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PayBack Fitness is a group-based fitness accountability app built on behavioral economics. You join a group, commit to a weekly workout goal, and log workouts in the app. Hit your goal each week and earn PF Points back — real dollar-value rewards redeemable as gift cards. Miss a week, and your points go to the members who showed up. It runs in 10-week competitions called Blocks.

Anyone 18 years or older. The iOS app is currently available in the US only. The Android app is available worldwide.

No. The group creator sets the weekly workout goal — typically 3 or 4 days per week. You choose your group based on a goal that fits your lifestyle. The only exception is if your group's goal is 7 days per week.

Any form of dedicated physical activity counts — gym, home workouts, running, yoga, sports, fitness classes, and more. Workouts are currently logged on the honor system. The group creator sets a minimum duration per session (typically 15–30 minutes). A workout counts when it meets or exceeds that minimum.

You can log workouts for today or yesterday. Each week closes at midnight on Day 7 in the group's chosen time zone. Once closed, you cannot retroactively log workouts for that week.

Not currently. Each user can participate in one active group at a time. This keeps the system simple and fair.

Currently all groups are invite-only. You can also find open groups on the Open Groups page on this website.

Yes. When creating a group you set the weekly workout frequency goal, the minimum duration per workout, the time zone, and the start date. You then invite members via a group code.

Yes. PayBack Fitness is available on iOS and Android, and all tracking and logging happens through the app.

No - it's better. Instead of just paying to work out, you're part of a system that pays you back for showing up and staying consistent.

PayBack Fitness uses three clinically validated behavioral principles: loss aversion (missing costs you), immediate reward (weekly PF Points), and social accountability (group visibility). It was designed by a board-certified neurologist with a background in behavioral economics — not a typical fitness app.

PF Points are your reward currency. 1 PF Point = $1 in gift card value at redemption. They are earned by hitting your weekly goal, can be redeemed for gift cards, or used to enter a new Block. They are not cash and cannot be transferred between users.

Total PF Points available per week = number of members × 10. That pool is divided equally among all members who hit their goal, rounded down to the nearest whole number. PayBack Fitness absorbs any fractional remainder. Example: 5 members, 3 hit goal → pool of 50 ÷ 3 = 16 PF Points per winner. If everyone succeeds, each earns exactly 10 PF. If no one succeeds (extremely rare), PayBack Fitness credits everyone 10 PF anyway.

Two components: (1) Subscription: $5/month or $50/year — keeps your account active and gives you app access. (2) Block entry fee: 100 PF Points per 10-week competition — this is your stake, which you earn back by showing up. Think of it as $100 of potential gift card earnings, not a fee.

Open the app, go to your PF Points wallet, and choose to redeem. Minimum redemption is 20 PF Points. Select the amount you wish to redeem, choose your gift card brand, and the gift card is emailed to you immediately at full face value. No fees, ever. 1 PF Point = $1 in gift card value.

Annual redemption cap: 599 PF Points ($599) per calendar year. Annual purchase cap: 1,000 PF Points per year. Wallet cap: 1,500 PF Points maximum at any one time. These limits are designed to ensure fairness and program integrity.

In most US jurisdictions, gift card rewards below $600 per year are not considered taxable income. Since the annual redemption cap is 599 PF Points, most users will not exceed this threshold. However, tax laws vary by jurisdiction and individual circumstances. We recommend consulting a tax advisor to confirm your specific situation.

This is extremely rare, but if it occurs, PayBack Fitness credits every active member 10 PF Points as if everyone succeeded. The platform is designed to reward consistency — not to profit from collective failure.

To keep things simple, your weekly PF Points earned are always rounded down to the nearest whole number. For example, if you earn 12.36 PF Points, you'll receive 12 PF Points. The fraction left behind helps support the system and keeps the math clear for everyone.

Share your unique referral code from within the app. When someone you refer completes their first full 10-week Block, you earn 10 PF Points. There's no limit to how many people you can refer. Referral rewards are issued upon the referred user's Block completion — not upon signup.

When purchasing PF Points through the portal, Stripe's standard processing fee applies. PayBack Fitness does not add any additional fees. Redemptions (gift cards) always have zero fees.

When you purchase PF Points through our portal, payment is processed through Stripe, which includes a small standard credit card processing fee of about 3%.

PayBack Fitness does not add or keep any additional fees here - this is simply the cost of secure payment processing.

No. Once you commit 100 PF Points to a Block, you cannot withdraw. This protects the fairness of the competition for all other members. Choose your group carefully before committing. Note: if you do cancel your subscription mid-Block, remaining members are unaffected or may benefit from redistributed points.

Any PF Points remaining in your wallet are forfeited upon cancellation. We strongly recommend redeeming all available points (minimum 20 PF) before cancelling. You should also ideally complete any active Block before cancelling, as your entry stake is non-refundable.

Account deletion is permanent. All profile data, workout history, and PF Points are forfeited. If you are in an active group or have an active subscription, deletion will be scheduled for when those end — not immediately.

In the event of a verified platform outage preventing workout logging, PayBack Fitness will credit all affected active group members 10 PF Points for that week and the week will not count toward or against any member's standing. Contact support@paybackfitness.com immediately if you experience a technical issue.

Workouts are currently logged on the honor system. Smart-wear integrations (Apple Watch, Fitbit, etc.) are planned for a future update. Accounts that show repeated patterns of abuse may be suspended. The system is built on trust and mutual accountability within your group.

Accounts that show repeated abuse of the system may be suspended or removed. Our priority is keeping the community fair and fun for everyone.

Yes. All payments are processed through Stripe using industry-standard encryption. PayBack Fitness does not store your payment card details directly.

Not currently. A trial option may be introduced in a future update.

Even in a small group, the system still works - hitting your weekly goal determines whether you keep or forfeit your 10 PF Points. A group must have at least 2 competitors to become active on the group start date; otherwise, it will be removed and your PF Points will be reimbursed to allow you to create or join another group.

Life happens, and sometimes there will be illnesses, travel, or other unforeseen events that make it hard to hit your goal. Unfortunately, missed weeks can't be reimbursed as your forfeited PF Points go into the shared pool for everyone that hit their weekly goal. The good news is you can always jump back in the following week. PayBack Fitness is about building momentum over time, not perfection.

Each Block is about building momentum, so even if you miss a week, you can always keep going. If you choose to unsubscribe during an active Block/group, any remaining PF Points will be forfeited. Subscriptions and group entries are non-refundable once a Block has started. This policy helps keep the reward system fair for all participants.