How does Zakle work?

Think back to the last time you needed help and a friend granted you a favor. Remember how great it was to know just the right person for the task? Remember how many more times you needed a favor but didn't know the right person or couldn't ask anyone? Without your network, you are limited in what you can accomplish. But your network is limited too - how many people can you ask favors of, a dozen? Two dozen? With a limited network, your potential is limited.

Now imagine how your life would change if all of a sudden, you had a vast network of people of whom you could ask favors. Imagine if you could have access to just the right person for anything you needed help with. Imagine the possibilities, imagine all you could accomplish, imagine all the doors that would open. Your life would never be the same.

Zakle makes it possible. How? By providing a website where individuals can trade favors. Individuals earn Points when they grant favors and spend Points to obtain favors. The website allows members to post requests for favors and offers of favors to which other members can respond.

Some examples will illustrate how Zakle works:

Dan has an apartment in New York that he will not be using the first week of August. He posts an offer on Zakle. John in Des Moines responds and agrees to give Dan 1000 Points in exchange for using the apartment.

Dan has written a business plan for a new venture. He would like an industry expert to review it before he presents it to venture capitalists. None of his friends or acquaintances fits the bill. He finds Bob on Zakle who is qualified. Dan agrees to give Bob 500 Points for this service.

Bob's elderly mother lives in a different city. He wishes he had a friend he could call when the need arises and ask him/her to go check up on her when she doesn't answer the phone. But he doesn't know anyone there who could do that for him. Through Zakle, he finds Karen who agrees to play that role for a year for 400 Points for up to a certain number of visits.

Karen is a very talented aspiring actress. Her career would get a big boost if she could be introduced to the right people in the movie business. Through Zakle, she finds Bill who introduces her to a famous movie director. He earns the agreed-upon 5000 Points.

Why do I need Zakle?

How many people can you ask favors of, a dozen? Two dozen? With a limited network, your potential is limited. By joining Zakle, your network is suddenly limitless and so is your potential! You will connect with people you never would have connected with otherwise. Some of them might even become your friends. If you compare the old way of trading favors with the Zakle way, the advantages are clear:
 

Trading favors the old way		Trading favors through Zakle
a. Opportunities to exchange favors are limited because you can only ask favors of people you know.		a. Opportunities to exchange favors are much greater since you are not limited to people you already know but can obtain favors from, and grant favors to, anyone.
b. If you need a favor but don't know anyone who has the necessary attributes to grant you that favor, you're out of luck.		b. By having access to a larger group of individuals from whom you can request a favor, you stand a greater chance of finding a person with the necessary attributes to grant the favor you need.
c. If you need a favor in a place where you don't have many connections, you're out of luck.		c. By having access to a geographically diverse group of people, you stand a better chance of finding someone willing to grant a favor in the right location.
d. If you need a substantial favor from someone but are not in position to repay that person with a similarly substantial favor, you may not be able to convince that person to grant you the favor.		d. By performing a number of smaller favors and accumulating Points for granting those favors, you can redeem the accumulated Points for one substantial favor, making it easier to obtain a substantial favor.
e. There is no simply way to keep track of who owes whom a favor and how substantial a favor.		e. Thanks to the Points system, you can more easily keep track of your "balance of favors".
f. The exchange of favors is usually limited to two-way exchanges. Therefore, the opportunities to trade favors are also limited.		f. Thanks to the Points system, exchanges of favors are no longer limited to two-way exchanges since you can earn credits for performing a favor for one person then redeem the credits for a favor from another person. Therefore, your opportunities to trade favors are significantly greater.
g. There is no simple way to trade favors of disparate values.		g. Thanks to the Points system, you can accumulate credits for granting several smaller favors and redeem them for one larger favor. Therefore it is easier to trade favors of disparate values.

I need a favor but don't have enough Points, what can I do?

You can buy the difference that you need.

Are there certain types of favors that are not permitted?

Yes. Please refer to our terms of service for details. We do not allow the trading of any sexual, illegal, unlawful, unethical, or immoral favors. We have the finally authority on what is allowed on Zakle.com

What else can I use Zakle for?

The possibilities are endless: You can accumulate lots of Points now to get the help you will need when you're older (to have someone drive you to the doctor's or the grocery store or cook for you or mow your lawn). You can get a ride to wherever you're going. You can stay at someone's place when you're traveling. You can trade houses for your vacation. You can get advice on any issue. You can obtain an introduction. You can find a mentor. You can get members to help you unload your belonging when you move to a new city. You can take care of someone's pet while they're away. You can teach someone how to do the samba or play guitar. You be someone's fitness partner. What would you like to do?

How much does Zakle cost?

It is FREE to join Zakle. There is a nominal fee to get verified, if you wish to do so. Being verified will make other members feel more comfortable dealing with you. You earn Points by doing favors. If you haven't earned enough Points to get a particular favor you want, you can buy Points.

Can I sell or redeem my Points for cash?

No. Points can only be redeemed for favors. If you attempt to sell your Points, you will automatically forfeit them.

In what countries can I use Zakle?

Zakle's mission is to bring together people from all over the world. Therefore, you can join Zakle no matter where you're located and you can spend your Zakle Points anywhere in the world.

How do I decide how many Points to offer for a favor I am requesting?

The number of Points you offer is a factor of what the favor is worth to you in relation to what it you took you to earn the Points you're offering. For example, if it took you two hours to earn 100 Points and you would gladly trade an hour of your time to get the favor you want, then offer 50 Points. 

How do I get comfortable of trading favors with people I don't know?

One of the great things about the Internet is that it helps connect people who share common interests. Countless people meet, trade, interact, strike friendships, and date through the Internet. Zakle allows you to connect with people who live near you or clear across the globe. Everyone knows a limited number of people. By allowing you to go beyond the limits of your network and obtaining favors from anyone in the world, Zakle opens doors for you and enables you to accomplish more.

Of course, you should be careful with someone you don't know. Zakle protects you by allowing you to exchange messages with other members without revealing your email address. Your street address and phone number are not displayed for your protection. Be sure not to list any of that information in your requests, offers, responses, postings, or messages. Before you trade favors with anyone, find out if that member is verified, read the member's feedback and the feedback of the person who referred him. If you have to meet another member, be sure to do so in a neutral place and let someone know who you are meeting and where. For favors where trust is very important, you may want to order a background check on the other member.

Can I sell my services on Zakle?

No. Zakle is for the trading of personal favors and not a place to promote one's business.

I currently belong to a time bank. Can Zakle take the place of a time bank?

Time banks are local organizations whose members contribute their time helping other members and earn points for so doing. When a member gets older, he or she can start using the accumulated points to get the help he or she needs. The same thing can be done using Zakle. Zakle however, offers a huge advantage in that Zakle points can be redeemed anywhere in the world whereas time bank points can only be spent in the time bank's local area. If a member moves, he or she cannot use the points in the new locale because points are not interchangeable between time banks. If you have accumulated a lot of points with a time bank, please contact customer service to find out if you can redeem them for Zakle Points.

Are Points that I earn taxable?

Zakle facilitates the informal exchange of non-commercial services between individuals. In similar circumstances, the Internal Revenue Service has ruled that any points earned by members of such an exchange are not taxable. For that reason, any listings by companies or for commercial services will be removed from the Zakle website. Rules in other countries may differ. Please check with your local taxing authorities and comply with your country's laws.

My question is not answered here

If you have any other question, please use the Customer Service link below if you are a member. If you are not a member, please email J u l i e @ Z a k l e . c o m.