The short answer
Chargerback keeps the software free for venues because it charges guests a large markup on shipping and keeps the difference. After waiting for the team to find the item, by the time a guest gets the joyful "we found it" email they may already be frustrated, and a steep shipping bill on top leaves a bad taste. Boomerang takes a fundamentally different approach, charging venues so we can keep shipping rates as low as possible and invest in the technology behind more accurate matches that get more people their items back faster.
Boomerang may suit you if
- What guests pay to get an item back matters to you
- You want more accurate matches your team confirms in one click, with fewer false matches to review
- You want lost and found to pay back part of its own cost through revenue share
At a glance
| Feature | Value | Boomerang | Chargerback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business model | ValuePartner | BoomerangAnnual venue subscription, so guest shipping stays as low as possible | ChargerbackFree to the venue, funded by a large markup on guest shipping |
| Guest shipping cost | ValueGuest | BoomerangTypically under $15 for a standard return | ChargerbackA large markup on shipping, which is how the software stays free for the venue |
| AI item intake | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangAI turns a simple description and a photo into a logged item | ChargerbackNot listed |
| Matching | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangAI matching on photos, descriptions, dates, locations and venue context, confirmed by staff and then by the guest | ChargerbackAI and image recognition with match and merge across records |
| Guest updates | ValueGuest | BoomerangCo-branded emails at every step, a guest account and Boo, an AI support agent, 24/7 | ChargerbackEmail and opt-in text notifications |
| Dedicated guest account | ValueGuest | BoomerangA dedicated guest account where guests sign in, manage their claim, take actions and see details. We have invested in it, and we keep investing | ChargerbackNot listed |
| Dedicated guest app | ValueGuest | BoomerangComing soon | ChargerbackNot listed |
| Friendly, modern UI/UX | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangA friendly, modern interface for busy venue teams and for guests | ChargerbackNot listed |
| Apple Find MyBoomerang exclusive | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangTrue Apple Find My integration, approved by Apple | ChargerbackNot available |
Claim fraud protectionMore about this featureScammers sometimes file fake claims for valuables. Boomerang keeps inventory private, verifies the guest email before a claim is accepted, and checks every match twice: staff first, then the guest. Every decision is logged. | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangStaff and guest double verification, a verified guest email, and private inventory | ChargerbackNot listed |
| Activity feed and audit log | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangActivity history and audit trail on every item and claim, with who and when for every edit, move and decision | ChargerbackNot listed |
| Internal notes | ValuePartner | BoomerangInternal notes with rich text, attachments and pinning on every item | ChargerbackNot listed |
| In-built guest messaging | ValueGuest | BoomerangInfo requests from the portal, co-branded emails, and Boo, an AI support agent, 24/7 | ChargerbackEmail and opt-in text notifications |
| Inventory privacy | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangPrivate inventory. Guests describe what they lost, and staff and the guest verify before anything is released | ChargerbackNot listed |
| Revenue for the venue | ValuePartner | BoomerangMultiple revenue-share opportunities. Partners on average earn back upwards of 25% of annual contract value every year | ChargerbackNot listed |
| Prohibited items | ValuePartner | BoomerangKeepSafe, run from the same portal | ChargerbackNot listed |
| Security | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangSSO, custom roles, location-level access, full activity history | ChargerbackSSO, multi-factor login, five permission levels, PCI compliant payments |
Job by job
Getting items home at a fair price
This is the fundamental difference. Chargerback keeps the software free for venues because it charges guests a large markup on shipping and keeps the difference. After a guest has waited to hear that you found their item, a steep shipping bill on top leaves a bad taste, and that moment reflects on you. Boomerang charges the venue so we can keep shipping rates as low as possible, and the guest picks the carrier and speed that suits them.
One top global theme park moved to Boomerang after a decade on Chargerback. Its guests' average total shipping cost came to $10.43 across more than 4,000 shipments.
Matching claims to inventory
Both use AI. Boomerang reads photos, descriptions, dates, locations, follow-up answers and venue context such as seat, section, room or flight numbers, then ranks likely matches in a review queue. Staff approve with one click, or ask the guest a specific question from the claim with Request More Info.
Then the guest checks the match too: they see what your team logged next to what they described and approve or decline. Two checks before anything ships.
Keeping guests in the loop
Boomerang sends co-branded updates at every step, gives each guest an account with live status, payment and tracking, and answers questions around the clock with Boo, our AI support agent. Guests with an AirTag can share its location through a true Apple Find My integration, approved by Apple, something no other platform we compared offers. One theme park partner removed its lost-and-found phone number once guests stopped needing it.
Seeing what is working
Analytics cover volume, match and return performance, shipping turnaround and per-employee activity, and admins can export row-level data with images in a few clicks. Chargerback also offers strong reporting, including chain-level group reports, so this is about which views your team needs day to day.
Switching to Boomerang
A lot of great venues started on Chargerback, and switching is lighter than most teams expect. We bulk import your open inventory, run a 30-minute kick-off, and you add one claim link to your website.
Large operations get operational discovery at each property, on-site workshops, SOPs and signage. That is how the theme park above rolled out across its full US portfolio within its first year.
What partners see
- average guest shipping cost across 4,000+ shipments at a top global theme park
- $10.43
- average guest shipping cost across 4,000+ shipments at a top global theme park
- On average, Boomerang triples a partner's return rate
- 3x
- On average, Boomerang triples a partner's return rate
- of annual contract value that partners on average earn back every year through revenue share
- 25%+
- of annual contract value that partners on average earn back every year through revenue share
“Boomerang was our most reliable IT software and the biggest win for our team and guest experience in '25.”
Questions
Chargerback is free. Why pay for Boomerang?
Free to the venue still has a cost, and with Chargerback it lands on guests as a large markup on shipping. Boomerang charges the venue so we can keep shipping rates as low as possible, and so we can keep investing in the platform and core technology. Over the past year we have shipped an average of about 3 updates a day, or about 100 a month, and the pace has been rising, to about 6 updates a day over the last six months. Boomerang offers multiple revenue-share opportunities, and partners on average earn back upwards of 25% of their annual contract value every year.
Can we bring our existing inventory over?
Yes. We bulk import your open inventory as part of go-live, so the whole back room is searchable on day one and nobody has to log it twice.
How do you stop the wrong person from getting an item?
Two checks. Your team reviews every match side by side and can ask the guest a question from the claim. Then the guest sees the same details your team logged, like photos and where it was found, next to what they described, and approves or declines before anything ships. Every decision is logged.
How is Boomerang priced?
An annual platform subscription sized to your venues and volume, with every new feature included as it ships. Guests pay fair shipping. Boomerang offers multiple revenue-share opportunities, and partners on average earn back upwards of 25% of their annual contract value every year. Book a demo and we will scope it with you.
How long does go-live take?
Sign the agreement, join a 30-minute kick-off call and add the claim link to your website. Larger rollouts add on-site workshops, SOPs and signage for every location.
About this comparison
Details come from public pages and listings as of November 2026. Products change, so check with each provider for the latest. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].