Frequently Asked Questions

For customers

What is BackLocal?

BackLocal is a directory and deals app for small, locally owned businesses. You can search for businesses near you, see whether they are open right now, follow the ones you like, and get deals they offer to their followers. Big chains and franchises are not eligible, so what you see is your local main street rather than the same national brands.

Is BackLocal free for customers?

Yes. Browsing, searching, following businesses, writing reviews and claiming deals are all free. There is one optional paid add-on, BackLocal Traveler, which lets you keep a larger set of favorites for places you visit outside your home area. You never need it to use BackLocal. If anything about this changes, we will tell you in advance.

How do I find businesses near me?

Search by keyword and set a distance. You can either let the app use your device location or simply type a ZIP code — the ZIP option works exactly the same way, so you never have to share your location to use BackLocal. If you decline location access, search still works; it just matches on what you typed instead of distance.

How are businesses ranked in search results?

By distance from where you are searching, together with the filters you choose (business type, open now, rating). Businesses cannot pay for placement. There is no advertising on BackLocal and no promoted results — paying for a higher plan gets a business more features, never a better position in your search results.

How do deals work, and why do I have to follow a business first?

Businesses offer deals to the people who follow them. When you follow a business and open its deal, BackLocal issues you a personal one-time code with a QR that the business scans at the counter. Following is what makes the deal yours rather than a public coupon anyone can copy — it is also what keeps a deal from being farmed by throwaway accounts, which is why a verified email address is required as well.

What happens if my deal code is scanned twice, or by mistake?

Each code can only be redeemed once. If it is scanned again, the business sees that it was already redeemed and when — so an accidental double scan cannot silently consume a second discount, and it is easy for staff to see what happened. A code also only works at the business that issued it. If a code was redeemed in error, ask the business directly; they can honour the deal at their discretion, and you can contact us at contact@backlocal.com if you need help.

How do ratings work?

Ratings are shown as a percentage out of 100 rather than stars, broken into service, quality and cleanliness. A business with no reviews yet shows a neutral starting score of 80% marked “New” — that is a baseline, not a score anyone earned or paid for. As real reviews come in, the displayed rating moves to reflect them.

Can I review a business, and can the owner reply?

Yes. You can leave one review per business location, so a business with several locations is rated on the specific one you visited. Business owners on the Core plan and above can post a single public response to a review. Owners cannot edit or delete your review, and they cannot pay to have it removed.

What does the Verified Local-Independent badge mean?

It means the owner has formally attested that the business is independently owned, is not a franchise, and does not operate more than five locations, and that the business has an active subscription. It is an attestation by the owner, not an inspection by us. We do not run background checks, verify licences or insurance, or vet the quality of anyone’s work. Please use your own judgement, exactly as you would with any business you found any other way. If you believe a business has misrepresented itself, tell us at contact@backlocal.com and we will look into it.

Do you sell my data?

No. We do not sell your personal information. We share only what is needed to run the service with vetted providers — for example a payment processor, and a mapping service that turns an address into coordinates — and we use your device location only if you permit it. Our Privacy Policy lists every provider and your rights, including how to request a copy of your data or its deletion.

How do I change my password, or close my account?

Both are under Update Info when you are signed in. Closing your account hides your profile and stops all email immediately, and you have a grace period during which you can simply sign back in to reopen it. After that window it is archived. If you want your account and personal data permanently deleted rather than closed, you can request that in the app or at backlocal.com/delete-account.php.

How do I stop emails or push notifications?

Every email we send has an unsubscribe link at the bottom. Push notifications can be turned off in your phone’s notification settings for the BackLocal app, or by turning off notifications inside the app. Turning off notifications does not affect your account or the deals you have already claimed.

For businesses

What businesses can sign up for BackLocal?

Any business that is small or locally owned as defined in our Terms and Conditions, whose owner does not operate more than five locations of that business, and which is not a franchise.

I travel to my customers and have no storefront. Can I join?

Yes. Mobile and by-appointment businesses — a travelling notary, a mobile locksmith, a house cleaner, a photographer — are welcome. During signup, tick “I travel to my customers” and your street address will never be shown publicly: your profile displays “Serves your city” with no map and no directions link. We still ask for your real address, and still use it privately, because that is how we match you to customers searching nearby — so please enter it accurately. You can turn this on or off at any time under Update Info.

Why does BackLocal charge businesses a subscription?

Many platforms are free to list on because the platform is selling something else — usually advertising, placement, or data about you and your customers. We do not do any of those. A subscription is what lets us stay ad-free, keep search results ranked by genuine relevance rather than by who paid, and leave your data alone.

Can I pay for better placement, more visibility, or a better rating?

No, and this is deliberate. There is no advertising, no promoted placement and no way to buy, hide or alter a rating or review on BackLocal. Higher plans unlock more features — more locations, staff accounts, analytics, unlimited announcements, review replies — but never a better position in a customer’s search results.

Can I change plans later?

Yes. Upgrade or downgrade at any time from your management dashboard. We show you the new price and any proration before you confirm, the change is applied to your existing subscription rather than creating a second one, and you keep all of your listing data.

What counts as a “location” on the Growth plan?

Each verified business address registered to your account is one location. Growth covers three to five locations — choose your count on the Growth card and the price updates accordingly. Each location has its own profile, hours, deals and reviews, and you switch between them from your dashboard.

How does annual billing work?

Switch the billing toggle to Annual and you pay for ten months instead of twelve. You can start monthly and move to annual whenever it makes sense for your business.

How do I cancel, and can I get a refund?

You can cancel at any time from “Manage subscription” on your dashboard, or by emailing contact@backlocal.com. There is no cancellation fee, and you keep your paid features until the end of the period you have already paid for. Card payments are refundable within five days of the initial subscription or of any renewal. Payments made in cryptocurrency are final and cannot be refunded, because those transactions cannot be reversed once confirmed. Full detail is in Article 3 of our Terms and Conditions.

Why can’t my customers see what I post?

Customers see your posts once they follow your business. Think of following as a direct line to the people who actually want to hear from you — and you can attach a deal that only your followers can claim. Encouraging regulars to follow you in-store is the fastest way to grow that audience.

How many announcements can I post?

On the Starter plan (and on any account without an active subscription) you can post two announcements per calendar month. Core and Growth are unlimited. Deals are separate from announcements.

A customer left a review I believe is false. What can I do?

On Core and above you can post one public response to any review, which is usually the most effective answer — future customers read the exchange. We do not remove reviews simply because a business disagrees with them, and reviews cannot be bought, hidden or edited. If a review breaks our rules — it is not about a real experience with your business, contains harassment or slurs, or reveals private information — report it and we will review it against those rules.

How do customers redeem my deals?

A customer who follows you opens your deal and shows a one-time QR code. You scan it, and BackLocal marks it redeemed. Each code works once and only at your business; if the same code is presented again you will see that it was already redeemed and when. You can also cap how many people may claim a deal, and schedule one to start and end on a set date.

Do you run background checks on businesses?

No. We are a directory, not a screening service. We do not perform criminal background checks, and we do not verify licences, bonding or insurance. The Verified Local-Independent badge reflects the owner’s own attestation that they are independent, not a franchise, and operate five locations or fewer — nothing more. We are also not a party to any transaction between a customer and a business.

How do I contact support?

Email contact@backlocal.com or use the contact form. We are a small team, so please include your business name and the email address on your account — it lets us answer properly the first time.