Frequently asked questions

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How it works

How does ClearDate work?
You pick a range of possible dates and times, and everyone colors in their availability on a simple calendar-style grid: conflict, maybe, available, or preferred. ClearDate overlays all the responses so the best option is obvious at a glance, and from there you pick a time, send it out, and collect RSVPs.
What do the four colors mean?
Each slot can be marked conflict, maybe, available, or preferred. That's far richer than a plain yes or no, so the group can find the time everyone is genuinely happiest with rather than one that merely works.

Tools like When2meet only let people mark two states, available or not. The four levels capture how much a slot actually works for each person.

How do I decide on the best time?
As the host, you see everyone's availability overlaid on a single grid. You can look at when everyone is free, the overall sentiment of the group, or where the most enthusiasm is, and you can hover any slot to see exactly who marked what. You can also focus the view on a single person or any subset of the group, which helps when a few key people simply have to be there. When the right time stands out, you propose it in a click and ClearDate gathers everyone's RSVP.
Can I change my availability after I submit it?
Yes. You can update your availability any time before the host proposes a time, and you can change your RSVP right up until the event itself, so an early click never locks you in.
Will I know when people respond?
Yes. The moment someone responds, you get a real-time notification in the app, with a notification bell and a full history, and ClearDate emails you about the things that matter, like new availability and RSVPs, so there's no need to keep checking back.
Does ClearDate work across time zones?
Yes. Each event has its own time zone, and ClearDate keeps everything straight so nobody has to do time-zone math in their head. Whether your group is in one city or spread across the country, the grid stays clear about which time is which.
Can I use ClearDate for in-person and virtual events?
Both. You can mark an event as in-person or virtual, and either way ClearDate handles the scheduling and time zones for you. It works for a dinner across town just as well as a video call across the country.
Does ClearDate work on my phone?
Yes. ClearDate runs in any modern browser on phones, tablets, and computers, and the availability grid is built to be easy to tap. Your guests can color in their availability wherever they happen to be.

Inviting and responding

Do my guests need an account to respond?
No. Anyone can respond from a shared link without creating an account. They just add their name so you know who's who, and responding is always free for guests.
How do I invite people?
However you like, and you can mix and match. Pick people from your saved contacts, type in a few email addresses, or share a single invite link in a group chat and let people add themselves. You can combine all three in the same event when that's easiest.
Can I add more people after I've sent invitations?
Yes. You're never locked into the original guest list. Add people whenever you like and they'll be invited right away.
What if someone won't respond?
Often they've already told you their availability, just not through the app. You can enter it on their behalf, so a slow responder doesn't stall the decision or leave you piecing everyone's answers together in two places.
Can guests see each other's responses?
No, and that's on purpose. Only the host sees everyone's availability together. Each guest sees just their own, so no one is swayed by what others picked and everyone can answer honestly.
Does ClearDate remember the people I invite?
Yes. People you invite are saved to your contacts automatically, so the next event is faster to set up. You can also add, edit, and organize contacts yourself, and each contact shows the events you've shared with them.

Pricing and credits

Why do I have to buy credits?
Payment processors (the companies that help us securely process your credit card payment) charge a percentage of the transaction amount plus a flat fee per transaction. This means that, if we lower the individual transaction amount enough, they would take a significantly larger portion of total price.

We could allow you to pay for only one event at a time, but then each event would have to cost much more. In an attempt to strike the right balance, we tried to find the sweet spot that allowed us to charge as little as possible per event while still allowing the lowest possible minimum transaction amount.

Can I share my credits with someone else?
Not yet, but we are working on adding the ability to easily and securely transfer credits to other accounts.
Do you have a free tier?
Each new account gets 3 free credits. After that, you'll need to purchase additional credits to schedule additional events.

We don't have an ad-supported version because, well, ads suck.

Do you offer a subscription for high-volume users?
Yes. You can subscribe for unlimited events at $10 / month or $100 / year. If you only schedule the occasional event, pay-as-you-go credits work out cheaper, so the subscription is really there for heavy users.
Are there ads?
Never, at any tier. ClearDate is funded by affordable credits and subscriptions instead of advertising, so the experience stays clean and distraction-free for you and your guests.

Some free tools, like Doodle's free plan, show ads and upsells to everyone you invite. ClearDate never does.

Accounts and privacy

Do I need a password?
No. ClearDate is passwordless, so you sign in with a secure link sent to your email. There's nothing to create or remember, and nothing to accidentally reuse from another site that later gets exposed in a breach.
How do you handle my privacy?
ClearDate doesn't show ads and doesn't sell your data. We use privacy-first analytics that need no cookies, and guests who join by link are never shown the private labels you've saved for them. You're a customer, not the product.