How does Kickstarter work? How to back Scout, step by step

5 min read

For families who'd like to back Scout but have never used Kickstarter, or want to check exactly how it works first. You'll get every step, when money actually leaves your account, and an honest look at what happens after.

An open nature journal with leaf sketches and pressed leaves on a pale wooden table in a bright modern kitchen.

Scout launches on Kickstarter in spring 2027. If you've never backed anything there before, it can feel like a strange way to buy something, mostly because it isn't really buying. You're backing a project to help it happen.

So how does Kickstarter work, and what exactly happens when you back Scout? Here's the whole journey, step by step, with nothing skipped.

How does Kickstarter work?

Kickstarter is a website where people fund new projects before they exist. Every campaign has three things:

A funding goal: the amount the project needs to go ahead.
A deadline: the date the campaign ends.
Rewards: what backers get for their support. For Scout, the main reward is a Scout.

Funding on Kickstarter is all or nothing. If a campaign reaches its goal by the deadline, it's funded, every backer is charged, and the project goes ahead. If it falls short, nobody is charged a penny and no money changes hands.

It's worth knowing one more thing: Kickstarter isn't a shop. When you back a project, you're supporting a team to make something, and the team, not Kickstarter, is responsible for making it and getting it to you. That's why we'll keep you updated all the way through.

How to back Scout, step by step

1. Make a Kickstarter account

Go to kickstarter.com and sign up with your email address. You need to be 18 or over, so this part is for grown-ups. It's free, and it only takes a minute. Doing it before launch day means one less thing to do when the campaign opens.

2. Find the Scout campaign

Families on our waitlist hear first when the campaign goes live, with a direct link in their inbox. That matters, because the lowest price is for the earliest backers (more on that below).

3. Choose your reward

On the campaign page you'll see the rewards, each with its price and what's included. Pick the one you want and read its description, including where it ships and what's in the box.

4. Pay

Enter your payment details. Kickstarter takes major credit and debit cards. Depending on your device and where you live, the checkout may also offer other options, such as Apple Pay, and it shows you what's available.

5. That's it, for now

You'll get a confirmation, and Scout will appear in your Kickstarter account as a project you've backed. Nothing is charged yet, though some banks show a temporary hold on the card for a few days.

When will I be charged?

Only if the campaign is funded, and only when it ends. Your card isn't charged on the day you pledge. It's charged after the deadline, and only if Scout has reached its goal.

If there's a problem with your payment at the end, for example an expired card, Kickstarter lets you know and gives you seven days to update your payment details. After that, a pledge that still can't be collected is dropped.

Can I change my mind? Yes. Until the campaign ends, you can change your reward or cancel your pledge from your Kickstarter account. The one exception is the final 24 hours: then, you can't cancel or lower a pledge if doing so would drop the campaign below its goal, unless you contact Kickstarter's support team first.

What does "all or nothing" mean for me?

It means you're protected. Either the campaign reaches its goal and Scout gets made, or it doesn't and you pay nothing. There's no halfway point where your money is spent on a project that can't go ahead.

The Scout price ladder

The earlier you back, the less you pay. The plan has two steps:

Reward	Who it's for
Super Early Bird	Our founding families, the first to back Scout on launch day (we'll confirm how many places before we launch)
Kickstarter price	Everyone else, for the rest of the campaign

Our Kickstarter runs in US dollars. If you back from the UK, you'll see the price in pounds as an estimate, and your bank converts it when you're charged.

The prices aren't final yet, so we're not putting numbers here. You'll see every price on the campaign page, and waitlist families hear first when Scout goes live.

What happens after the campaign?

Here's the road from pledge to parcel.

The campaign ends and backers are charged, if Scout reaches its goal.
A survey, usually. Most Kickstarter campaigns send backers a survey after the campaign ends, through Kickstarter's own pledge manager or a similar tool, to collect a delivery address and any details needed for the reward. If you get one, fill it in promptly: a parcel can't be sent without an address.
Updates, regularly. We'll post updates on Kickstarter and by email as we go, the good news and the delays alike.
Production. Scout goes into its production run.
Shipping. Backers' Scouts ship after the production run.

When will my Scout arrive? We don't have a ship date yet, and we won't make one up. Making hardware takes as long as it takes to get right, and we'd rather give you an honest date late than a hopeful one early. When we can promise a date, you'll hear it from us.

Why join the waitlist?

Because waitlist families hear first, and the Super Early Bird places go to the families who back us at the very start of the campaign. Being on the waitlist means you'll know the moment Scout goes live.

If there's anything about Kickstarter or backing Scout that still isn't clear, reply to any of our emails and ask. There's no such thing as a silly question, especially about money.