Monetisation Policy

1. Funding Model

focal.games operates on a "pay what you want" model with the following principles:

• Core Service Free: All essential functionality is available without payment
• No Paywall: No features are locked behind payment requirements
• Voluntary Support: Users choose whether and how much to contribute
• Perks for Supporters: Donors receive non-essential benefits as a thank you

This model allows us to keep focal.games accessible to all developers while providing a sustainable way to maintain and improve the platform.

2. Donation Perks

Supporters receive the following perks as a thank you for their contribution:

Discord Benefits

• Special supporter role and badge
• Access to supporter-only channels
• Priority response to questions and feedback

Platform Features

• Game showcase in the Supporter Showcase
• Ability to suggest features and improvements
• Early access to new features (when applicable)

Recognition

• Name listed on our supporters page
• Special thank you messages
• Recognition in our community

These perks are provided as a thank you and do not constitute paid services or digital goods.

3. Donation Handling

We use trusted third-party services to process donations:

• Patreon: Monthly recurring support with exclusive content
• Ko-fi: One-time donations, monthly support, and "buy us a coffee" support
• PayPal: Familiar payment method with buyer protection and instant transfers
• Stripe: Advanced payment processing with support for multiple currencies and payment methods

Note: Additional payment options may be added in the future based on community needs and platform availability.

Important notes about donations:

• We do not store payment information on our servers
• All payment processing is handled by third-party services
• Donations are not refundable unless required by law
• Supporters can cancel their support at any time

4. Use of Funds

Your support helps us maintain and improve focal.games in the following ways:

• Platform Maintenance: Server costs, hosting, and technical infrastructure
• Development: New features, bug fixes, and platform improvements
• Community: Discord server costs and community management
• Legal and Compliance: Legal fees, privacy compliance, and regulatory requirements
• Marketing: Reaching more developers who could benefit from focal.games

We are committed to using funds responsibly and prioritising platform stability and user experience.

5. Transparency

We believe in being transparent about our funding and operations:

• Regular Updates: We share information about platform development and funding status
• Community Input: Major decisions are discussed with our community
• Open Communication: We're honest about challenges and opportunities
• Annual Reports: We provide yearly summaries of platform status and funding

We welcome questions about our funding model and how your support is used.

6. Policy Changes

We may update this monetisation policy from time to time. Changes will be communicated through:

• Site-wide announcements and notifications
• Updates to this policy page
• Discord community announcements
• Email notifications to supporters

We will provide reasonable notice of any significant changes and explain the reasons for updates.

7. Contact

If you have questions about our monetisation policy or funding model, please contact us:

Email: support@focal.games
Discord: Join our community

We're happy to discuss any aspect of our funding model and how your support helps focal.games.