number on this site. Stripe handles card and wallet data under its own terms and privacy policy.
If something goes wrong with a charge, or you need a refund, email sjworldssparechange@gmail.com. We will do our best to help when a refund is appropriate.
SMS updates (optional)
Weekly SMS is optional and only offered when Twilio is actually connected. Consent is never a condition of purchase. Opt-in is unchecked by default.
- Message frequency varies — about one short text per week when there is news about the live total.
- Message and data rates may apply.
- Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for help. You can also use the SMS opt-out.
- Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
Email updates (optional)
Email signup is optional and only offered when an email provider is connected. You can unsubscribe anytime from any email we send.
Live map, board & Secret Jar
Live totals and map data are best-effort reflections of recorded tips. Country on the map is inferred from payment data and is approximate. Secret Jar thresholds are mystery markers and update commitments — not prizes, unlocks for donors, or investment milestones.
Journal
The journal is public. It may mention tip totals, countries, or milestones. It will not publish private contact details from a tip.
Content
Story, video, quotes (including attributed third-party quotes such as Jim Rohn), and site content are shared so you can enjoy and pass along the lesson. Do not scrape, misrepresent, or use the brand to imply a charity, partnership, or endorsement that does not exist.
No warranty
The site is provided as-is for this personal experiment. We do not promise uninterrupted access, perfect totals, or any particular outcome from tipping or following along.
Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent allowed by law, the person who runs this site and the site are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from use of the site or from optional tips. For a payment issue, your remedy is to contact us at sjworldssparechange@gmail.com about a refund when appropriate.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. If a court finds a part of these terms unenforceable, the rest still applies. Continuing to use the site means you accept these terms.
Contact
Questions, refunds, or privacy requests: sjworldssparechange@gmail.com.