Everything you need to know about circles, payouts, and keeping your money safe. Can't find it here? Get in touch.
A Pact circle is a small, invite-only group who save together in a rotating pool. Every member contributes the same amount each month, and each month the whole pot goes to one member — rotating until everyone has received a full payout.
It's a modern take on a savings tradition used around the world — you may know it as a ROSCA, tanda, susu, cundina, hui, chit fund, or ajo.
Everyone pays in every month, and everyone collects the pot exactly once over the cycle.
No. There's no lender and no interest. A circle is your group's own money, pooled and passed to one member at a time. If your turn comes early, you receive a lump sum before you've paid it all in; if it comes later, your contributions build toward your turn.
Besides Pact being primarily a savings platform, we might explore credit-building features in the future.
Over a full cycle, yes — you contribute the same total that you receive in your one payout. Pact isn't an investment and doesn't earn interest.
The value is timing and discipline: a lump sum when you need it, and a group that keeps everyone on track.
Pact is free to join. There's a flat fee of $1 per month per member — no percentage of your pot, no interest, and no hidden charges.
The circle does. When you create a circle you choose the monthly amount, the number of members, and the start date. Everyone sees and agrees to the terms before the first payment.
When a circle is set up, the circle admin proposes the payout order — and it only takes effect once every member has agreed to it.
So before the first payment, everyone knows exactly which month the pot will be theirs. The order can't be changed without the group's consent.
Missed payments are uncommon in invite-only circles — and Pact is built to prevent them, then resolve them fairly, without anyone else having to cover the gap.
Reminders and autopay. Members get reminders before each due date, and autopay helps prevent an accidental miss in the first place.
Warnings and a short grace period. If a payment is late, the member gets a series of warnings and a few days to catch up, while the admin and members are kept informed.
Payouts come only from what's collected. A pot is released once that month's contributions are in — Pact never advances money the circle doesn't have, so nobody is left fronting a stranger's share.
If it's still unresolved, the member drops off the circle. If they haven't received their payout yet, they simply leave the rotation and their contributions so far are returned (less the monthly fee), and the remaining members' schedule adjusts automatically. If they've already received their payout, they stay responsible for the balance they owe and are blocked from joining future circles.
Trust is the real safeguard. Because circles are invite-only and the admin sets the payout order with the whole group's agreement, you're only ever saving with people you know — and the order can put the most-established members first.
Money moves directly from member to member. Every contribution and payout is transferred between members by our financial partner — Pact never takes custody of your money. We coordinate the schedule and keep everyone's records in sync, while the funds themselves flow straight from one person to the next.
Add the payment methods you support (e.g. a linked bank account or card) and typical transfer timing.
Pact never holds your money. Contributions move directly from one member to another through our financial partner — there's no Pact account sitting on your balance, so there's nothing for Pact to lose, freeze, or misuse.
Optionally name your financial partner and add any licensing or insurance details once confirmed.
Circles are invite-only and private — you choose exactly who joins, so you're only ever saving with people you know. Every contribution and payout is logged and visible to the whole circle in real time, so there's no hidden math.
Add any identity verification or member-vetting steps you perform.
Your circle activity is only visible to members of that circle.
When it comes to your most sensitive personal information (like your Social Security Number and Date of Birth), Pact acts purely as a secure pass-through. To comply with federal regulations, we must verify your identity before you can join a circle. However, this sensitive information is transmitted securely directly to our banking partners and is never stored in our databases or on our servers.
List the regions where Pact is available and any relevant licensing or registration. Fill this in before publishing.
Sign up, tap Create your circle, set the amount, size, and start date, then invite your members. The circle begins once everyone has joined and confirmed the terms.
Ask the organizer for an invite. When you accept, you'll see the contribution amount, the schedule, and your payout month before you commit to anything.
Every Pact circle has exactly 5 members. That means the pot rotates over five months — everyone pays in for five months and takes home the full pot once.
Yes — but to join more than one circle at a time, you'll first need to be verified and approved. This extra step keeps every circle reliable for the members who are counting on each other.
No — once a circle is created, you're committed for the full cycle. A circle only works when everyone sees it through, so all members lock in before the first payment and the group relies on that commitment.
The only time a membership ends early is when a member repeatedly misses payments and is removed from the circle — see "What happens if someone misses a payment?" above.
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