Question 1

What is Pinyata?

Accepted Answer

Pinyata is a conditional discount platform for ecommerce. It adds a widget to your product pages where customers pick real-world conditions (like 'Lakers win tonight' or 'Bitcoin above $110k Friday'). Pick 3 conditions, get 25% back. Pick 4, get 50%. Pick 5 and nail them all, the purchase is free. You pay a flat 6% fee per transaction.

Question 2

How is this different from a coupon code?

Accepted Answer

A 20% coupon code costs you the full 20% on every redemption. With Pinyata, customers see up to 100% back (their purchase could be free), but you only pay 6% flat per transaction. The conditional nature means massive perceived value at a fraction of the cost. Plus, conditions keep customers engaged with your brand for days or weeks.

Question 3

Is Pinyata gambling?

Accepted Answer

No. Pinyata is a conditional promotional discount, not gambling. The customer buys a product they want at full price. They are not staking money on an outcome. If conditions are met, they receive a rebate from Pinyata as a third party. If conditions are not met, they still have the product they purchased. There is zero customer risk. See our Legal Framework page for the full three-element analysis.

Question 4

How do customers get paid if their conditions hit?

Accepted Answer

Pinyata pays customers directly as a third party. Payouts can be issued via ACH transfer, PayPal, Venmo, virtual prepaid card, or as store credit through your platform. The payout never touches your payment processor or refund system.

Question 5

What happens if a condition does not resolve?

Accepted Answer

All conditions have a defined resolution date. If the event has not occurred by that date, the condition resolves as not met. If any single condition in a customer's selection does not resolve as true, no rebate is issued. The customer keeps the product they purchased at the price they paid.

Question 6

Where do the conditions come from?

Accepted Answer

Conditions are sourced from regulated, licensed event data providers with deep liquidity and transparent, auditable resolution. You can curate which categories of conditions appear on your store: sports, politics, crypto, pop culture, weather, and more.

Question 7

How much does Pinyata cost?

Accepted Answer

6% per transaction where a customer uses Pinyata. That is it. One rate, no monthly fees, no setup fees. The customer picks 3 conditions for 25% back, 4 for 50%, or 5 for 100% back. You pay 6% regardless. If a customer does not use Pinyata on their purchase, you pay nothing.

Question 8

How do I integrate Pinyata with my store?

Accepted Answer

For Shopify merchants, install the Pinyata app from the Shopify App Store. For WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or custom storefronts, add a single script tag to your product page template. Integration typically takes under 10 minutes. Full API documentation is available for headless or custom builds.

Question 9

Can customers lose money with Pinyata?

Accepted Answer

No. Customers pay full price for a product they want. If their conditions are met, they receive money back. If conditions are not met, they have the product at the price they agreed to pay. There is no additional cost, fee, or stake required from the customer.

Question 10

How does Pinyata make money?

Accepted Answer

Pinyata charges merchants a flat percentage fee per transaction. The conditional nature of the discounts means that not every customer receives a payout, allowing Pinyata to operate sustainably while still delivering significant value to both merchants and customers.

Question 11

Can I control which conditions appear on my store?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can block entire categories (e.g., no politics, no crypto), set maximum rebate caps per order or per campaign, and configure near-miss consolation offers (like a 10% coupon if a customer hits 4 out of 5 conditions). Growth and Scale tiers also allow custom condition curation.

Question 12

What if a customer picks conditions that all have very high probability?

Accepted Answer

The Pinyata system curates conditions within a specific probability range to maintain balance. Conditions with very high or very low probability are filtered out. The selection available to customers is always within parameters that work for both the merchant and Pinyata.

Frequently asked questions