How BetaSwap Works

1. The Core Principle

BetaSwap runs on structural reciprocity: every developer is also a tester. Those who don't test can't get testers. The incentive to participate seriously isn't an appeal to goodwill — it's built into the system.

Tester activity is verified by Firebase Analytics every 24 hours. No one can fake sessions without actually using the app. Those who cheat lose credits and reputation.

2. The Credit System

Credits are BetaSwap's currency. You earn them by testing, spend them to get testers.

How you earn credits

• +3 credits for each campaign completed as a tester (minimum active days reached)
• +1 credit for quality feedback (score ≥ 40/100 assigned by the algorithm)
• +5 credits on registration for the first 200 users (Founder status)

How you spend credits

• Campaign cost is 1 credit per tester × duration in days. Example: 5 testers × 14 days = 70 credits.
• Credits are deducted when creating the campaign and before activation.

Penalties

• Campaign abandonment: reputation penalty, possible temporary block from participation.
• Inactivity: unverified days don't count toward completion — effectively extends or fails the campaign.

3. Campaigns

Creating a campaign (developer)

• You need an app registered on BetaSwap with the correct package name.
• Set title, test goals, duration (7-90 days), number of testers (1-50).
• Set minimum requirements: active days and session minutes.
• Credits are deducted immediately. The campaign must then be manually activated.
• Once activated, testers are assigned by the admin and the test period begins.

Joining a campaign (tester)

• Browse available campaigns and submit a request.
• Maximum 2 active campaigns simultaneously per tester.
• The admin approves the assignment — the developer will receive your email to add you to Google Play closed testing.
• You cannot test an app from the same IP as the developer, nor your own apps.

4. Firebase Verification

For Firebase-verified campaigns, BetaSwap reads the developer's Google Analytics data in read-only mode via OAuth. It has no access to personal user data and cannot modify anything.

What's checked every 24h

• DAU ≥ 1 — the tester was active that day.
• Avg session duration ≥ configured minimum (default 5 minutes) — sessions had real duration.
• No anomalies — suspicious patterns like identical sessions at the same time, artificial spikes.

A day counts as "active" only if all three conditions are met. Opening the app for 10 seconds is not enough.

Manual campaigns

For campaigns without Firebase, verification is manual: the admin periodically checks that the tester actually used the app, based on submitted feedback and historical reputation.

5. Tester Obligations

• Use the app every day for at least the number of minutes configured in the campaign.
• Reach the minimum active days before the campaign deadline.
• Submit at least one feedback during the campaign with real observations (not generic or copy-pasted feedback).
• Do not abandon the campaign without a valid reason — repeated abandonment leads to permanent penalties.
• Accept the invite on Google Play Console within 48h of assignment (Firebase campaigns).

6. Developer Obligations

• Configure Firebase correctly before launching a verified campaign: SDK integrated, Google Analytics linked, matching package name.
• Add tester emails to Google Play Console within 24h of assignment.
• Keep the app working for the entire campaign duration — critical crashes or removal from the store invalidate the campaign without credit refund.
• Do not create multiple accounts to test your own app — detected automatically via IP and usage patterns.
• Respond to tester feedback within 72h — strongly recommended to maintain campaign reputation.

7. The Reputation System

Reputation is a score separate from credits. It accumulates over time and reflects the overall quality of your contribution to the community.

• Increases with: completed campaigns, consecutive active days, quality feedback, low abandonment rate.
• Decreases with: abandonments, anomalous sessions, low-quality feedback.
• Developers can see tester reputation when selecting candidates.
• High reputation unlocks higher-tier badges and priority in assignments.

8. The Badge System

Badges recognize milestones achieved. They're automatically awarded by the system as soon as conditions are met. Each badge has a tier indicating its difficulty level.