Kickstarter — what this rewards-based crowdfunding platform is and who can launch on it

Backing a project on Kickstarter isn’t quite a purchase, even though it can look like one.
Money only changes hands if the creator reaches the full stated goal by the deadline.
If the goal isn’t met, nobody pays anything at all — not the creator, not the backer.
Launching your own campaign, though, isn’t open to every country — the platform’s list is specific.
Backing someone else’s project, on the other hand, works from almost anywhere in the world.

Not every country can launch a campaign
The list of countries where you can launch a campaign on Kickstarter runs to exactly 25 — not all of Europe.
Here it is in full — the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece and Hong Kong.
Next — Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and Singapore.
And finally — Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Belarus, Ukraine and most of the Baltics and Eastern Europe aren’t on this list at all.
But backing an already-launched campaign works for anyone, from any country in the world.

Money only changes hands if the campaign fully succeeds
Kickstarter explains the model through three reasons — protecting creators, protecting backers, and the urgency it creates.
The creator can be confident they’ll get the full amount the project was counting on.
A backer isn’t making a guaranteed purchase — they’re funding a creative process from the very start.
And if the goal isn’t reached by the deadline, no backer is charged anything at all.
So the risk of ending up with no money sits entirely with the creator, not the backers.

The fee is 5% to the platform plus a payment charge
Kickstarter only takes its fee on success — 5% of the total raised.
On top of that comes Stripe’s payment processing fee, usually 3 to 5%.
Pledges under $10 get a separate, discounted rate.
There the fee comes to 5% plus just 8 cents per pledge.
And if a campaign doesn’t reach its goal, there’s no fee at all, in any case.

Backing here always comes with a reward
Every campaign on Kickstarter has to offer backers a tangible reward in exchange for support.
That can be the finished product itself, early access, or something exclusive from the creator.
The official list of categories is wider than you’d expect, and it’s far from just visual art.
It covers art, design, film and video, games, publishing, technology, fashion, food, journalism, music, photography, crafts, comics, dance and theater.
So the platform suits far more than just classic visual artists and designers.

The company is legally structured for public benefit
Kickstarter is registered as a Public Benefit Corporation — a company with a legally binding public mission.
That mission is stated outright — to help bring creative projects to life.
Payments are technically handled by an independent processor, Stripe.
But if the timing isn’t right, a creator can cancel a campaign and relaunch it later.
Past backers have to be invited again — the platform doesn’t penalise this at all.

Who it suits especially
Good fit if: you want a platform with rewards for backers and a clear all-or-nothing safety net.
Also a good fit if you live in one of the 25 eligible countries and want to launch a rewards campaign.
May not suit you if: you want to launch a campaign from a country outside that list.
In that case, Kickstarter still works for backing someone else’s campaign — you’ll need another route for your own project.