Why we gate contact info behind Validate

Most platforms either give you contact info for free (and clutter your inbox with junk) or charge a flat monthly fee whether you get leads or not. Trucked Up does neither — we gate contact info behind a per-lead Validate click. This article explains why.

If you're looking for the mechanics of how to validate, see Validating a lead and what gets shared.

The short version

• Validating a lead costs $15. That's a flat per-lead fee charged when you click Validate.
• Declining is free. You only pay when you commit to following up.
• No monthly subscription. Quiet month? Quiet bill.
• This means our incentives line up with yours: we only get paid when we send you a real lead worth pursuing.

Why a gate at all

A few reasons:

1. Owner attention is finite

Without a gate, your Booking Inquiries inbox would fill with curiosity-clicks, half-hearted asks, and outright spam — and you'd waste time triaging. The Validate gate forces a small moment of decision: "Do I actually want to talk to this person?" If the answer is no, you mark Declined and never see their info. Your inbox stays a real-leads list.

2. Customer trust

When a customer fills out an inquiry form, they're handing over their personal contact info. The gate means their email and phone aren't visible to every owner browsing the dashboard — only to owners who've explicitly committed to following up. That's a meaningfully better deal for the customer, and it makes them more willing to inquire in the first place.

3. Aligned incentives

The platform gets paid when you do, not on a flat subscription. That means:

• We only succeed when we drive real bookings to you.
• We're motivated to make leads high-quality, not just high-volume.
• You're never paying for a quiet month.

This is the same model as our pickup and delivery commissions — performance-based, not subscription-based. See What is Trucked Up for the full picture.

How the fee works

• $15 per validated lead. Charged the moment you click Validate.
• No fee for declined leads. Decide whether the gig fits before you click — that's the whole point of the gate.
• Refunds for bad contact info. If a validated lead's email bounces and their phone is disconnected, email us and we'll refund you. We handle these manually for now.
• No monthly subscription, ever. You only pay when you unlock a lead.

The Validate confirmation modal says "...accepts the per-lead fee for this lead. This cannot be undone." — that fee is $15. Be sure before you click.

What this means for you, practically

• Validate when you mean it. The 15-second decision (date works? headcount fits? budget realistic?) before clicking is real money. Take the time.
• Decline without guilt. Skipping a lead that doesn't fit is the right move. We'd rather you decline 10 than half-pursue 10 you weren't excited about.
• One booked event covers many leads. A typical catering gig is 50× the lead fee. The math on the platform only works if validated leads convert at a reasonable rate, and the gate is what makes that math hold.

Common questions

Why not just charge per booking instead of per lead? Booking outcomes happen off-platform (you negotiate by email/phone, sign a contract, do the event, get paid). We don't see whether a lead converts. Charging per validated lead — the moment you commit to engaging — is the cleanest signal we have.

What if a lead is fake or spam? Mark Declined without validating — no fee. If you suspect a customer account is repeatedly fake, email us so we can investigate.

Can I see how many leads I've validated? Today, by scrolling your Booking Inquiries history. A clearer monthly-validated-leads view is on the roadmap.

I'd rather pay a flat monthly fee for unlimited validations. That's not on offer today. The per-lead model keeps incentives aligned (you don't pay during a quiet month; we don't have a flat-rate excuse to send you junk). If this is a strong preference, let us know — we're listening to early-cohort feedback.

Still stuck?

Email info@truckedup.food.