Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. What is BreakTheVault.com?
A. BreakTheVault.com offers free online contests. Members of the site have unlimited chances to attempt to solve the puzzle, the first one to do so will win cash or prizes. The amount of cash or value of the prize will generally be directly related to the difficulty of the game. Every Monday at noon EST, we will launch a new contest. Each day thereafter at noon EST we’ll release another clue. It's up to you how many it takes before you get the right answer, but check back daily, because when a new clue is released, the old one goes away. If a contest gets solved prior to the next Monday, we’ll launch a new game so there’s always at least one running at any given time.

Q. What types of contests will there be?
A. We hope to offer a wide variety of games. For instance, we have a series called “Where in the World?” These are geography based and lead you to a city, monument, venue or other such landmark. If you're the first one to put all of the clues together, you’ll win the prize. Other contests will include proper names, living things and so on. You’ll need more than a wide array of trivia knowledge though; many of these clues will require sleuthing.

Q. How do you pay out the cash prizes?
A. Our preferred method would be to send funds via PayPal, but we can mail a check if that's preferable. All winners must complete the IRS form W9 before payment is sent. Be sure to read our complete Terms of Service to view eligibility rules.

Q. What happens if no one wins a contest?
A. Every contest will be won and every prize will be distributed. We will accept backup winners for every contest. In the event the first person to win does not meet eligibility requirements, we’ll move to the next winner, and so on until the prize is awarded.

Q. I think I know the answer but am not sure of the format you're looking for.
A. We try to take the most popular, or generally accepted name for our answer. In the case of a person, our answer will be the name by which they're most commonly known. If that person happens to be a doctor or a junior for instance, the answer would be Dr. Smith or Jason Smith Jr. If you think you're close, make sure to try all the variations you can think of.