Key terms of the approval rules
A handful of terms is all it takes to read any BuyPass result correctly:
- Valid identity: a linked browser identity. It counts as one vote per request version — the smallest unit of counting.
- Quorum: the minimum number of valid votes for a result. Public requests default to 10, friends-only requests to 3, set uniformly by site rules.
- Majority rule: after quorum, more approve than reject votes means “purchase allowed”, otherwise “purchase not allowed”; a tie is “tied — not approved”.
- Snapshot: an immutable record of the votes and version at one moment. The page always shows the current snapshot.
- Approval receipt: a snapshot record the requester may issue after a majority approval; it proves the result at that moment only.
- Request version: every revision creates a new version. Votes on old versions are void and jurors vote again.
- Content review: the AI safety-reviews requests and advice before publication; violating content stays unpublished and counting rules are unaffected.
The full life of a request, start to finish
- The requester submits product, price, category and reason (with a screenshot or product link).
- The AI safety-reviews it; failures stay unpublished and can be revised and resubmitted.
- Once public, the request appears in the approval hall and global activity; voting begins.
- Each valid identity casts approve/reject plus at least one reason tag (and optional advice, published after AI review).
- After quorum the result displays in real time; it moves as votes move, with no deadline.
- After a majority approval the requester may issue a receipt and self-report the outcome (bought / skipped / worth it?).
An honest note on “one person, one vote”
The unit of counting on BuyPass is a linked identity, not a human being. One person on several devices, each anonymous, can produce several votes; once those browsers are linked to one identity, they count once. Browser identities are not verified people, so the site never claims “one person, one vote” and positions every result as community advice. Anti-abuse mechanics — one vote per identity, no self-voting, Turnstile and rate limits — prevent one identity from counting twice; they do not verify real humans.
What BuyPass deliberately cannot do
- It cannot block purchases you make anywhere else, or manage your payment accounts.
- It cannot stop you from buying after a “not allowed” result — it will simply record that you did not follow the site’s verdict.
- It cannot verify the authenticity of product links or the freshness of prices; verify them yourself.
- It cannot provide investment, legal or medical advice; requests in those areas are stopped by content review.
Three worked examples of the rules in action
- Example one: a public request at 6 approve / 3 reject with a quorum of 10 — insufficient votes, so it reads “not approved yet”.
- Example two: a friends-only request at 2 approve / 0 reject with a quorum of 3 — one vote short, still waiting.
- Example three: a public request at 11 / 11 — tied; the result reads “tied” and no receipt can be issued.
Disputes and appeals
If you believe a tally is wrong or content was mishandled, use the report link on the request page to reach the administrators, whose moderation is independent of the AI review. The site does not “appeal” verdicts themselves — results follow the rules and the votes; what can be corrected are data errors and rule-breaking content.
- Counting errors: report with details; snapshots make tallies auditable.
- Content mistakes: both AI and admin moderation can be appealed and reversed.
- Outcome disagreements: the rules, not preference, decide — that is the point of writing them down.
How rule changes are handled
The site may adjust defaults such as quorum over time. Every request keeps the rules it was created with, so existing requests are never retroactively re-judged by new settings — a stability guarantee that matters when results are meant to be trusted snapshots rather than moving targets.
What the rules deliberately leave out
Three silences in this document are design decisions, not oversights. No deadline: there is no clause that turns waiting into approval, because pressure is exactly what impulse spending thrives on. No vote trading: agreeing to exchange votes — in either direction — is treated as abuse and handled as such; the reason tags exist so every vote carries its own justification, not a debt. No tiers: there is no privileged identity class whose votes weigh more; quorum treats a first-day browser and a veteran identically. Rules earn trust by staying short — every additional clause is one more seam that clever people will eventually find, so the count stays deliberately minimal.
Frequently asked questions about BuyPass
What happens when votes are insufficient or tied?
The result stays “not approved yet”. The requester can keep sharing the request and waiting for more jurors. There is no time limit and no automatic approval.
Why did all votes reset after I revised my request?
Once price, product or reason changes, the basis of every earlier vote is gone. Revisions therefore start a new version with fresh counting — that fairness is owed to the jurors.
What happens when I withdraw my vote?
Your vote is removed from the current tally. An earlier vote you cast is not revived — the server’s last recorded action is final.
Can a receipt be used for returns or disputes?
No. A receipt is a snapshot of community opinion with no legal effect and no merchant commitment attached.
Can the AI review tamper with vote counts?
No. The AI only decides whether content is published; it never touches counting. Published advice counts equally toward the AI brief regardless of stance.
What happens if I report vote manipulation or violations?
Use the report link on the request page. Admin moderation is independent of the AI review; violating content can be taken down and abusive identities suspended.
Will rule parameters like quorum ever change?
Defaults may change, but each request keeps the rules from its creation; existing requests are unaffected by later adjustments.
Can two identities be merged into one vote?
The other way around: several browsers merged into one identity count as a single vote — that is exactly what merging is for.
Who enforces the rules?
The code enforces counting and quorum mechanically; the AI enforces content boundaries; administrators handle reports and edge cases, with every action independent of vote outcomes.
This page is maintained by the BuyPass team and was last updated in September 2026.