Official contest rules

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT IS NECESSARY TO ENTER A CAPTION OR TO WIN. Entering captions is always free. Winners are determined by skill, not chance. Void where prohibited.

1. Sponsor

Each bounty is sponsored by the user who posts it (the “Poster”). Caption Bounty (“the Platform”) operates the service and administers payments.

2. Eligibility

• Open to legal residents of the United States who are 18 or older at time of entry.
• Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Entrants are responsible for local laws.
• Platform employees, contractors, and their immediate households are not eligible to win.

3. How to enter

Create an account (phone verification required), open a bounty, and submit one original caption. One caption per person per bounty. No fee is ever charged to submit a caption.

4. Bounties and prizes

• A Poster funds a prize — either none (“for glory”) or a cash amount from $10 to $500.
• Cash prizes are paid from funds the Poster pre-pays and the Platform holds for the contest. A 15% platform fee applies to paid bounties and is paid by the Poster.
• One (1) winner per bounty unless the bounty states otherwise.

5. Winner selection (skill-based)

During voting, the community ranks captions to produce the top 3 finalists. The Poster then selects the winner from those finalists based on the creativity, wit, and merit of the caption. Selection is by skill and judgment — not by chance or random draw. Odds of winning depend on the number and quality of entries.

6. Payment of prizes & taxes

• Cash prizes are paid through Stripe Connect. Winners must complete identity verification (KYC) to be paid.
• Winners are responsible for all taxes. Tax forms (e.g., 1099) are issued through Stripe where required; winners must provide accurate tax information.

7. Conduct & human-made requirement

• Captions must be original and created by a human. AI-generated entries are prohibited.
• No infringing, unlawful, hateful, harassing, or sexually explicit content.
• Posters must have the rights to any image they upload.
• The Platform may disqualify entries or accounts that violate these rules or attempt to manipulate voting.

8. Cancellation & refunds

A Poster may cancel a bounty before a winner is crowned; the prize amount is refunded in full. Platform fees are non-refundable once a bounty receives at least one caption entry. The Platform may void a contest and refund the Poster in full (including fees) in cases of Platform error, fraud, or insufficient qualifying entries.

9. Disputes & governing law

These rules are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising from a contest that cannot be resolved informally shall be submitted to binding arbitration under the American Arbitration Association Consumer Arbitration Rules, with proceedings conducted in San Francisco County, California, except that either party may bring claims in small claims court for disputes within that court’s jurisdiction. Class actions and class arbitrations are waived. The Platform’s and Poster’s decisions on eligibility and winner selection are final and binding.

10. Privacy

Personal information is handled per our Privacy Policy.