Student-to-student rentals
Need it once? Zoink it.
Rent cameras, speakers, tools and more from students nearby, or lend yours and get paid. The owner's deposit is held on the renter's card until the item is back, and both sides confirm every handoff with photos.
- Deposit held, not charged
- Photo-confirmed handoffs
- Student email to join
- Payout 24 h after return
The rental flow, minus the chaos.
Group-chat rentals have no answer for "who holds the money?" or "did the handoff actually happen?" Zoink does, at every step.
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Find it nearby.
Browse by category and distance, then message the owner in the app to sort out dates and a meeting spot.
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Request, then pay.
Ask for up to 7 days. Once the owner accepts, pay the rent plus 13% HST through Stripe, and the owner's deposit is held on your card.
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Zoink It at pickup.
Take photos of the item, then both tap Zoink It within five minutes. Only then is the rent actually charged.
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Return and release.
Photos and Zoink It again at return. If nobody opens a claim within 24 hours, the deposit hold is released and the owner is paid.
The deposit is held, not charged.
Owners set a deposit on each listing. It's authorized on the renter's card when they pay and held through the whole rental. It ends up in one of three places:
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During the
rental
Held on the renter's card
Not a charge, just a hold. It stays in place from payment until 24 hours after the return.
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Item comes
back fine
Released to the renter
Automatically, 24 hours after the return Zoink It, if nobody has opened a claim.
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Damage or
no return
Paid to the owner
The owner opens a claim within 24 hours with the handoff photos. Whatever Zoink approves, up to the full deposit, goes to the owner with no commission taken.
Worth knowing: the deposit is the only money Zoink can recover for an owner, and only if one was set. Zoink doesn't sell insurance. Set a deposit that covers what you'd actually lose. Read the deposit rules.
Your stuff earns while you're in class.
- You set the terms.Your daily price, your deposit, your item's value. You accept or decline every request.
- A photo record of every handoff.Pickup and return photos, timestamped and confirmed by both of you, are the evidence if something goes wrong.
- Paid through Stripe.Your payout is released 24 hours after the return, unless a claim is still open. Commission comes out of the rent only, never out of a deposit or damage payment.
What you'd keep
Zoink's commission drops as your daily price goes up.
- Rent
- $54.00
- Zoink commission (15%)
- −$8.10
- You keep
- $45.90
15% up to $20/day, 12.5% up to $50/day, 10% above that. Renters pay 13% HST on top, which doesn't come out of your payout. Your exact payout is shown in the app before you accept.
Stuff students actually need.
For the one shoot, one party, one move, or one trip where buying makes no sense.
That's all a renter pays. No service fee, no protection fee. The deposit is a hold, not a charge.
Either side can cancel free before the rental starts. The rent, HST and deposit hold are all released.
Sign up with your student email from
- University of Toronto
- Toronto Metropolitan University
- York University
- Ontario Tech University
- McMaster University
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- University of Waterloo
Questions, answered.
The short version. The Terms have the full rules.
Who can use Zoink?
Students 18 or older who live in Ontario and are enrolled at one of the universities above. You confirm your student email with a one-time code before you can list or book.
What does a renter pay?
The rental price plus 13% HST. There's no service fee and no protection fee. The owner's deposit is held on your card on top of that, but it isn't charged unless a damage claim against it is approved.
When is my card charged?
You pay after the owner accepts, but the rent is only charged once you both Zoink It at pickup. The deposit stays a hold until 24 hours after the return.
How long can I rent something?
Up to 7 days per booking.
What if my item comes back damaged?
Open a claim in the app within 24 hours of the return, with the handoff photos and anything else that helps. The renter gets to respond, then Zoink decides how the deposit is split. An approved amount is paid to you with no commission.
Zoink can only pay out up to the deposit. Anything beyond that is between you and the renter.
Is there insurance?
No. Zoink doesn't offer insurance or a protection plan. The deposit is the only money held against loss or damage, so owners should set one that reflects the item's real value.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Either side can cancel a confirmed booking in the app, free, any time before the rental start time. Everything held on the renter's card is released. After the start time it can't be cancelled.
How much does Zoink take from owners?
15% of the rent for items up to $20/day, 12.5% up to $50/day, and 10% above that. Nothing is taken from deposits or damage payments. You see your exact payout before you accept.
Early access
Get in before your campus does.
Tell us where you study, whether you want to rent or lend first, and what you'd actually Zoink. We use it to plan launch and to let you know when you can sign up.