Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using Aplauso ("the Service"), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provision of this agreement. If you do not agree to abide by the above, please do not use this service.

2. Description of Service

Aplauso is a digital tipping and guest feedback platform operated by Aplauso Innovation Studios Inc. The Service helps guests recognize service professionals, helps eligible recipients receive tips or rewards through an Aplauso wallet, and helps operators understand guest feedback and service activity. Our platform facilitates:

• Digital tip collection and processing
• Aplauso wallet balances and payout coordination
• Customer feedback and rating systems
• Analytics and reporting for service professionals, operators, and business accounts
• Guest interaction measurement on public tipping pages, including funnel and conversion reporting
• Integration with existing point-of-sale systems

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

To use our Service, you must create an account by providing accurate, complete, and current information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

3.2 Account Types

• Service Professionals: Individuals providing services who can receive tips, rewards, or referral earnings through an Aplauso wallet
• Operators: Hotels, venues, departments, outlets, or business accounts that manage teams, locations, guest experiences, reporting, or approved payment workflows
• Guests: Individuals who can leave tips, recognition, ratings, feedback, or other service interactions

Unless we expressly configure a business-owned payout account, a Service Professional's Aplauso wallet is intended to follow the individual, not a particular employer, hotel, venue, department, or shift location. You must not identify an employer, venue, or other third party as the legal owner of your payout account unless you are authorized to do so and the account is actually intended to be owned by that party.

4. Payment Processing

4.1 Tip Collection

Tips and other eligible payments collected through our platform are processed securely through third-party payment processors, including Stripe. Guest payments may be processed through Aplauso's platform payment account and then allocated or transferred to eligible connected accounts or wallets according to the applicable payment flow, platform rules, and processor requirements.

4.2 Aplauso Wallets and Connected Accounts

Aplauso may provision a wallet or connected payment account when you create an account or become eligible to receive funds. For individual Service Professionals, this connected account is intended to represent the individual recipient. Aplauso may prefill information we already have, such as your name, email, phone number, Aplauso earning page, and the Aplauso customer-facing business profile, to reduce repeated onboarding questions.

To withdraw funds to a bank account, you may need to complete payment processor onboarding, identity verification, tax or compliance checks, and bank account linking. These requirements are set by payment processors, financial institutions, and applicable law, and may vary by country, payout method, account status, risk review, or transaction activity.

4.3 Payout Terms

• Payout timing depends on payment processor availability, bank processing times, account status, risk review, and applicable law
• Minimum balances, payout thresholds, reserves, holds, or verification requirements may apply based on your account type, country, processor rules, or risk profile
• Processor fees, platform fees, taxes, refunds, chargebacks, disputes, adjustments, or other permitted deductions may reduce the amount available for withdrawal
• Failed payouts may be retried, held, reversed, returned to the wallet balance, or otherwise handled according to processor rules and applicable law

5. User Conduct

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You shall not:

• Use the Service for any illegal or unauthorized purpose
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users
• Transmit any viruses, malware, or harmful code
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service
• Submit false or misleading information
• Submit false payment, identity, tax, bank account, employer, venue, or account-ownership information
• Violate any applicable laws or regulations

6. Content and Feedback

6.1 User Content

By posting content on our platform, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, modify, and distribute such content in connection with the Service.

6.2 Feedback and Ratings

Customers may leave feedback and ratings for service professionals. We reserve the right to moderate and remove inappropriate content. Service professionals may respond to feedback in a professional manner.

7. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Please review our Privacy Policy, which also governs your use of the Service, to understand our practices regarding the collection and use of your personal information, including our use of cookies, local storage, and guest-interaction telemetry on public tipping pages.

8. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your account and access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including breach of these Terms.

Upon termination, your right to use the Service will cease immediately. All provisions of these Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive.

9. Disclaimers

The Service is provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of the Service or the information, content, or materials included therein.

We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free, and we will not be liable for any interruptions or errors.

10. Limitation of Liability

In no event shall Aplauso, its directors, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including without limitation, loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from your use of the Service.

11. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Aplauso and its licensee and licensors, and their employees, contractors, agents, officers and directors, from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees).

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be interpreted and governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which Aplauso operates, without regard to conflict of law provisions.

13. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of any changes by posting the new Terms on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after such modifications constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

14. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at: