FAQ

Common questions about how BallPark works and what it does not do.

Getting started

Which should I use—Peer Comparison or Expectation Check?

Peer Comparison is for positioning: are my ranges higher, lower, or the same range as someone I trust? You each pick one pay range from the same step size. You never see the other person's range—only direction. Expectation Check is for offer alignment: you already have a proposed range and want overlap and match status before a conversation. Each side enters a low and high; results use coarse steps, not exact gaps, and the proposer never sees the other side's exact range. Pick the flow that matches your question—you can't switch after creating a room. If you don't have a proposed range to offer, start with Peer Comparison.

What's a pay range or bracket?

A coarse bracket you pick instead of an exact salary—for example a span of 10k. Negotiation uses overlap and match status in those coarse steps, not exact gaps.

How many comparisons can I run?

Without an account, you can have up to three open comparisons you created at once. Finish one or wait for it to expire (~7 days) to start another. Joining someone else's invite is unlimited.

What are the limitations?

Each room is one private comparison with exactly two people—no groups. Each person submits once and cannot edit afterward. In Peer Comparison you pick a pay range bracket, not an exact salary. You choose Peer Comparison or Expectation Check when you create the room and cannot switch flows later. Links expire after about seven days. There are no accounts, no salary database, and no employer dashboard. Negotiation overlap is shown in coarse steps, not exact gaps.

Privacy & trust

Can my friend see my exact salary?

No. In Peer Comparison you each pick a pay range, not an exact number. The result is higher, lower, or the same range—we never show the other person's range. In Expectation Check, neither side sees the other's exact numbers—the invitee sees overlap and match status; the proposer sees match status only.

Do you store my exact salary?

Peer Comparison: no—only a pay-range bracket. Expectation Check: we store the low and high endpoints of each side's range to compute overlap—not a single salary figure—and we do not show the other person your full expected range.

Can my employer see this?

No. There is no employer dashboard. Rooms are link-gated and limited to two people. Only someone with the invite link can join.

Is this anonymous?

Private, not anonymous. You invite someone you know—they'll know who sent the link. Nicknames are room labels for which comparison this is, not a way to hide from your invitee. In Peer Comparison they never see your exact pay or your range—only higher, lower, or the same range. To use a room we don't ask for your name or email—no account. We store only what's needed for that comparison, not a profile tied to you. Nobody else can browse or search it; only someone with the link can join. If you join the waitlist after a result, we store your email separately—still not linked to room data in our system.

Do you collect my data?

We store the minimum needed to run one comparison: pay-range brackets in Peer Comparison; in Expectation Check, the low and high endpoints of each side's range (not a single salary)—plus flow type, bracket width, and when the room expires. If you arrived via a specific page or link (e.g. a recruiter- or freelancer-focused page, or a link we shared with a short campaign label such as a social post or outreach batch), we store that label—it's one we chose for our own link, not anything derived from you—so we can tell which channels bring comparisons that get completed. This is never shown to the other participant, and it's kept with our usage history rather than deleted when the room expires. Waitlist email is stored separately if you opt in after a result. We do not sell or share individual compensation with employers. See the Privacy page for full detail.

Do you track me across the site?

We use cookieless analytics on page views, and may run session-local A/B content experiments (stored in sessionStorage for that visit only—not a persistent tracking cookie, not for ad targeting). We do not track submit or result screens. Room links are redacted in analytics paths. See the Privacy page for full detail.

How long do you keep my comparison?

Rooms expire after about seven days and are no longer accessible. We do not retain room data for benchmarking, market reports, or resale. See the Privacy page for full detail.

Is BallPark a pay-transparency or Human Resources (HR) compliance tool?

No. We help two people privately compare pay ranges or check whether ranges overlap—trusted pair only, not a salary database or market benchmark. Employers with legal disclosure or reporting duties must meet those outside BallPark. BallPark is not legal advice and does not satisfy employer obligations under Directive (EU) 2023/970 or similar rules.

Using a room

Why the random nicknames (e.g. "You joined this comparison (MightyPurpleHawk71)")?

Fair question—they do look silly on purpose. Each room assigns random nicknames as a room label so you can tell which comparison this is—and who invited whom in the share message—without signing in or sharing real names. They are not anonymity theater between people who already know each other, and not who you are or a login. On result screens we use "you" and "your" so the nickname stays out of the way.

What if I close the tab—can I get back to my side?

Yes. A short-lived browser cookie lets you return to the same side if you close the tab or refresh—it is not a login and is not linked to your identity. The animal nickname is only a room label; it is not what restores your place.

Common objections

For recruiters

Candidates will refuse a weird third-party link

Fair — some will. Frame it as “check alignment privately before we talk numbers”; most people who already talk salary will try a short link. If they won’t, you still learned something about the process.

We already ask expected salary on the first call

Yes — and that’s fine when it works. BallPark helps when you want the filter before the call, without a cold number opener, and without either side pasting ranges in chat.

This replaces a human judgment call

No. Status is a pre-screen signal (match / borderline / no match). Stretch hires, scarce talent, and “we’ll find budget” still need people.

We’ll lose candidates who under-ask or over-ask nuance

Status is coarse on purpose. Under-budget is often salvageable in real hiring; BallPark doesn’t pretend to replace pay-range negotiation — it flags whether a conversation is worth scheduling.

Candidates will game wide ranges

Possible, same as verbal answers. Coarse steps + simultaneous reveal reduce one-sided probing. Social trust still matters; this isn’t a polygraph.

Is this legal / pay-transparency compliance?

No. Private two-person comparison tool — not Human Resources (HR) compliance software, not legal advice, and not a way to satisfy employer duties under Directive (EU) 2023/970 or similar rules. See Privacy & trust: “Is BallPark a pay-transparency or HR compliance tool?”

Is this a salary database / benchmarking tool?

No. No employer dashboard, no market feed, no multi-candidate pool. One room, two people, then expire. Same idea as “Why not just use Levels.fyi / Glassdoor…” — BallPark is trusted-pair comparison, not a market database.

Will candidates see our budget?

No. They never see your proposed range. You see match status only — not their expected range (and not an overlap percent).

Will this go into our hiring / recruiting software?

Not in this early version—you share the link yourself. After you see match status, copy that outcome into your own candidate notes if you need a record. No hiring-system (ATS) integration.

We need accounts / team seats / history

Out of this early version. Rooms are link-gated and expire (~7 days). Team features are a later conversation — email us if you want to pressure-test workflow.

Another tool = more friction for candidates

One private link, no account, enter a range alone, done. Friction is real; it’s traded against a wasted screen when expectations never overlapped.

Agency / external recruiters can’t use this

They can create a room and share the link — same as in-house. No special agency mode; keep the conversation with the person who owns the budget range.

“Match” without % / their numbers isn’t enough for me

Intentional. Showing their range, overlap percent, or direction would let you narrow or reconstruct what they entered. You get match status so you can decide if the call is worth it—not their numbers. Richer proposer detail is exploratory, not promised.

Israel / our market already talks numbers openly

Then BallPark is optional, not mandatory. It still helps when you want both sides to submit alone before either sees a result—so the first person to speak numbers doesn’t set the anchor—and when you’d rather not paste ranges in chat.

For peers & candidates

My friend will still know it’s about salary

Yes — private ≠ anonymous. The win is not hiding the topic; it’s not revealing exact pay or the other person’s range.

They’ll see my exact salary / range

No for peer (direction only). For Expectation Check: invitee sees overlap + status; proposer sees status only — never the other’s full expected range.

You’ll store / sell my salary

Peer: bracket only. Expectation Check: range endpoints for overlap, not a single salary figure. No resale, no employer dashboard. Rooms expire ~7 days.

My employer will find this

No employer dashboard; link-gated; two people only.

Random animal nicknames feel scammy / weird

Room labels so you can tell which comparison is which without accounts — not anonymity theater. Results use “you,” not the nickname.

Peer Comparison is just for fun / not serious

Often starts that way. Useful when you want quiet calibration with someone you trust — not a market survey.

Someone can game wider ranges to learn about me

In peer, they never see your range—only higher / lower / same range. Wider ranges trade precision for privacy; pick the step size you both accept.

Why can’t I compare with a group / see the market?

Different product. BallPark is trusted-pair only — no group pools, no salary database. Same idea as “Why not just use Levels.fyi / Glassdoor…” — not a market feed.

As a candidate, why should I trust a recruiter’s link?

Same privacy rules either way: you submit alone; they never see your expected range; you see overlap and match status. No account, no corporate login, and we don’t ask for government ID. If the site isn’t ballpark.tools, don’t enter numbers.

Proposer sees less than I do — unfair

By design. You see overlap so you can decide; they see match status only so they cannot reverse-engineer your expected range. That is a privacy rule, not a slight.

I already have an offer letter with a number

Expectation Check is for alignment before hard disclosure in chat/call. If numbers are already on the table, you may not need it.

What if we mismatch — then what?

Status isn’t a rejection letter. Reach out, adjust flex, or start a new room. The tool answers “worth talking?” not “deal closed.”

No accounts = I lose my history

Intentional. Rooms expire; we don’t build a compensation dossier on you. Rejoin the same room via browser cookie while it’s live.

Is this anonymous enough for a sensitive peer?

Private between the two of you, not anonymous to each other. If you need true anonymity from the invitee, don’t use BallPark.

Why not just…

Why not just send a number on WhatsApp (or another chat)?

You can—and sometimes that's fine. BallPark helps when a direct ask feels awkward: both submit alone, neither sees the other's exact numbers, and you only learn the result after both are in—direction for Peer Comparison, or overlap/status by role for Expectation Check.

Why not just publish the range in the job post?

Many teams should—and some do. BallPark helps when range talk still happens in messages or calls, when the posted range still has flex, or when you can’t post a hard number yet: send one private link, see if expectations overlap before you schedule, without asking for an exact number. Share the link yourself—no hiring-system (ATS) integration in this early version.

Why not just use Levels.fyi / Glassdoor / a spreadsheet?

Those answer a different question (market comps / your own notes). BallPark is one trusted pair comparing privately—not a salary database or benchmark feed.

Why not just ask “what’s your number?” on the screen call?

That works when both sides are ready. BallPark moves the filter earlier when you want alignment signal before you schedule.