'Pledging' means making a payment via our website to a crowdfunding campaign, the amount of which is then added to its total. If the campaign is successful, then the project team receive the funds and start delivering the project. If it's not, then you will be refunded via the same method you chose to pledge.

Pledging to a campaign: step-by-step

1. Navigate to the campaign page, and click to back this project

2. Sign up/log in to Spacehive

Before you complete a pledge, you will be asked to create a Spacehive account. We ask you to do this so that you follow the progress of campaign you have backed, and nothing else. You are not signing up for any other marketing or notifications. 

Unless you have a strong preference to do so, we generally recommend that you sign up using an email address, rather than via a Facebook account. Choose a password that you will remember, and then click 'sign me up'.

If you already have a Spacehive account, for example if you have previously pledged to a campaign, then at the top of this screen click on 'log me in'.

3. Enter the amount you would like to pledge, and choose your payment method

(Please note that bank transfers are not available for less than £50; whereas direct debit is not available for £2,000 or more).

If you would like your pledge to appear anonymous, tick the box. Otherwise it will appear in the name you gave us on the previous page. 

4. Verify your email address

Before you can pledge, you need to verify your email address. You will be sent a code to your email address. Copy that code and input it here.

5a. Paying by credit or debit card

Enter your card details and then click pay. Payment should be relatively immediate and your pledge should appear within a few minutes.

5b. Paying by one-off Direct Debit

Not to be confused with the Direct Debit that you may use to pay bills on an ongoing basis, this is a one-off Direct Debit that will be taken from your bank account. Enter your bank details and click continue.

Your pledge will be visible on the page within a minute or two, however payment will not be collected from your bank account for another few days. 

5c. Paying by bank transfer

If you choose this method, the instructions appear on the screen. You must then make the bank transfer yourself using your own online banking, sending the payment to the bank details provided. Each bank transfer must match the pledge. So if you have made three pledges of £100 each, you cannot then send a single bank transfer for £300. You must send three bank transfers of £100. 

If you send a bank transfer that contains incorrect details, or is either too small or large, then you will be refunded and the pledge will not be processed. 

Note that unlike the other methods, bank transfers are slower to get the pledge onto the campaign, as we need to wait for the payment to arrive.