HealthyWager FAQ
HealthyWager lets you make a personal weight loss wager, and provides fun, powerful motivation. Pick your weight loss goal and wager, and enter your stats. Then, the Prize Calculator gives you a prize offer. You can play with the calculator all you like without commitment. When you've found the right goal and prize combination, make the bet and get started. There is no catch -- if you lose the weight, you win the money. We pay you promptly via check or Paypal. We have paid out millions of dollars to winners in our challenges. We provide fun and accountability; you provide the effort! If you lose, your money goes to support HealthyWage, including prizes for people who win. The only question is: will you be among the winners?
Why should I make a HealthyWager?
Because it can make you more successful at losing weight—regardless of which diet or exercise program you are pursuing. A variety of academic research demonstrates that financial incentives increase the effectiveness of weight loss programs by 5x! HealthyWager applies those academic principles to make you more successful at weight loss. Sign up now!
How does it work?
HealthyWager allows you to 'bet' on your weight loss success. During registration, you choose how to pay—either a one-time payment or monthly installments for the number of months selected. If you achieve your goal at the end of the challenge, you win your prize. We verify your starting and ending weights with a simple at-home video that takes about 30 secs. See 'How do I get my weight verified?' for more information. Sign up now!
What is the most I can win?
The top prize offer is $10,000! Your prize offers will depend on how much you are thinking about wagering and on your personal data (e.g., your current weight). We give bigger prize offers to people who statistically have a harder time losing weight. There is no reason not to try the Prize Calculator (no commitment required) to see what kinds of prize offers you can get. Once you make your bet, your prize amount is guaranteed -- it will not change.
What's the catch with HealthyWage?
There is no catch with HealthyWage. To win your HealthyWager, you just need to achieve your goal in the timeframe you set up. Your challenge time begins running when you get your verified weigh-in. Then, at the end of the challenge, you need to get your verified weigh-out anytime during the two-week window leading up to your end date (including your end date).
Is there a minimum weight loss goal?
Yes -- 10%. For example, if your starting weight is 200 pounds, then your HealthyWager goal must be at least 20 pounds of weight loss. If your starting weight is 160 pounds, then your HealthyWager goal must be at least 16 pounds of weight loss. And so on.
How is the final prize calculated?
The calculator uses a proprietary algorithm that takes several factors into account, including your weight, your BMI, the amount you bet, the amount of time you want to lose the weight, the time of year you make your bet, and so on. We constantly fine tune the algorithm so there is no guarantee that two people with similar stats will have a similar payout. Once you make your bet, your prize amount is guaranteed -- it will not change.
The page shows me a prize range; how do I calculate my exact prize?
Enter how much weight you want to lose, how much you are willing to wager, and the time frame for your weight loss, and then click the button to provide your specifics, such as height and weight, to complete the calculation and see your final prize amount.
What if the weight I enter in my calculation is different than my actual verified weight when I start?
Sometimes, the weight people enter when playing with the prize calculator ends up being a little different than their weight at their verified weigh-in. Don't panic; this is common -- many people don't know exactly what their weight is. However, if your weight is off by more than a few pounds, , please reach out to our friendly customer support team at info@healthywage.com to see if it impacts your prize.
What if I lose more weight than I wagered?
You can lose more weight than you wagered. Your prize will not change. Please be sure to read our rules regarding safe and healthy weight loss.
What if I reach my goal early? Can I weigh-out then?
The earliest you can weigh-out is two weeks prior to your challenge end date. You can conduct your ending verified weigh-in any time during the final two weeks of your challenge. The last day of your challenge is the last day you can conduct your ending verified weigh-in. We want to encourage weight loss and weight management over time. Our goal is to help you get the weight off, keep it off, develop new habits and begin a new lifestyle over the course of your challenge.
Can I participate if I am planning to have bariatric surgery?
No. If your weight loss occurs as the result of a medical procedure or surgical intervention of any kind, you will not be eligible for any prize. This includes, but isn’t limited to: gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, gastric balloon, bariatric surgery revision procedures, CoolSculpting, skin removal, liposuction, Kybella, Vanquish, etc. You may participate if your surgery was more than 1 year before your start date. If you’re unsure whether your situation is prohibited, please reach out to info@healthywage.com. Please note that HealthyWage does not take a position on whether surgery is a good idea for any particular patient—that’s between you and your doctor.
Can I participate if I am on weight loss medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Phentermine, etc?
Yes! If you are under the care of a physician and they prescribe a weight loss medication, you can absolutely still participate! This includes GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, etc.
Can I participate in more than one challenge at the same time?
Absolutely. You can participate in up to 10 challenges at the same time! So double-up, even triple-up to maximize your winnings for the same weight loss! For example, you can make a HealthyWager individual weight loss bet and join HealthyWage team challenges, HealthyWage step challenges and HealthyWage jackpot challenges, all at the same time. The one exception is that you can't have two simultaneous HealthyWager individual weight loss bets -- you can only have one HealthyWager individual weight loss bet at a time.
What is the "Yo-Yo Rule"?
This rule applies only to past winners of the HealthyWager Challenge. If you’re starting at a higher weight than your weight at the end of your winning HealthyWager challenge, the profit level of your current prize will be reduced compared to your previous challenge. Please visit our Yo-Yo FAQ page to learn more.
NOTE: Registering under a different/new account in an attempt to bypass this rule will result in immediate disqualification with no refund. This is a direct violation of our Services Agreement.
Boost your prize by referring your friends and family!
Each friend you refer will receive a $40 HealthyWager prize boost, and you'll get a $40 prize boost for each referral that signs up. Holy cow! That means if you blast 500 Facebook friends and 50 sign up for a HealthyWager, your HealthyWager prize will increase by $2,000 (added to your existing prize amount). Past winners are also eligible to participate in our referral program, with boosts going directly to your HW Points account (instead of being added to your prize). Remember that all previous winners must comply with our “Yo-Yo Rule” as defined above.
Note: If you choose to run any marketing/advertising campaigns directing to your referral page, you can't hijack HealthyWage brand terms or otherwise do things that are adverse to HealthyWage's interests as outlined in the Services Agreement. Additionally, you may NOT share your referral link directly on any of HealthyWage’s owned social media properties, including the HealthyWage Facebook page and any ads or sponsored content run by HealthyWage. Failure to comply with this rule may result in loss of earned boosts and removal from referral program.
What are Lifelines?
Lifelines are a fun (and completely optional) way to improve your chances of success. They provide support, encouragement and motivation throughout your weight loss journey. You can find out more about Lifelines by reading the HealthyWager Lifelines FAQ.
Do I need to have my weight verified?
Yes -- twice: once at the beginning of the challenge and once at the end.
How do I get my weight verified?
It's super easy and takes about 30 seconds. After registration, download our mobile app which is available in the App Store and Google Play Store. Step on a digital scale in the comfort of your own home and follow the on-screen instructions to make a short weigh-in video. That's it. Quick and easy and you don't need any special equipment other than a smartphone and a digital scale.
Is there anything else I have to do to win the money?
Nope. You just need to achieve your goal in the timeframe you set up. Your challenge time begins running when you get your verified weigh-in. Then, at the end of the challenge, you need to get your verified weigh-out during the two week window before and including your end date. Once you’ve hit your goal and submitted your ending weight, you will be prompted to complete a winner confirmation form, which will include providing photo identification to confirm your height and identity. Our referee team will review your information to certify your win within 7 days (so be sure to maintain your weight loss)! It's as simple as that.
How do I know HealthyWager is legitimate?
Despite years in business and rafts of press stories and reviews, we still sometimes get this question. If you have any doubts, we recommend that you take a look at the mountain of evidence we've compiled that HealthyWage is legitimate, including hundreds of articles from credible sources (e.g., CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal) -- many of the news stories contain testimonials from actual participants that reporters spoke with. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and you can see proof on the Internet that we have been around for a long time (since 2009). There comes a point when we can't do much more to prove that this is for real -- maybe you are just looking for an excuse to avoid getting started?!
Can I participate if I am located outside of the U.S?
HealthyWage is available to residents of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, European Union, Mexico & throughout Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and most of non-EU Europe and Asia. If you are participating through an employer, such as Halliburton, you are generally allowed to participate regardless of your location in the world. Unless you are participating through your employer, you may not participate if you are a resident of North Korea, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Burma, Yemen, Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan and others.
How do I know my payment information is secure?
HealthyWage is committed to protecting the security of your personal information, including payment information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, and disclosure. For example, all participant data is collected and transmitted over secured connections using 256-bit encryption. All pages on the HealthyWage website are served over TLS. All payment data is handled following rigorous Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards set by VISA, MasterCard, and American Express. We process payments via a highly reputable third-party payment processor and never store your sensitive payment information on our own system.
When will my next payment installment occur?
If you selected to pay in installments (as opposed to one single payment), your account will be charged every month. Any challenge not paid in full by 3 weeks before its end date will have any remaining owed payments processed at that time.
Is HealthyWage legal?
Yes. Although we use the word “bet” to explain the concept, HealthyWager isn’t gambling in the legal sense because you are in control of the outcome at all times. It's up to you to lose the weight.
How do I get paid?
Please see the Payouts and Points FAQs here.
Can I adjust the terms of my HealthyWager?
You decide the terms of your HealthyWager, so be sure to select a goal that is healthy and realistic for you (and consult with your personal physician to be sure they agree!) We understand that sometimes changes are needed, so adjustments to your wager goal, length, and amount can be made up to 30 days after the start of your challenge. Do note that wager changes will also impact your prize amount. Requests for changes to your HealthyWager beyond the 30-day mark cannot be granted.
What if I need more time to reach my goal?
You will have the option to “Buy More Time.” This option will be available on your HealthyWager dashboard until the end date of your challenge. Buying more time will add six months and six installments to your challenge. The prize and weight loss goal will remain the same.
How do I pay for the challenge?
You can pay with a credit or debit card. You will choose how much you want to "wager" each month. You can choose to pay the entire amount up front (when you sign-up), or to pay each month (we'll automatically charge your card equal installments every month for the duration of your challenge). If you pay in installments, the first month is due when you sign-up.
NOTE: Your payments start on the day that you sign up regardless of when you submit your verified weigh-in.
Do I have to hit any monthly weight loss milestones?
No. Even if you choose to pay your wager in monthly installments (rather than all at once), your goal is the same: hit (or beat) your weight loss goal as of the end of your challenge (you can weigh out anytime during the last two weeks of your challenge). There is no monthly weigh-in (other than the non-verified weigh-ins that you can optionally do on the app to keep track of your fantastic progress!).
Can I participate if I am pregnant?
No. But you can sign up after you’ve had your baby, if your doctor says it's okay.
What if I get pregnant after I sign up?
Your challenge is suspended the minute you think you might be pregnant -- just let us know. You have 60 days after that to supply proof of pregnancy from your clinic/doctor. Once you confirm your pregnancy with documentation, we will stall your remaining installment payments and pause your challenge. After your doctor clears you to start again, we will reinstate your installments and either start your challenge over or let you complete your remaining months. If you choose to start over, you will need to submit a new verified weigh-in. Regardless of which option you choose, you will only need to pay the remaining number of installments from your original wager. This means your payments may end before your challenge ends.
What if I have a medical event during my challenge?
We understand life happens and sometimes injuries or illnesses occur. Most of these situations will not impact your challenge as science supports that weight loss is primarily related to diet. However, if you have a newly diagnosed serious illness or injury and need to discuss your individual situation with our team, please email us at info@healthywage.com within 14 days of the medical diagnosis, and be prepared to provide formal documentation. As the goal is to assist you during the healing/recovery process, we cannot assist with medical consideration requests made beyond 14 days of the documented diagnosis/event. Please understand that if you wait until the end of your challenge to discuss options for a medical event or diagnosis that occurred more than 14 days prior, we can provide only the 'Buy More Time' option. In the event of pregnancy, please see our separate policy above.
Are my winnings taxed?
HealthyWage does not withhold any of the winnings for taxes. The IRS has set a $600 threshold for reporting of contest prizes/winnings. We will request your tax information only if you win a prize greater than the IRS threshold. If your net proceeds are less than the IRS threshold, we will not collect your tax information. You should, of course, ask your tax advisor for advice as to whether your specific winnings are taxable (we make no representations).
If your winnings, minus your wager, are over $600 and you opt for a check as your payout method, HealthyWage will mail you a 1099 via USPS by January 31 of the following year.
If you choose PayPal as your payout method, PayPal is responsible for sending your 1099. As of January 1, 2022, Federal Law has changed the IRS reporting requirements for transactions via third-party networks [e.g., PayPal]. All transactions exceeding $600 within the third-party network platform will require them to issue a 1099-K.
Can I get a refund?
Part of our job is to prevent you from giving up, so you can't quit -- there are absolutely no cancellations or refunds. HealthyWage will suspend your challenge if you are pregnant.
To learn more, check out the HealthyWager Rules.
Have questions not answered here? Contact us:
email: info@healthywage.com
phone: 1-888-636-3832
(Updated Ocotber 28, 2024)
