Question 1

Do I need to use my real name to join?

Accepted Answer

No. Accounts are alias-only — we never collect or display a real name anywhere in the app.

Question 2

What's the difference between a Public and a Private group?

Accepted Answer

Public groups are listed in the Browse directory and any signed-in member can join. Private groups are hidden from the directory and joinable only by an invite link or email invite. A Manager can convert a Private group to Public, but not the other way around.

Question 3

What does "Managed" vs. "Independent" mean, and which should I pick?

Accepted Answer

Managed groups have Group Test Hub handle payments on the platform via Stripe, communicate with the lab, and upload results. Independent groups are run entirely by the group's Managers off-platform — they collect payments themselves (Zelle / Venmo / crypto), talk to the lab, and upload results. The Creator's only on-platform payment in an Independent group is a $5 launch deposit. Pick Managed if you want the platform to do the work; pick Independent if your Manager already has a workflow and a trusted lab relationship.

Question 4

How do I join a group I was invited to?

Accepted Answer

Use the invite link, or open the dashboard and enter the Group ID in the lookup field. Email invites are accepted from your inbox.

Question 5

What happens if a group is already full?

Accepted Answer

You can join the waitlist. If late-join opens after the group is funded, waitlisted users are notified first.

Question 6

Can I start my own group, and what do I have to decide to do it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Create wizard walks you through three settings — Public or Private, Managed or Independent, and Active or Open — plus picking the compound. Active locks every choice up front; Open lets the Managers defer some choices (lab, tests, vial count, target size) to a member vote.

Question 7

How is my share calculated, and why does it change?

Accepted Answer

Your share is the total cost of testing divided across everyone in the group. It updates live as people join, as vial donors get credited, and as shipping line items are added — the number you see is the real number.

Question 8

What is the $5 deposit, and does it count toward what I owe?

Accepted Answer

If you join a Managed group during its Open / recruiting phase, the $5 deposit is credited toward your final share. It's not an extra charge if you stay in. If you back out, the $5 deposit is non-refundable.

Question 9

What payment methods can I use?

Accepted Answer

Managed groups use Stripe (card / supported wallets). Independent groups use whatever off-platform method the Manager posts in the group (Zelle, Venmo, crypto, etc.) — the platform is not involved.

Question 10

When do I pay my full share vs. just the deposit?

Accepted Answer

In a Managed group's Open phase you pay the $5 deposit at join, then the difference at finalization. In the Payment phase, you pay the full share immediately.

Question 11

Does Group Test Hub ever see my card details?

Accepted Answer

No. All card data goes directly to Stripe; we never store or see card numbers.

Question 12

What do I actually get for my share?

Accepted Answer

Your share covers the lab's testing fee, platform coordination of the group, secure payment processing, and permanent hosting of your results in your dashboard. Shipping is not included — members arrange and pay for postage themselves.

Question 13

Who pays for shipping?

Accepted Answer

Members do. Whoever donates or forwards a physical vial covers the postage. The platform never handles the compound and does not bill for shipping.

Question 14

Do I have to ship anything if I just want to chip in for results?

Accepted Answer

No. Most members only pay their share and read the COA. Shipping is only on members who explicitly take a donor or shipper role.

Question 15

What is a "vial donor," and how do I get credit for donating a vial?

Accepted Answer

A donor supplies a physical vial of the compound. The Manager assigns the vial a dollar value, and that value becomes a credit against the donor's own share — so donating product reduces what you owe in cash.

Question 16

What is a "Shipper," and when does a group use one?

Accepted Answer

A Shipper is a member who collects donor vials from multiple senders and forwards a consolidated package to the lab. Some groups skip this and have every donor ship directly to the lab.

Question 17

How do I know when it's safe to ship?

Accepted Answer

For Managed groups, the platform notifies the group when the lab is ready to receive samples. For Independent groups, the Manager gives the green light.

Question 18

Can I track where the samples are?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Donors and Shippers enter tracking numbers, and vial status moves through pending → shipped to shipper → received by shipper → shipped to lab → received by lab → tested. The whole group can see it.

Question 19

Why might a 10-person group still need several vials?

Accepted Answer

Some tests destroy the vial or require an untouched one. Endotoxins, Sterility, and Variance each need their own dedicated vial. So a typical 10-person peptide group often needs 2–4 donated vials even if only one person cares "what is this?"

Question 20

Where do I see my results, and for how long?

Accepted Answer

Results live in your dashboard, permanently. You can open the Certificate of Analysis (COA) whenever you want.

Question 21

What exactly does a COA tell me — and what does it not tell me?

Accepted Answer

A passing COA means the sample is what the label says it is and is below the contamination thresholds the lab tested for. Nothing more. It does not say a substance is safe to use, suitable for any particular purpose, or appropriate for any human or animal application.

Question 22

How do I know the COA wasn't faked?

Accepted Answer

We upload originals from the lab. You can also cross-verify against each lab's own public verifier — Janoshik publishes a QR-coded report verifier, and Freedom Diagnostics maintains a searchable database of 42,000+ COAs.

Question 23

Can I add my own third-party test results to a group?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Members can upload additional third-party tests for the same batch. A Manager approves them before they're visible to the rest of the group.

Question 24

Who can see that I'm in a group or what I paid?

Accepted Answer

Other group members see your alias only. There are no real names anywhere in the UI, and payment details are never shared with other members.

Question 25

Does anyone at Group Test Hub handle the actual compound?

Accepted Answer

No. The compound moves directly from a donor (or a Shipper, if the group is consolidating) to the lab. Group Test Hub never receives, holds, or ships any compound.

Question 26

Is this medical or legal advice?

Accepted Answer

No. Everything coordinated through Group Test Hub is for Research Use Only. We do not provide medical, legal, dosing, or sourcing advice, and we never interpret a result as a recommendation to use a substance.

Question 27

Can I get a refund if I change my mind or the group is cancelled?

Accepted Answer

A member can request that a group be cancelled. A Group Test Hub admin reviews the request and either approves it (refunds and any store credit issued per the refund policy) or rejects it. Two things are never refunded under any circumstances: the $5 Independent launch deposit and any late-join payment. See the Terms of Service for the full, governing policy.

Question 28

What's different about an Independent group, and what is GTH responsible for?

Accepted Answer

In Independent groups the Manager runs payments off-platform, talks to the lab, and uploads results themselves. The platform's role is the directory, the join flow, the role / phase tracker, and result storage. A red disclaimer banner appears on every Independent group page making clear that GTH is not handling money or speaking to the lab, and that the Manager owes the duty of care to the other members. The Creator's $5 launch deposit is non-refundable, even on cancellation.

Frequently asked questions

Joining a group

Paying

Shipping samples

Receiving results

Privacy & safety

Refunds & cancellations

Independent groups