BoRo FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Every question, by category. Looking for a quick answer? ask the Help Center.
Launch & Coverage
What cities are next?
Not announced. We are focused on making Charlotte work first. Join the waitlist and tell us your city — that is how we decide where to go next.
Can I sign up or list an item now?
You can join the waitlist now. Listing and booking open when the app goes live in late fall 2026.
Is there a waitlist?
Yes. Enter your email on borousa.com and you are on it. No cost, no commitment, and we do not sell or share your details.
Has BoRo launched and I missed it?
No. Nothing has opened. If you are on the waitlist, you have not missed anything.
Will BoRo expand beyond Charlotte?
That is the plan, but we have not announced any second market. Charlotte first.
About BoRo
Who is on the team?
Our team is here, with names, roles and faces: /our-team
Who do I contact?
Tell me what you need and I will point you the right way. For renting questions I can usually help here. For anything else, including press, use the contact form: /contact
Getting Started
What is BoRo?
BoRo lets neighbors rent things to each other. Someone near you owns a pressure washer, a projector or a tent they use twice a year. Rent it for a few days instead of buying it. They earn money on something sitting in a closet.
Where does BoRo operate?
The Charlotte metro area. Everywhere inside opens at the same time. No waves, no neighborhood waiting list.
Who can use BoRo?
Anyone 18 or older. There are no exceptions. No teen accounts, no parent or guardian route, no using someone else's account.
What do I need to sign up?
Browsing takes a name and an email. Before you book or list, you verify: an official government photo ID, a quick selfie to match it, and a card on file. A US passport and a US permanent resident card both work — you do not need a driver's licence. If you are going to lend, you also set up payouts with Stripe before you accept your first booking. You are about to meet a stranger and hand over something you own. Everyone here passed the same check.
Do I need a smartphone?
Yes, with location turned on. The exchange code only works when both people are at the meeting point, and that needs location. The website is for browsing, booking and messaging. The rental itself happens in the app.
What is the BoRo Wallet?
Where money owed to you lands — rental earnings, a forfeited Commitment Hold, a Shield payout. The money sits with Stripe, not with BoRo, and you cash out to your own bank or debit card. Stripe sets the payout timing. If you want it faster, Stripe charges for that and BoRo takes none of it.
Safety & Trust
How do I know the person I am meeting is real?
Everyone who books or lists has passed ID verification and a live selfie match — that is required, not optional. Profiles also show a completion rate: how often someone actually follows through on bookings they accepted. If they are sitting at 60%, you will see it.
Where do we meet?
You and the other person agree the spot in chat. The app suggests safe public places, and we recommend using one. You can choose somewhere else if you both want to, including a home address. Once you confirm the spot, the app draws a 100-foot zone around it, and that is where the exchange has to happen.
Does the other person see my address or phone number?
BoRo never shows your phone number, last name or exact address to another user. If you type them into chat yourself, the other person will see them — so do not. The one exception is if you choose your own home as the meeting place, because then they need the address to get there. We warn you before that address is shared. If you would rather not share it, pick a public spot.
What is the QR scan at the meetup?
There are two. The Pairing Scan starts the exchange — the lender shows a code, you scan it, and both phones have to be inside the 100-foot zone at once, so nobody can screenshot it and pair from home. The Return Scan works the other way round: you show a code, the lender scans it, and that proves the item came back.
What if I do not feel safe at a meetup?
Leave. There is a report button in every chat, in the app and on the website, and every message, timestamp and location is on record. Bring someone with you if you want to. No booking requires you to stay anywhere.
What stops someone from just keeping my item?
They are ID-verified and they have a card on file. On items over $100 there is a live hold on that card for the item's full declared value. On items at $100 or less we check the card can cover the value before the exchange starts, and it can be charged afterwards up to that value. Either way, they also lose their account.
Do you check what people list?
Yes. Every listing is screened when posted and again every time it is edited, so nobody can post something allowed and quietly change it later. Banned categories are blocked. Banned words stop the listing and send it to a person. But screening is a compliance check, not an inspection or an endorsement. Look the item over yourself.
What if I take the deal off BoRo?
Your choice. But you lose the Shield, the Commitment Hold, the photo record and any help from us. Whatever happens off BoRo is between you and the other person.
What if something goes wrong at the meetup?
Use the report button in the app. It is there during your rental, right in the chat. Bo lives on the website and cannot reach the team during a meetup — the app can.
How a BoRo Rental Works
Walk me through a rental.
You message the lender and agree dates and a meeting spot. They accept. About a day before, you both tap to confirm, which places the Commitment Hold. You meet — and the moment both phones are inside the 100-foot zone, both holds release automatically. The lender photographs the item and you see those photos on your screen. You authorize payment: the rental and the Shield are held on your card but nothing is charged yet. Then you scan the code and your 45 minutes starts. You check the item and accept, and only then is the rental charged. At return you meet again, the lender scans your return code, you photograph the item, and the lender has 45 minutes to test it.
When am I actually charged?
When you accept the item. Everything before that is a hold, not a charge. If you decline at the meetup, nothing is taken from you at all.
What is the difference between Rent Now and Try Now?
Rent Now means you intend to rent it. You authorize the rental and the Shield, and if you accept, the rental starts. Try Now means you only want to look at it first. You authorize the Shield alone, and you have to stay at the meeting point. If you like it you can rent it there and then, book it for a later date, or hand it back and walk away owing nothing.
How long can I rent something for?
Up to 30 days. Items at $100 or less run straight through. Items over $100 run in six-day blocks — tap once every sixth day to refresh the Shield.
What is the 45-minute session?
Your inspection window. There is one at pickup and one at return. At pickup it belongs to the borrower. At return it belongs to the lender. The clock starts at the scan and never pauses. When it ends, no more claims for that handoff.
What should I be checking in my 45 minutes?
How it looks, then how it works. Compare the item to the lender's photos and the listing — scratches, dents, missing parts. Not what you expected? Reject it right there and pay nothing. Happy with it? Now test that it works.
Can I reject an item because of how it looks?
Yes, while you are still at the meeting point. You can reject for two reasons: it is not as described in the listing, or it is not in the condition the lender just showed you. Nobody pays anything — the lender takes it home and you owe nothing. Rejecting never counts against your completion rate.
What if there is a small mark but I still want it?
Use Accept with Condition. Photograph the mark, accept the item, and the rental goes ahead. That mark is now on record and you cannot be charged for it at return.
Can I take the item away to test it?
Only if the lender has turned that on for that listing. A leaf blower or a games console cannot be tested in a parking lot. Read this part carefully. The moment you leave the meeting point with the item, you can no longer reject it — your only options become accepting it or reporting that it does not work. Your 45 minutes keep running while you are gone, with no pause and no extension, and driving time counts. If the clock hits zero while you are away, the rental is accepted and it is yours. Work out the round trip before you leave.
What if the item does not work?
Report it inside your 45 minutes. The transaction freezes and the lender has two hours to come and collect. If they do not come, BoRo collects it and you are released. A report can only be about the item not working — not about scratches, wear, or it looking older than you hoped. Once you have left with it, how it looks is closed.
What if the 45 minutes run out and I have done nothing?
Depends where you are. Still at the meeting point: nothing is charged, and you hand the item back with a return scan. Already left with it: the rental is accepted and it is yours. Doing nothing counts as yes once you have gone.
What if my phone dies at the meetup?
If it dies before you arrive, the exchange cannot happen and it counts as a no-show for whoever's phone failed — that person's Commitment Hold goes to the other. If it dies after you have both arrived, your holds already released and nothing is charged to anyone. Charge your phone before you go.
The code will not appear. What now?
If your signal is poor, use manual check-in. Take one photo of where you are, submit it, and the code and scanner appear. Our team reviews the photo afterwards.
What am I checking when my item comes back?
Two different things, and the order matters. While the borrower is still standing there, look the item over. Anything about how it looks has to be raised now, in person, so they can see the same mark and answer it — the app will not let you file it once they have gone. Then you have 45 minutes to test that it still works, and you can report a fault from anywhere.
What photos get taken, and who sees them?
Whoever hands the item over photographs it, and whoever receives it compares. At pickup the lender photographs the item and those photos appear on your screen before you can accept. At return you photograph it and your photos appear on the lender's. If the person receiving it sees something the photos missed, they can add their own. All photos are live camera, timestamped, and recorded with the location they were taken.
Why does the location of a photo matter?
Because a photo about how an item looks only counts if it was taken at the meeting point, while you were both there. A photo taken somewhere else is not used. That is what stops someone driving home and then claiming a scratch you never had a chance to look at. Photos showing that something does not work are different — those can be taken anywhere, because you have to plug a thing in to test it.
Can I extend a rental?
Yes, any time during the rental, in blocks of 6, 12, 18 or 24 days, up to 30 days total. The full extension fee is charged when you commit, and it is not refunded if you bring the item back early.
What if the lender does not show up to collect their item?
Tell us in the chat. The transaction freezes and the lender gets two more hours. If they still do not come, a BoRo team member collects the item and does the return inspection, so you are released and your Shield comes back. The dispatch fee and daily storage are on the lender.
What if the lender will not scan my return code?
Wait 15 minutes, then tell us in the app. We look at it and release your Shield. If you tell us outside our support hours, we act first thing the next morning and your Shield is released from the moment you reported it. A lender who keeps doing this gets a strike on their account.
Do I have to clean it before returning it?
Return it roughly as you got it. Normal use is expected and is not charged. But turning up with it covered in mud or grease is not normal use, and the owner has 45 minutes to say so.
Can I rent for my business, or as a contractor?
BoRo does not ask what you plan to use an item for. What you agree to when you book is the same either way: use the item only for what it is made for, follow the owner’s instructions, and you are responsible for it while it is with you. Whether your own work or insurance situation changes anything is a question for your insurer, not for us.
What if the meeting place is closed?
Meetups happen outside, not inside. The spot is the parking area or the front of the building, so opening hours do not matter. If you cannot get to the meeting point at all, use the report button in the chat before the time passes.
What are my choices at the meetup?
Three: accept the rental, decline it, or report an issue. Decline is available while you are still at the meeting point.
When does decline stop being available?
Once you leave the meeting point with the item — more than 100 feet from where you scanned. After that you have accept, or report an issue, for the rest of your 45 minutes.
What is the difference between decline and report an issue?
Decline means you walk away at the meeting point without taking the item. Report an issue means you took it, tested it, and it does not work. Once you have left with it, decline is gone — you have the item, so the only question left is whether it works.
Reviews & Ratings
Can I leave a review?
Yes. After a rental is completed and settled, both sides can rate each other and write a review, within 30 days. If you met and no rental happened, you can still review each other — but only about whether the person turned up, was on time, and was decent to deal with. Not about the item, and not about the decision not to rent.
When do reviews go live?
You both write independently and neither sees the other's first. They publish once both are in, or at 30 days, whichever comes first. That stops revenge reviews.
What shows on my profile?
Your rating from completed rentals, next to your completion rate. The rating says what you were like to deal with. The completion rate says whether you turn up.
How is my completion rate calculated?
Bookings you accepted that went through to a completed exchange. A no-show counts against you. So does cancelling less than 24 hours out. These do not count against you: cancelling 24 hours or more ahead, rejecting an item at the meetup, an item that turned out to be broken, or a genuine emergency we have accepted.
Can I respond to a review, or get one removed?
You can reply publicly to any review, and your reply sits with it. We do not remove a review because you disagree with it. We do remove personal attacks, private information, off-BoRo disputes, and reviews used to pressure someone.
Do ratings affect anything else?
Yes. Your rating and completion rate feed our trust and safety review. They can affect how visible your listings are and which features you can use.
What if the person is rude, or it is awkward?
Rate them honestly afterwards. Reviews publish only once you have both written, so nobody can wait and retaliate. A low rating or completion rate follows a person.
Fees & Payments
What does BoRo charge?
10% of the rental, split. Borrowers pay 7% on top. Lenders have 3% taken out. That is the whole platform fee.
What does a rental cost me as a borrower?
Three things: the rental price, our 7% fee, and the card processing cost. That total is shown before you book. Nothing is added afterward.
Does BoRo mark up the card processing fee?
No. It is passed through at cost. We add nothing to it. Processing sits on the borrower's side so the lender receives the price they set. We make money on the 10% platform fee. Recovery, storage and fast payout are charged separately only if you use them, and you see the amount first.
What do I take home as a lender?
Your price minus 3%. Any Shield payout comes on top, and you receive the full amount — the card cost is added to what the borrower pays, not taken out of what you get.
When do I get paid?
Once the return settles, your earnings go to your Stripe balance and out to your bank on Stripe's standard timeline. Stripe offers a faster payout for a fee. That fee is Stripe's and BoRo receives none of it.
Who pays for the driving?
Nobody pays anybody. BoRo does not charge for travel, does not pay for delivery, and does not give mileage credits. You agree a spot between you in chat and you each get yourselves there.
What are the BoRo charges on my bank statement?
They all start with BORO and say what they are: DEPOSIT for a Shield hold, RENTAL for the rental, RECOVERY for a recovery fee. Check the app before disputing anything with your bank.
What about taxes?
Any tax due is shown on your booking screen before you pay. Lenders handle their own tax obligations on what they earn. We may send a Form 1099-K where the law requires it. We do not give tax advice — ask your own advisor.
Will fees change?
Our fees are published and current as of the date shown. If they change, we give thirty days’ notice.
The Commitment Hold
What is the Commitment Hold?
A hold that makes sure both people turn up. Not a payment, not a fee. It is a temporary hold on your card that disappears the moment you are both at the meeting point.
How much is it?
20% of what you are charged in total — the rental plus our fee plus card costs — with a minimum of $10, plus the card processing cost. It has to be a card. A Wallet balance cannot cover it.
Do lenders post one too?
Yes, the same amount. A no-show should cost a lender what it costs a borrower.
When is it placed and when does it come back?
You are prompted about a day before, and the window to confirm closes 24 hours before the meetup. Tapping confirm places it. If either of you never taps, the booking cancels and nobody is charged. The hold releases the moment both your phones are inside the 100-foot zone — automatically, before you scan, before you pay for anything. Once it is released it can never be taken back.
What if I do not show up?
Cancel 12 to 24 hours before and half your hold is taken. Under 12 hours, or a no-show, all of it. That money goes to the other person's Wallet — they receive the full amount, and BoRo keeps none of it.
BoRo Shield
What is BoRo Shield?
On items over $100, a hold on the borrower's card for the full value the lender declared. A $400 camera carries a $400 Shield, plus the card processing cost on top. It sits untouched all rental. If the item comes back fine, it releases and nobody pays. If it does not, it makes the lender whole.
Is BoRo Shield insurance?
No. It is a contractual, deposit-based protection built into the platform. Not an insurance policy, not underwritten by an insurer, and not a replacement for your own insurance.
Why do some items have no Shield?
Items at $100 or less do not get a hold. A hold on a $25 rental means repeated authorizations, declines and support calls over an item worth less than the trouble. Instead we check with the card company that the borrower's card is live and can cover the value before the exchange can start, and that card can be charged afterwards up to the declared value. It is a lighter protection than a hold, and we say so plainly.
When is the Shield placed and released?
Before you scan. The Shield is authorized at the payment step, and the scan will not even appear until it goes through. It releases when the return settles clean.
What is the Refresh Tap?
On items over $100 rented past six days, you tap once every sixth day for a fresh Shield. The new hold is confirmed before the old one releases, never the other way round. So you will briefly see two holds. We tell you on screen every time. If you miss the tap the Shield lapses and you have 24 hours to bring the item back.
What can the Shield be used for?
Damage beyond normal wear, total loss, theft, late return, non-return, misuse, or fraud. It does not cover knock-on losses — lost income, loss of use, inconvenience, stress. It covers the item. On a clean return it is not touched. Something used up in normal use — fuel, a blade, film — is not damage.
How much can be taken if something is damaged?
In tiers. Minor damage 25%, moderate 50%, total loss or theft 100%. On a $120 Shield the lender receives $30, $60 or $120. Every dollar goes to the lender's Wallet — the card processing cost is added to what the borrower pays, so the lender gets the full figure. BoRo takes no cut of a Shield capture.
Who decides?
BoRo, using the photos both sides submitted, the timestamped pickup record, and our own transaction data. If you disagree at the meetup, you both submit your own photos and your own account of it, and we decide afterwards. Decisions are made during our support hours. The decision is final for how money moves on BoRo — it does not decide your rights against the other person outside BoRo.
What is the most I can get back as a lender?
The value you declared, and no more than $1,000 during our pilot. Understate what your item is worth and you have capped your own recovery. On items over $100, if damage exceeds the Shield, the borrower's saved card is the backup — still capped at the declared value.
Does my home insurance cover renting my stuff out?
Probably not. Most homeowners and renters policies exclude business pursuits, and renting your property for money likely counts as one. Call your carrier before you list. BoRo Shield is not insurance and gives you no liability coverage.
Will BoRo add insurance?
BoRo Shield is not insurance and we do not describe it as insurance. We are not announcing any insurance product.
Cancellations, Late Returns & Disputes
Can I cancel a booking?
Yes, any time before the meetup. What it costs you is your Commitment Hold, not the rental. 24 hours or more out, nothing is taken and any hold you placed is released in full. Between 12 and 24 hours, half your hold. Under 12 hours or a no-show, all of it. That money goes to the other person.
Do I get my rental money back if I cancel?
There is nothing to give back. The rental is not charged until you accept the item at the meetup, so a cancellation before then takes no rental money from you at all.
Can I cancel after I have accepted the item?
No. Once you accept, the rental has started and the fee is charged. If you finish early, return it — but the rental fee stays as agreed.
What if the lender cancels on me?
You lose nothing, and their hold goes to you on the same tiers. If you have not set up payouts with Stripe yet, we will ask you to at that point so we can send it. Lenders who make a habit of cancelling lose listing visibility, then their account.
What if something outside my control happens?
Tell us within 48 hours of the scheduled meetup. Hurricanes, declared emergencies and similar events can get a hold released. Ordinary weather is not an emergency. We look at these in good faith.
What if I am late returning something?
You get a free nine-hour window to sort it out with the lender in chat, and most late returns end there. The lender cannot skip that window. After it, BoRo Recovery can collect the item and the borrower pays $25 flat plus $0.75 per mile, plus the card cost. You see the total before confirming, and it is not refundable once a driver is moving. Recovery covers our whole launch area. If it drags on, the item can be declared a total loss and the full Shield taken.
Can I submit edited or AI-generated photos?
No. Photos and video must be original, unedited, taken on your own device and timestamped. AI-generated or altered evidence kills your claim, forfeits your Shield coverage on that rental, and ends your account permanently. We check for it.
How do I dispute a charge?
Raise it in the app within 48 hours of the confirmed return. Going straight to your bank instead can get your account suspended, and the evidence never reaches anyone who can help.
What if I disagree with BoRo's decision?
Our settlement decision is final for how money moves on the platform. It does not decide your rights against the other person outside BoRo. Disputes with BoRo go to informal resolution first, then individual arbitration, with small claims preserved.
Listing Your Items
What can I rent out?
Almost anything you own outright and can legally rent — tools, cameras, camping gear, party equipment, kitchen appliances, sports gear, high chairs and play yards, consoles. If it sits unused most of the year, it is a good listing. Check question 75 and 77 first: some things are banned permanently.
How do I set my price?
We ask what the item is worth first, because that number decides everything: whether it gets a Shield, how big the Shield is, and the most you can ever recover. Then we suggest a daily and a weekly rate. Suggestions, not limits — change either one.
Can I list something I am still paying off?
No. Financed property cannot be listed. You need to own it outright, or otherwise have the right to rent it out.
What is banned outright?
Weapons, drugs, hazardous materials, titled or registered vehicles, adult items, stolen or financed property, counterfeits. Permanent. Never coming back.
What else is off-limits during the pilot?
Higher-risk things we cannot manage safely yet: machines that throw objects or get towed, stored fuel and indoor combustion, and anything the borrower has to assemble. Scaffolding is out, a ladder is fine — a ladder is finished, scaffolding is a kit nobody can inspect once built. Trampolines are out, bounce houses are fine — a trampoline stays up for months with kids and no adult, a bounce house is one supervised afternoon.
Why are car seats and helmets banned forever?
Because what destroys them leaves no mark. A car seat that took a crash is microfractured and looks new. A helmet liner crushes once and never recovers, and the shell looks fine. No photo or checklist catches that, and the lender may not even know. Same reason for life jackets, climbing gear, prescription and airway medical devices, and breast pumps.
What is a Tier 2 item?
Not available at launch, with the unlock conditions stated up front: written confirmation from our insurer that the category is covered, a real safety certification from the lender, and an acknowledgment from the borrower at booking. Six things sit here: miter saws, circular saws, nail guns and pneumatic fastening tools, propane and portable gas grills, electric space heaters and portable baseboard heaters, and drones of 250 grams or more.
What if I list something banned?
The listing comes down and you lose the right to claim against the Shield or the borrower's card on any affected rental. You cover any recovery or dispatch cost we incur. Repeat violations end the account. The consequence is yours, not the borrower's — a lender's breach never takes a borrower's money.
What do I have to certify when I list?
That you own it or can rent it, that it is not under a safety recall, that it works as described, that you have disclosed any known defect or damage, and that you have checked with your insurer about renting personal property for money. You reconfirm the safety certification at every booking, not just once.
Who is responsible for the item during a rental?
The person who booked it, from pickup to return. You cannot hand the booking to someone else, and you cannot send someone else to collect it — not even with the owner's permission. Someone can help you carry it. That is different.
Who pays for fuel, blades, film or anything the item uses up?
The owner sends it ready to use, and you do not have to refill or replace anything before giving it back. If it runs out while you still need it, that part is on you. Using something up is not damage.
What categories are open at launch?
We publish what is not allowed rather than a list of what is. Everything else you can try to list, and our screening confirms it as you post. Some categories are closed during the pilot and may open later as our insurance and operations mature. Others are banned permanently.
My things aren’t fancy — are they worth listing?
The best listings are usually the boring ones. A carpet cleaner, a post-hole digger, a folding table, a car-top box. Things people need twice a year and will not buy.
Can I rent my tools to contractors?
BoRo does not ask borrowers what they plan to do with an item, so assume you may not know either. Before you list, check with your insurance company about renting your property for money. Most home and renter policies exclude business activity, and renting your things out may count as one.
Founding, Eko & Hub
Are there contests or prizes?
There are community programs planned for launch. Details and official rules will be published before they start.
BoRo Shield is not insurance. It is a contractual, deposit-based protection mechanism operated by Aston Ventures Inc., a Delaware corporation, d/b/a BoRo USA. It is not underwritten by any insurer, creates no insurance coverage, and does not replace your own property or liability insurance. Most homeowners and renters policies exclude business pursuits, and renting personal property for compensation is likely to be a business pursuit under such a policy — confirm your position with your own carrier before listing.
BoRo is not open yet. Everything described here begins when the platform launches in the Charlotte metro area in late fall 2026.
Support is available 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, seven days a week. Reports raised outside those hours are actioned the next morning, and any period running in your favour starts from the moment you report.
This FAQ is a plain-language summary provided for convenience. It does not modify, replace or override the BoRo USA Terms of Service or Privacy Policy, which govern in full and control in the event of any inconsistency. Figures, fees and thresholds are current as of the effective date shown and are subject to change on thirty (30) days' notice.