The three outcomes
| What the recipient does | What happens to the deposit |
|---|---|
| Refunds it, usually after replying | Returned to the sender's card, less card processing. Sender is allowlisted. |
| Chooses to keep it for charity | Recorded for donation to the recipient's charity. |
| Does nothing until the hold period ends | Recorded for donation to the recipient's charity. |
Why charity, not the recipient
If recipients kept deposits, they would have a reason to ignore people, and senders would have a reason to distrust the system. Sending unanswered deposits to charity removes both problems. Ignoring someone stays free of guilt, and the money does something useful.
Who makes the donation
Franked, not the sender. The sender pays for a delivery service with a stated refund policy. Franked then donates amounts equal to unanswered deposits. That keeps the arrangement clear for senders, recipients and the charities themselves.
Checking our work
A public ledger of totals by charity and disbursement receipts is planned for franked.org. See the roadmap.