Setup your Project in BackerKit - Quick Overview

BackerKit Pledge Manager

Congratulations on your successful campaign! Now the real fun begins...

If you haven't already, please complete the onboarding through the link here: https://www.backerkit.com/pledge_manager/signup


For more information, check out this Help Article "What should I know about importing my project to BackerKit?"


Skip To:

  1. Connect
  2. Build
  3. Review


Setting up your Project in BackerKit

Complete the steps under each section on the left hand sidebar. As you complete each step, you will need to check the boxes "Yes, I completed this step" in the blue bar at the bottom of your browser webpage: 

  1. Connect 

      1. Verify Account - Connect with Kickstarter or Indiegogo
      2. Set Up Payments - Connect your Project to your Stripe account (required). Connecting PayPal is optional. If enabled you will receive a monthly invoice from BackerKit for all funds processed through PayPal. Check out Pricing Page for details. Please read more about using PayPal for crowdfunding here.
      3. Important Dates - Internal timeline for your team. Based on the dates entered, BackerKit will send you reminder emails. Backers do not see this timeline, but good idea to have something similar on your Kickstarter FAQ page, with disclaimer that dates are not set in stone.

  2. Build

    1. Set Up Items

      1. Pro tip: Make sure to use the Item Generator to configure all your reward and add-on items. It will create your items (also referred to as SKUs), pledge questions, and add-ons in one go. Please read through our best practices here. 

        To see a video tutorial on how to set up your items, check out our video.

      2. Overview: SKUs Help Article <-- Start here to learn more about SKUs (Stock Keeping Units)
        1. SKUs are like barcodes - Think of a Pepsi bottle, no matter where or for how much a Pepsi bottle is being sold for, it will always have the same barcode.
      3. Creating items in the Item Generator will automatically create SKUs to be used across your project.

      4. Does this item have any options (size, color, style, etc)? If your rewards have options (color/size/design etc), you can create pledge questions and add-on items at the same time. A SKU will be created for each option.

        How to create a T-shirt example:

      5. How to create an Enamel Pin example:


      6. Do backers receive this as part of their pledge level? This is where you can assign the number of items a backer receives in the pledge level. Depending upon how many rewards a backer receives per pledge level, they will see the pledge question for each item:


      7. Can backers select this as an add-on? Here you can also create an add-on so backers can add extra items to their survey.  Creators using BackerKit see on average a 15-20% increase in add-on sales.  If the add-on has variants (color/size/style etc), the Item Generator will create the necessary variants, and assign the respective
    2. Customize Add-ons

      1. After creating items through the Item Generator, you will see the add-ons created here.  You can also create new items just as add-ons from the Customize Add-ons Page. You may create add-on items that are not apart of pledge levels, but will need to create SKUs within the add-on itself, if the SKU does not already exist. Note: A specific item should have a unique SKU, do not duplicate SKUs for the same item even if it is 'Early Bird' or 'Pre-Order' only. 

        Campaign Add-ons:

        1. Managing Add-ons Sold On Kickstarter

          Did you sell add-ons through Kickstarter?  We will automatically import these items into BackerKit, then Inject & Lock into backer's carts. Learn more here.


          All add-ons sold in Kickstarter need to be matched up to their respective add-on in BackerKit. This process automatically places anything purchased in Kickstarter into backer's carts, and also allows backers to make selections on anything they have already purchase (like t-shirt size)! This process encourages you to set up all of the items you wish to offer your backers through the survey using the items generator (which will create the SKUs in the system). For an overview of the Item Generator, see  How do I set up items in BackerKit? To learn more about SKUs see Overview: SKUs


        2. Managing Add-ons Sold On BackerKit Crowdfunding

          BackerKit simplifies managing add-ons from your crowdfunding campaign by automatically importing them after the campaign ends. To get started, use the Item Generator to create SKUs for all items tied to pledge levels or add-ons. Ensure that campaign add-ons are correctly mapped and priced to avoid issues like extra charges or credits for backers. Add-ons with options (e.g., size, color, or design) can be customized using the Variant Generator, allowing backers to confirm their preferences during the survey.

          Once surveys are sent, backers can view and confirm their add-ons or make selections for multi-option items. These selections are locked into their carts for fulfillment. Use the Preview Survey Tool to ensure everything appears correctly. For a detailed walkthrough, refer to the full guide: How to Manage Campaign Add-ons in BackerKit.


c. Add Shipping Fees

      1. This step of the setup process is to create shipping regions and shipping tables to be used for add-ons, or a Whole Order weight based table that will charge shipping on total weight of all items (pledge items + add-ons).

      2. There are multiple options for charging shipping fees in BackerKit. Read more here.  (Also, more information below)


Options for Charging Shipping Fees

      1. Whole Order Shipping (Weight-Based)
        1. This option applies shipping fees based on the total weight of all items (pledge items + add-ons).
        2. Ideal if you want to charge a unified fee for everything in the order, including pre-order items.
        3. You only need to create one shipping table under this method.
        4. Learn more: Choose a Shipping Profile.
      2. Pledge Level + Add-On Shipping (Separate Fees)
        1. Charge shipping fees individually for pledge levels and add-ons.
        2. For campaigns that imported shipping fees from Kickstarter, pledge level shipping fees will automatically be pulled into BackerKit. You’ll only need to set up shipping regions and fees for add-ons.
        3. If you plan to open a Pre-order Store, pre-order backers will be charged shipping based on these add-on shipping profiles.
        4. Optionally, add a Base Shipping Fee for your pre-order store to apply to all items, including digital rewards.
        5. Learn more: Set Up Add-On Shipping Profiles.
      3. Handling Digital Rewards in Pre-order Stores
        1. If you have digital rewards and want to avoid charging base shipping fees for your pre-order store:
        2. Duplicate your add-on items.
        3. Assign one set for pledge level backers and another for No Reward + Pre-order backers.
        4. Create separate shipping profiles:
        5. One for pledge-level backers.
        6. One for pre-order add-ons (to mimic pledge level shipping + add-on shipping).
      4. Sending Surveys Without Shipping Fees
        1. If you prefer to collect shipping fees later, you can use BackerKit’s Charge Shipping Later feature. This allows you to send surveys without shipping fees and finalize charges closer to fulfillment.
      5. Advanced Shipping Options
        1. Learn more: Advanced Shipping Features.
        2. Excluded Countries List: Add countries where shipping is not available. Backers selecting these countries will need to contact you for a resolution.
        3. Region Hiding for Add-Ons: Limit specific add-ons to certain regions.
        4. Local Pickup: Enable local pickup for backers to bypass shipping fees

    1. Pre-Order Store
      1. The BackerKit Pre-order store will allow you to continue collecting orders (or late pledges) after your campaign ends. You will be able to manage these pre-order backers along with your campaign backers seamlessly within BackerKit. Most creators will open up their Pre-order store immediately after the campaign ends to keep momentum going.
      2. Check out our Resources on setting up your Pre-Order Store here.
      3. You can setup and turn on your Pre-order store at any time apart from your Surveys if you are unsure.
      4. If you do enable your Pre-order store, be sure to create the Spotlight button on your Kickstarter Campaign Page, pointing to your BackerKit Pre-Order Store URL. Learn more about the Kickstarter Spotlight here.

    1. Backer Support - Set up Customer Support for your Backers

      If you want BackerKit to handle front-line customer support for your backers, we’re here to help you. Additionally, we recommend setting up a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page for your backers to provide answers to common questions and your shipping dates.

      1. Note: The Lock Order Date for Backers option is the date your backers can make changes to their order. You can wait to specify this date until you’re ready.
        1. For more information about customer support, see the Backer Support page on our website.

  1. Review

    1. Review Pledge Levels
      1. Check out our resources for reviewing your Pledge Levels here.
    2. Preview Surveys
      1. Use the Preview Survey Tool to review each pledge level for accuracy of pledge questions, Item SKUs, what add-ons are available, pricing etc.  Add different combinations of add-ons to the cart to see how shipping fees are being calculated. Also change the shipping country to check shipping fees.
    3. Review Pricing
      1. To be able to send surveys to your backers, the last step before submitting your project for review is to pay the BackerKit Campaign Fee.
        1. Learn more about BackerKit Pricing here.
    4. Request Setup Review
      1. Review any warnings or callouts carefully. 
        1. Pledge Questions gathering information only do not require SKUs
        2. You may see a warning that items are missing SKUs, shipping profiles etc. Please check into each link to identify and resolve the issue. If no issue is found you can still submit for review so one of our team members can also double check.

        3. Example of generic warnings:

          • If you have a Kickstarter Add-on with followup questions, the add-on will be missing a SKU.

          • Local Pickup creates $0 Pledge Level shipping, if you are using Whole Order shipping, there will be a callout.

          • Kickstarter add-ons do not require images.

Request a Review of your Project

Once your project is set up and submitted for review, a BackerKit Success Team Member will review your project, SKUs, and survey questions to make sure everything will go smoothly once your backers get their surveys. It can take up to two business days for your review to be completed.

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