Home > Renewals & Fees | Last updated on 11th Jan, 2023.
You can cancel your membership at any time. Simply, send an email to us instructing us to cancel your account.
We cannot offer a refund of the membership fee due to the immediate nature of this product. This product is exempt from any statutory cooling-off period.
Therefore, please think carefully about your purchase before making payment.
Your membership subscription will automatically renew annually. You can cancel your subscription plan at any time by emailing us
15 days before your renewal date, we'll send you an email informing you that your membership is due for renewal.
If you wish to cancel your membership, we ask you to REPLY to the email. Otherwise, your membership is renewed automatically.
However, if you’re membership renews and you're billed but still wish to cancel, we’ll refund your fee if you contact us within 5 days of the payment date. It must be within 5 days.
Volunteering abroad has become an expensive thing to do, with people often paying thousands of Euros to international placement agencies for arranging their volunteering trip abroad.
We think this is too much - we believe in connecting volunteers with hosts directly with as little expense as possible. That’s why we created a platform that anyone can use to connect with hosts all over the world.
However, some of our hosts do charge fees.
The fees charged will always be displayed under the Overview tab on the hosts project page. See screenshot below.
Hosts usually run their project on a small budget and with little resources. When a host provides you with things like accommodation, meals, orientation and support, they need to cover their expenses.
It's important to remember that these fees are paid directly to the host and project you want to support (rather than to a middle(wo)man), so you can be sure your contribution is going to the right hands.
First you need to join HelpStay as a member. As a member you can message any host and apply.
Once your application is accepted by the host, you can book your trip by clicking the ‘Go to booking’ link in the reply message that you receive from the host.
If there are fees associated with your HelpStay, you must pay a small handling fee of 12.5% (booking deposit) of the overall amount. This is paid by credit card (contact us for other payment options). This deposit reserves your place.
A PDF receipt is issued showing the deposit paid. You must print out this receipt and bring with you - to show to the host on arrival. The balance of the fees are paid on arrival in person to the host in cash or by other prior agreed means.
Fees and pricing on HelpStay are listed in Euros (€). We transact in Euros (the currency of the European Union) due to its recognition as one of the most stable and widely used currencies worldwide.
For help with calculating the latest exchange rates, you can use Calculator.net.