Payments & Subscriptions Policy

Effective Date: January 14, 2026

This policy governs all financial transactions on the Archade platform. By purchasing a subscription, buying an asset, hiring a professional, or selling goods/services, you agree to these terms.

1. Scope of Payments

Archade facilitates multiple types of financial transactions:

Platform Subscriptions: Recurring fees for Professional, Company, and Brand accounts (SaaS).
Marketplace Transactions: Purchase of digital assets (3D models, BIM files, scripts) (Digital Goods).
Service Contracts: Payments for freelance gigs and hiring placements (Services).
Advertising & Promotions: Fees for boosted listings, featured jobs, and sponsored content (Ad Spend).
Enterprise Agreements: Custom invoiced contracts for large organizations (Enterprise).

2. Platform Role & Responsibility

2.1 Archade as Intermediary

For Marketplace and Service transactions, Archade acts solely as a limited payment collection agent for the Seller.

We are not a party to the contract between Buyer and Seller.
We do not guarantee the quality, safety, or legality of items advertised.
We do not warrant that a Seller will complete a transaction.

2.2 Merchant of Record

Subscriptions: Archade Inc. is the Merchant of Record.
Marketplace Sales: Unless explicitly stated (e.g., for specific verified manufacturers), the Seller is the Merchant of Record. Sellers are responsible for order fulfillment and tax compliance where applicable.

3. Subscriptions & Recurring Billing

3.1 Billing Cycles

Subscriptions (e.g., "Pro", "Team", "Brand") are billed in advance on a monthly or annual basis.
Auto-Renewal: Your subscription automatically renews at the end of the current period unless cancelled at least 24 hours before renewal.

3.2 Cancellation

You may cancel at any time via your Settings dashboard.
No Partial Refunds: Cancellation prevents future billing. Access remains active until the end of the current paid period. We do not provide pro-rated refunds for unused time.

3.3 Failed Payments

If a payment fails (expired card, insufficient funds):

We will attempt to retry the charge up to 3 times.
We reserve the right to suspend access to premium features immediately.
Your data (e.g., Custom Portfolio) will be preserved for a grace period (30 days) before reverting to Free Tier limits.

4. Marketplace Transactions (Assets & Gigs)

4.1 Digital Assets (Gumroad Model)

Final Sale: Due to the nature of digital files (downloads), all Asset sales are final and non-refundable, except where the file is technically corrupted or materially distinct from the description.
Licensing: Buying an asset grants a license, not copyright ownership.
- Standard License: Personal or single commercial project use.
- Extended License: Enterprise or multi-project use.
- Resale Prohibited: You may not re-sell or redistribute raw assets.

4.2 Freelance Services (Gig Model)

Escrow: For Service Contracts, Archade may hold funds in escrow.
Milestones: Funds are released to the Freelancer upon approval of deliverables by the Client or after an auto-approval period (72 hours).
Disputes: In the event of a dispute, funds are held until resolution via our Dispute Resolution Center. Archade's decision on fund distribution is final.

5. Fees & Commissions

5.1 Platform Fees

Archade charges fees to operate the marketplace:

Transaction Fee: A percentage (typically 15-20%) deducted from the Seller's payout.
Listing Fee: Specific premium categories may require a listing fee.
Payout Fee: Third-party processors (e.g., Stripe) may charge transfer fees.

All fees are displayed prior to transaction or deducted automatically from earnings. Fees are non-refundable, even if the transaction is refunded.

6. Payouts to Sellers

6.1 Eligibility

To receive payouts, Sellers must:

Link a valid bank account via our payment processor (Stripe Connect).
Complete all required Identity Verification (KYC) and Tax Interview (W-9/W-8BEN) steps.

6.2 Payout Schedule

Standard: Payouts are released on a rolling basis (typically T+7 days) to account for fraud monitoring.
Thresholds: A minimum balance (e.g., $50 USD) may be required for payout.

6.3 Withholding

Archade reserves the right to withhold payouts if:

We suspect fraud or money laundering.
A Buyer raises a valid dispute.
You violate our Code of Conduct.

7. Taxes & Compliance

7.1 Marketplace Facilitator Taxes

In certain jurisdictions (e.g., EU VAT, US States with Marketplace Facilitator laws), Archade is required to calculate, collect, and remit sales tax/VAT on transactions.

7.2 Seller Responsibility

In all other cases, Sellers are solely responsible for determining, collecting, and reporting any applicable taxes for their sales. Archade provides transaction reports but does not act as your accountant.

8. Refunds, Chargebacks & Abuse

8.1 Refund Policy

Subscriptions: Generally non-refundable. Exception: Technical billing errors.
Marketplace: Refunded only at Seller discretion or if item is "not as described" (verified by Trust & Safety).

8.2 Chargebacks

Filing a chargeback (dispute via your bank) is considered a breach of specific performance.
Consequence: We act to contest invalid chargebacks. If you lose the dispute, you are liable for the dispute fee ($15+).
Ban: Users who file fraudulent chargebacks will be permanently banned.

9. Advertising & Promotions

No Guarantees: Purchasing a "Boost", "Featured Job", or "Promoted Asset" guarantees visibility (impressions) but does not guarantee performance (clicks, hires, sales).
Content Review: All ads must comply with our policies. Rejected ads will be refunded on a pro-rata basis for unspent budget.

10. Modifications to Pricing

We reserve the right to change our pricing tiers and fee structures.

Subscriptions: We will provide 30 days notice via email before any price increase takes effect.
Marketplace/Ads: Prices are subject to change immediately for new transactions.

11. Enterprise Billing

For organizations on Enterprise contracts:

Invoicing: Payment is due within the terms specified on the Order Form (typically Net-30).
Late Fees: Overdue invoices may accrue interest at 1.5% per month.
PO Requirement: Failure to provide a Purchase Order does not excuse payment obligations.

12. Governing Law & Currency

Currency: All transactions are denominated in USD unless explicitly displayed otherwise. Foreign exchange fees are the user's responsibility.
Jurisdiction: Financial disputes are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware.

Owner: Finance + Legal