Frequently asked questions

CaskMatch is not a checkout, escrow service, or broker taking a commission. We are a subscription-gated marketplace and introduction platform. Buyers browse verified cask inventory, review valuation data, and place bids through the platform. During this stage, both buyer and seller remain anonymous. If both parties agree on a price, identities are revealed and a direct connection is opened, usually by email or WhatsApp. From there, the buyer and seller handle invoices, samples, payment, legal transfer, and warehouse logistics directly.

No. CaskMatch does not process payments, hold funds, or take hidden brokerage fees. The platform helps serious buyers and verified sellers find each other, negotiate around data, and make a clean introduction once a deal is agreed. The transaction itself happens offline between the parties.

Every seller is vetted before listing. CaskMatch does not allow ghost listings or speculative brokered stock. Sellers must own the casks they list and must be able to provide proof of ownership, including a valid Delivery Order where required. This keeps buyers connected to the actual decision-maker rather than a chain of intermediaries.

No. Brokered stock is not allowed on CaskMatch. Every cask listed must be directly owned by the seller offering it. This is one of the platform’s core trust rules and is designed to remove duplicate listings, inflated pricing chains, and uncertainty around who actually controls the asset.

CaskMatch uses a Valuation Intelligence Layer designed around professional whisky cask valuation principles. Each listing can be assessed using a quarterly brokerage price matrix, cask and distillate factors, regauge data, age, distillery profile, wood type, spirit category, and market demand. The platform shows useful pricing signals such as conservative brokerage value and potential sale value, helping buyers understand whether a cask looks fairly priced or carries a premium.

The CaskMatch Consensus refers to the valuation logic used to help benchmark cask pricing against current market conditions. It is not a fixed guarantee of what a cask will sell for. It is a pricing intelligence layer designed to give buyers and sellers a clearer view of fair market value before they negotiate.

No. Buyers do not need to be licensed brokers or registered businesses to join the platform. Private collectors, independent bottlers, enthusiasts, and alternative asset buyers can join the Buyer tier to view inventory, study valuations, and place bids. However, sellers and higher-volume trade participants may need to complete additional due diligence.

For sellers and high-volume trade users, CaskMatch may request business registration details, proof of ownership, WOWGR documentation where relevant, and supporting warehouse or cask records. This protects the marketplace and keeps the supply side professional, compliant, and credible.

To list a cask, you need to prove direct ownership. A valid Delivery Order is the key document. You should also have the technical cask details ready, including distillery, spirit type, vintage, cask type, wood type, current ABV, bulk litres, OLA, RLA, and the latest regauge date. Accurate regauge data is especially important because trade buyers often price bids on litres of alcohol rather than bottle count.

The Buyer tier is for buyers who want market visibility, valuation data, and bidding access. The Seller tier is for owners who want to list casks and receive valuation insight, but who do not need to browse or bid on other people’s stock. The Trader tier is for users who need both sides of the marketplace: buying, bidding, listing, and managing higher-volume commercial activity.

Yes. You can upgrade or change your subscription as your needs change. If you start on the Buyer tier and later want to list casks, you can move to a Seller or Trader plan. If you need to both buy and sell actively, the Trader tier is the correct fit.

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time. Self-serve cancellation is handled directly through your billing settings inside the platform via the Stripe Customer Portal, or by contacting us at admin@caskmatch.com. Once you cancel, your paid access remains active until the end of your current monthly billing period, and no further charges will be made.

Because our subscription model provides immediate, real-time access to active Scotch whisky cask inventory, comprehensive valuation intelligence, and matchmaking tools, we do not offer pro-rata refunds for voluntary mid-cycle cancellations. However, we will gladly issue a full refund in the event of a verified billing error or duplicate charge. For full details on consumer cancellation rights, trade exclusions, and how to request a billing review, please see our Subscription Terms.

If you cancel mid-month, your account will not be downgraded immediately. Your access to professional valuation data, bids, and listings will continue uninterrupted until the end of your current monthly cycle. At that point, your paid subscription will end, preventing any future renewals, and your account will automatically revert to free preview status or be deactivated depending on your role.

Possibly, but the platform is primarily designed for liquidity, trade access, and serious portfolio activity. CaskMatch works best for owners, merchants, traders, and commercial entities managing meaningful cask exposure. A single-cask owner can still use the platform, but the experience is built around serious market participants rather than casual flipping.

Once a bid is accepted, both parties are introduced directly. At that point, the buyer and seller can arrange samples, request a fresh regauge, confirm warehouse details, agree payment terms, and complete the transfer offline. CaskMatch does not interfere with the commercial terms after introduction.

CaskMatch does not manage financial recourse because it is not an escrow provider. That said, reputation matters in the whisky trade. If a party walks away from an agreed price without a valid technical reason, it damages trust. CaskMatch is designed to encourage serious bids from serious buyers.

Yes. Once both parties are introduced, the buyer can request a sample directly from the seller or warehouse. Samples are usually handled offline and may depend on the seller’s policy, warehouse procedures, and whether the buyer is covering costs.

Yes. A fresh regauge is often sensible before completing a significant purchase. Because casks naturally lose alcohol and volume over time, current RLA, ABV, and bulk litres matter. Buyers and sellers can agree whether a new regauge is needed before funds are transferred.

Yes. Bid limits protect the marketplace from spam and keep offers commercially meaningful. Buyer users can place up to 5 bids per day. Seller users cannot place bids because that tier is for listing only. Trader users can place up to 50 bids per day to support higher-volume acquisition activity.

No. CaskMatch does not take commission on completed deals. The commercial model is subscription-based. This keeps incentives clean: the platform is paid for access, data, and introductions, not for pushing transactions at any price.

Yes, provided they can complete the transaction legally and work with the relevant warehouse, seller, and tax or import requirements. CaskMatch can introduce buyers and sellers, but users are responsible for understanding local regulations, duty, delivery rules, and ownership transfer requirements.

Casks remain in bonded warehouses and are not moved simply because they are listed on CaskMatch. Each listing should include the relevant storage context where appropriate. After a deal is agreed, the buyer and seller can coordinate transfer of ownership or continued storage with the warehouse.

You are buying the cask as a maturing asset, not finished retail bottles. Bottle yield can be estimated, but the true commercial value depends on RLA, ABV, age, spirit quality, wood, storage, bottling costs, duty, packaging, and market demand.

Yes. CaskMatch supports the way different buyers think. Trade buyers can bid in pounds per RLA. Independent bottlers and collectors may prefer pounds per bottle or a total gross cask value. The goal is to make pricing legible across both trade and private buyer perspectives.

Anonymity keeps the negotiation focused on the cask. Before a price is agreed, buyers and sellers are protected from bias, pressure, trade politics, and unnecessary exposure. Once both sides agree commercially, identities are revealed and the relationship can move offline.

No. CaskMatch provides marketplace access, valuation intelligence, and data-led context, but it does not provide personal financial advice. Casks are specialist physical assets. Buyers should do their own due diligence, understand liquidity risk, and seek professional advice where appropriate.