Official Rules
No Purchase Necessary. Neither multiple referral subscriptions nor any other purchase(s) will increase your chances of winning.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with any social network or platform. You understand that you are providing your and/or your friends' information to the Sponsor named below, and not to any social network or platform.
The Tin Cup Referral Giveaway (the "Sweepstakes") is OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES ("U.S.") AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WHO (1) ARE AT LEAST TWENTY-ONE (21) YEARS OF AGE AT THE TIME OF ENTRY, (2) are or have been subscribers to the Sponsor's Tin Cup electronic newsletter (the "Newsletter"), (3) receive an email directly from the Sponsor (a "Referral Email") inviting them to forward it to one or more friends who might be interested in subscribing to the Newsletter, and (4) have at least one of their invited friends subscribe to the Newsletter via the forwarded Referral Email (thereby becoming "Entrants"). The Sweepstakes is sponsored by SmarterTravel, One Kendall Square, Suite B2201, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (the "Sponsor"). Employees of the Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries and/or affiliates, their advertising and promotion agencies, and any other entities participating in the design, promotion, marketing, advertising, administration or fulfillment of the Sweepstakes, and their immediate families, are ineligible to participate in the Sweepstakes. Void wherever else restricted or prohibited by law. By participating in the Sweepstakes as an Entrant, you hereby acknowledge that you have read, accept and agree to be bound by these Official Sweepstakes Rules (the "Official Rules").
The time period for Sweepstakes entries begins on December 1, 2025, at whatever time a potential Entrant receives a Referral Email directly from the Sponsor on or about that date, and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2026 (the "Sweepstakes Period"). After the end of each full calendar month during the Sweepstakes Period, the sponsor will randomly select from among all eligible entries received through the end of that calendar month one (1) Entrant to receive the monthly Prize.
To enter the Sweepstakes, an Entrant must do the following during the Sweepstakes Period: (1) receive directly from the Sponsor - and not forwarded from any other source - a Referral Email inviting the intended recipient to forward the Referral Email to one or more other individuals potentially interested in subscribing to the Newsletter (each, a "Friend"); (2) forward the Referral Email to one or more Friends at their respective email addresses, which must be neither created nor controlled by the Entrant; and (3) have at least one such Friend subscribe to the Newsletter using the link contained in the forwarded Referral Email. By entering the Sweepstakes, you indicate your full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and to the Sponsor's interpretation and application of them, which shall be final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET (according to the Sponsor's server clock) on March 31, 2026. An entry will be deemed received when (and only when) a Friend to whom the Entrant forwarded his or her Referral Email completes the process of subscribing to the Newsletter via the link contained in that Referral Email. Thus, the forwarding of a Referral Email and the submission of a corresponding entry may occur in different calendar months. Although having multiple Friends subscribe to the Newsletter will not result in multiple entries for any given Entrant, the earlier in the Sweepstakes Period the first such Friend subscribes, the more opportunities the Entrant may potentially have to win one (1) of the monthly Prizes. The Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify false entries or entries suspected of being false (including any entry that cannot be matched to a confirmed address to which the Sponsor sent a Referral Email). Entries generated by a script, macro or other automated means, or via any "Friend" email addresses created or controlled by the would-be Entrant, will be disqualified. The Sponsor shall determine, in its sole discretion, if any entry should be disqualified for any other reason, and all such decisions by the Sponsor are final.
After the end of each full calendar month during the Sweepstakes Period, the Sponsor will identify one (1) Sweepstakes winner for that month (each, a "Winner," and together with all other monthly winners, the "Winners"), who will be selected at random from the qualified Entrants. Odds of winning a prize depend on the number of eligible entries received, with the Sponsor having reserved the right in its sole discretion to determine how many Referral Emails to send and to whom. The Sponsor will notify each Winner via an email message (the "Notification"), which will be sent to the address at which the Winner received the Referral Email directly from the Sponsor. Each Winner will be required to respond (as directed) within twenty-four (24) hours after the Sponsor sends that Winner's Notification. The Sponsor may send each Winner a declaration of eligibility and/or publicity release (together, the "Release") to sign and return. Except where prohibited by law, the Release will state that the Winner agrees to allow the Sponsor to use (without additional compensation) his or her name and/or social media handle (the latter of which may be announced on the Sponsor's and/or Tin Cup's Twitter (n/k/a X), Facebook and/or Instagram social media pages). Each Winner may also be required to provide the Sponsor with that Winner's full name, current email address (if different than the one used when entering the Sweepstakes) and telephone number. Unless restricted by law, each Winner will be required to complete and return the Release within the time period specified therein.
A Winner's Prize may be forfeited and an alternate Winner may be randomly selected from among the remaining eligible entries if: (i) the Notification sent to that Winner's email address is returned as undeliverable; or (ii) the Winner does not timely respond to the Notification when and as directed (regardless of the reason); or (iii) the Winner fails to execute and return the Release in a proper and timely manner; or (iv) the Winner cannot accept or receive the Prize for any reason. Non-compliance with these Official Rules may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate Winner.
If eligible and not disqualified under these Official Rules, each Winner will be awarded the following prize (the "Prize"): a single five hundred-dollar ($500) gift card. The type of gift card and manner of delivery for the Prize shall be at the Sponsor's sole discretion. The total approximate retail value ("ARV") of the Winners' Prizes is estimated to be five hundred dollars ($500) times the number of monthly Winners selected during the Sweepstakes Period.
Eligibility criteria (including each Winner's legal residence and age) shall be subject to verification prior to the actual awarding of the Prize. All details regarding redemption of the Prize are at the Sponsor's sole discretion. In the event of any conflict or discrepancy between these Official Rules and any prize certificate or post-award communications provided to a Winner, these Official Rules shall control.
Each Winner's Prize is non-transferable and must be redeemed before any expiration date associated with the gift card received by him or her. The Winner shall also be solely responsible for any other unspecified expenses related to (but not expressly included in) his or her Prize, including without limitation any and all applicable federal, state and/or local taxes not specifically mentioned above. No Winner is entitled to receive any surplus if the estimated ARV stated above exceeds the actual retail value of the Prizes, and no difference between those two values will be awarded, either in whole or in part, under any circumstances.
No substitution, transfer or cash redemption of a Prize, or cash for any portion of a Prize not used, shall be given; provided, however, that the Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a Prize with another prize of equal or greater value should the advertised Prize become inoperable or otherwise unavailable for any reason. Any and all activities related to a Prize and/or its redemption are undertaken at the risk of the Winner. If a Winner is unable to accept, redeem or otherwise use his or her Prize (or any portion of such Prize) for any reason, the Sponsor shall have no further obligation to that Winner. The Prize shall only be delivered to an email address or physical address in the United States, to be provided by the Winner. Limit one Prize per person per household. If an Entrant becomes the Winner of a Prize, then any other entries associated with that Entrant - regardless of when made - shall be excluded from the eligible entries from which any additional Winner(s) will be selected during the remainder of the Sweepstakes Period.
Each Winner agrees to release, discharge, indemnify, and hold harmless the Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries and/or affiliates, and each of their officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents (together, the "Sponsor Group"), from and against any claims, damages, liabilities, attorneys' fees, and costs of litigation and/or settlement, as well as any liability due to any injuries, damages, or losses (including death) to any person or property of any kind, resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from: (i) use, redemption, acceptance, possession, ownership or misuse of a Prize, (ii) participation in any activity, event or excursion offered or otherwise made available by virtue of a Prize, (iii) use of any product, facility, service and/or accommodation purchased with a Prize, or (iv) participation in the Sweepstakes or any Sweepstakes-related activity.
The Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant it finds to be violating these Official Rules or tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes, and reserves the right at its sole discretion to terminate the Sweepstakes and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the potential Winner(s) from among all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to termination.
The Sponsor shall not be liable for: (i) late, lost, delayed, void, corrupted, misdirected, incomplete, unreadable, inaccurate, garbled or unintelligible entries, communications or declarations, regardless of the method of transmission; (ii) telephone system, telephone, internet, or computer hardware, software, or other technical malfunctions, bugs, lost connections, disconnections, delays or transmission errors Entrants may encounter when entering (or trying to enter) the Sweepstakes; (iii) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of an entry or other materials; (iv) any injuries, losses or damages of any kind caused by a Prize or resulting from acceptance, possession or use of a Prize, or from participation in the Sweepstakes; or (v) any printing, typographical, administrative or technological errors in any materials associated with the Sweepstakes.
CAUTION: Any attempt to deliberately damage or undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be in violation of criminal and civil laws and will result in disqualification from participation in the Sweepstakes. Should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages (including attorneys' fees) to the fullest extent of the law, including criminal prosecution.
By participating in the Sweepstakes, Entrants agree to be fully and unconditionally bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and waive any right to claim ambiguity in the Sweepstakes or these Official Rules. Any portion of the Sweepstakes may be canceled, suspended and/or modified, in whole or in part, if in the Sponsor's opinion any fraud, technical failure or other factor beyond its control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Sweepstakes. The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who is found to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or any related website(s) or email account(s), to be acting in violation of these Official Rules, or to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with the intent to disrupt or undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes, or to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person, and the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. No person may enter the Sweepstakes using (or trying to use) multiple identities, a forwarded Referral Email that was not directly sent to that person, or any automated system, bot or other device or artifice. Unclaimed Prizes will not be awarded.
Except where prohibited by law, a Winner's entry(ies) and acceptance of a Prize constitute permission to use and disclose that Winner's name, hometown, likeness, videotapes, photographs, and statements for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity (including online posting) in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission.
By entering the Sweepstakes through the forwarding of your Referral Email, you will be assigning to the Sponsor all right, title, and interest in the substance of any information the Sponsor learns by virtue of that action. The Sponsor Group shall be free to use, without any attribution or compensation to you or any third party, any ideas, know-how, concepts, techniques, or other intellectual property rights contained in or derived from your entry(ies), for any purpose whatsoever. For the avoidance of doubt, however, the Sponsor Group will not be required to use or otherwise act on any such information, either at all or in any particular way.
All personal information collected by the Sponsor will be used for administration of the Sweepstakes. In addition, Entrants may receive email correspondence from or on behalf of the Sponsor and/or The Tin Cup, subject to its/their privacy policy(ies). Any questions regarding privacy matters should be directed to the address below. Please refer to the privacy policy(ies) linked on the SmarterTravel site and The Tin Cup site for important information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by the Sponsor.
In the event of any claim or cause of action arising out of or relating to the Sweepstakes, the Sponsor Group's total liability will be limited to an Entrant's cost of entering and participating in the Sweepstakes, and in no event shall the Sponsor Group or any member thereof be liable for the attorneys' fees of an actual or purported Entrant.
To obtain a hard copy of these Official Rules or a list of the Winner(s) within ninety (90) days of the end of the Sweepstakes Period, send a hand-printed, self-addressed and stamped envelope to SmarterTravel, Attn: Tin Cup Referral Giveaway, One Kendall Square, Suite B2201, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139.
You agree that any and all claims and causes of action arising out of or related to the Sweepstakes (including any disputes regarding any Prize) shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class or collective action, and exclusively by a state or federal court sitting in Boston, Massachusetts. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor Group in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and applicable federal law, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of laws rules (whether of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction) which would result in the application of the laws of any state other than the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.