What is Disintermediation?
Disintermediation means "cutting out the middle man." On StartPlaying, this happens when a GM or player handles payments outside of StartPlaying for a game that is listed on our site.
In other words: if your game is listed on StartPlaying, all payments must go through StartPlaying. No exceptions.
Example of Disintermediation
A GM has a game listed on StartPlaying. A player messages them and asks to pay via Venmo instead of through the site. The GM accepts the Venmo payment.
This is disintermediation and a violation of StartPlaying's Terms of Service.
What does StartPlaying’s Terms of Service say about Disintermediation?
The StartPlaying Terms of Service prohibits:
Requesting, making, or accepting payments outside of StartPlaying
Using outside payment services like PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp
This rule applies to any player who found you through StartPlaying - through the website, the GM Discord server, or any other StartPlaying-related space.
What are the Consequences of Disintermediation?
Violating this policy will result in permanent removal of your account from StartPlaying.
To avoid this, always make sure payments for games listed on StartPlaying are processed through the platform.