Towne Merchant Terms of Service

Last updated: April 11, 2021

By signing up for a Merchant Account (as defined in Section 1) on our website located at www.towne.io (“Site”) or by using any Towne Services (as defined below), you agree that you have read and accept all of the terms and conditions contained or expressly referenced herein, including Towne’s privacy policy (the “Terms” or “TOS”). As used in these Terms, “we”, “us” and “Towne” means Qvale Inc., a Delaware corporation, with offices located at One Blackfield Drive, Suite 113, Tiburon, CA 94920. Towne reserves the right to change or modify portions of these Terms at any time. If Towne does so, it will post the changes on this page and will indicate at the top of this page the date this Terms was last revised. Towne will also notify Merchant, either through the Services user interface, in an email notification or through other reasonable means. Any such changes will become effective no earlier than fourteen (14) days after being posted, except that changes addressing new functions of the Services or changes made for legal reasons may become effective immediately. Merchant’s continued use of the Service after the date any such changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.
Towne provides the Site, various products and other services that include, but are not limited to, providing a sales platform to showcase products (“Products”) to local shoppers, providing delivery options, and sharing information and insights (“Services”) to you (“Merchant” or “you”). Any new features or tools which are added to the current Services shall be also subject to the Terms.
Everyday language summaries are provided for convenience only and appear in bold under each section, but these summaries are not legally binding. Please read the Terms, including any document referred to in these Terms, for the complete picture of your legal requirements.
1. Merchant Account Terms

To access and use the Services, you must register for a Towne account (“Merchant Account”) by providing your name, your business’ legal name, business address, phone number and email address, as well as any other information we may request. Towne may reject your application for a Merchant Account, or cancel an existing Merchant Account, for any reason, in our sole discretion. If you are entering into these Terms on behalf of a Merchant, company, business or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind such entity and its affiliates to these Terms, in which case the terms “you” or “your” shall refer to such entity and its affiliates.

You acknowledge that Towne will use the email address you provide on opening a Merchant Account or as updated by you from time to time as the primary method for communication with you.

You are responsible for keeping any Towne-related password secure. Towne cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage from your failure to maintain the security of your Merchant Account and password.

You are responsible for all activity and content such as photos, images, videos, graphics, written content, audio files, code, information, or data uploaded, collected, generated, stored, displayed, distributed, transmitted or exhibited on or in connection with your Merchant Account (“Materials”).

A breach or violation of any term in the Terms as determined in the sole discretion of Towne may result in an immediate termination of your access to and use of the Services.

WHICH MEANS
  • You are responsible for your Merchant Account and all information in your account.
  • You must be of legal age to sign up for a Merchant Account.
  • Only one person can be the Merchant, usually the person signing up for the Towne Service. The Merchant is responsible for the Merchant Account, is bound by these Terms of Service and is responsible for the actions of others accessing the Merchant Account.
  • If we need to reach you, we will send you an email.
2. Merchant Responsibilities
Merchant acknowledges that Towne’s provision of the Services is dependent on Merchant’s providing all reasonably required cooperation in a diligent and timely manner (including the prompt provision of access to Merchant’s Products, inventory, and all updates, including the price, description, and other related information about each Product, and obtaining and maintaining any equipment and ancillary software and services needed to connect to, access or otherwise use the Services, including, without limitation, modems, hardware, server, software, operating system, networking, web servers and the like (collectively, “Equipment”). Merchant shall also be responsible for maintaining the security of the Equipment, Merchant Account, passwords and files, and for all uses of Merchant Account or the Equipment with or without Merchant’s knowledge or consent.
Merchant will only use the Services as expressly permitted herein and agrees that it will not, directly or indirectly: reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble or otherwise attempt to discover the source code, object code or underlying structure, ideas, know-how or algorithms relevant to the Services or any software, documentation or data related to the Services (“Software”); modify, translate, or create derivative works based on the Services or any Software (except to the extent expressly permitted by Towne or authorized within the Services); use the Services or any Software for timesharing or service bureau purposes or otherwise for the benefit of a third party; remove any proprietary notices or labels; or modify, adapt or hack the Services, or otherwise attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or its related systems or networks. With respect to any Software (in any form) that is provided to Merchant, Towne hereby grants Merchant a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable right to access and use such Software solely internally in connection with the Services and for no other purpose. All Software is Confidential Information of Towne and subject to the terms of Section 4.
Merchant represents, covenants, and warrants that Merchant will use the Services only in compliance with Towne’s standard published policies and codes of conduct then in effect and all applicable laws and regulations (including, without limitation, those relevant to privacy, spam, intellectual property and the like). Merchant hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Towne against any damages, losses, liabilities, settlements and expenses (including without limitation costs and attorneys’ fees) in connection with any claim or action that arises from an alleged violation of any of the foregoing or otherwise from Merchant’s use of Services. Although Towne has no obligation to monitor Merchant’s use of the Services, Towne may do so and may prohibit any use of the Services (or disable content or data) it believes may be (or alleged to be) in violation of the foregoing or any other term of this Terms, or remove any Merchant Materials and Merchant Marks from the Services if Towne or its affiliates receive notice or otherwise reasonably believe that such Merchant Materials may infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate any intellectual property or other proprietary rights.
WHICH MEANS
  • You are responsible for all the Equipment you use in your stores or premises.
  • You can’t make copies, steal, or otherwise manipulate our Software for any reason.
  • You must use our Services in a way that is not illegal. If you use our Services in a way that violates law, you will be responsible for any liability that might come up.
3. Proprietary Rights
Towne shall own and retain all right, title and interest in and to (a) the Services and Software, and all improvements, enhancements or modifications thereto, (b) any software, applications, inventions or other technology developed in connection with Services or support, and (c) all intellectual property rights related to any of the foregoing. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, Towne shall have the right to collect and analyze data and information relating to the use and performance of various aspects of the Services and related technologies (including, without limitation, IP addresses, URLs, network traffic information and the like), and Towne will be free (during and after the term hereof) to (i) use such information and data to provide, improve and enhance the Services and other Towne offerings, and (ii) disclose such data solely in aggregate or other de-identified form in connection with its business.
Subject to this Terms, each party hereby grants to the other party (and, in the case of Towne, to its affiliates) a limited, non-exclusive and non-transferable (except as set forth in Section 5) license during the Term to use such party’s respective trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, slogans, identifying symbols and indicia of the applicable party (“Marks”) in the territory, on a royalty-free basis, in connection with the activities related to this Terms or any other activities relating to the Services, including in connection with any marketing and promotion of the Merchant Products. All uses of a party’s Marks by the other party will be in the form and format specified or approved by the owner of such marks. Other than as specifically set forth in these Terms, neither party will use the other party’s Marks without the prior, express, written consent of the other party (by email is sufficient). For the avoidance of doubt, however, any use or display of Merchant’s Marks by Towne or its affiliates in connection with making Products available through the Services in the ordinary course of business or on Towne’s website, or to provide to a subcontractor in furtherance of the Services, will not require any such prior, express, written consent. Merchant further agrees that any use or display of Towne’s Marks will conform to Towne’s brand guidelines which will be provided from time to time. All goodwill related to the use of a party’s Marks by the other party will inure to the benefit of the owner of such Marks.
Towne and its affiliates may showcase the availability of Merchant’s Products via the Services through various promotional activities (e.g., through social media channels, websites, advertisements, or blogs). If photographs of Merchant’s Products are not available or if they do not meet Towne’s requirements, as reasonably determined by Towne, Merchant consents to Towne (or a party designated by Towne acting on Towne’s behalf) to take video and still images of Merchant’s Products for marketing and other efforts related to the Services (“Towne Content”). Merchant agrees that Towne Content (including all intellectual property rights therein) are and will remain the sole and exclusive property of Towne or its affiliates. Additionally, Merchant hereby grants Towne and its affiliates a non-exclusive, sublicensable, perpetual, fully paid-up and royalty free license to use and display Merchant’s Products, videos, still images (either provided by Merchant or on Merchant’s website), or other materials (“Marketing Materials”) to provide the Services and in connection with any marketing and promotion of the Merchant Products. To the extent that the Merchant Materials contain any third party materials, Merchant is solely responsible for and will secure any and all rights, licenses, consents and permissions necessary for Towne to be able to use the Merchant Materials in accordance with this Section.
WHICH MEANS 
  • We both own our branding. You’re letting us use your branding in order to promote your Products.
  • If we need more photographs of your Products, we’ll help get that content onto the Software.
4. Confidentiality
(a) “Confidential Information” shall include, but shall not be limited to, any and all information associated with a party’s business and not publicly known, including specific business information, technical processes and formulas, software, sales, price lists, and other unpublished financial information, and any other confidential and proprietary information, whether or not marked as confidential or proprietary. Towne’s Confidential Information includes all information that you receive relating to us, or to the Services, that is not known to the general public including information related to our security program and practices.
(b) Each party agrees to use the other party’s Confidential Information solely as necessary for performing its obligations under these Terms of Service and in accordance with any other obligations in these Terms of Service including this Section 4. Each party agrees that it shall take all reasonable steps, at least substantially equivalent to the steps it takes to protect its own proprietary information, to prevent the duplication, disclosure or use of any such Confidential Information, other than (i) by or to its employees, agents and subcontractors who must have access to such Confidential Information to perform such party’s obligations hereunder, who each shall treat such Confidential Information as provided herein, and who are each subject to obligations of confidentiality to such party that are at least as stringent as those contained herein; or (ii) as required by any law, regulation, or order of any court of proper jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter contained in these Terms of Service, provided that, if legally permitted, the receiving party shall give the disclosing party prompt written notice and use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that such disclosure is accorded confidential treatment. Confidential Information shall not include any information that the receiving party can prove: (A) was already in the public domain, or was already known by or in the possession of the receiving party, at the time of disclosure of such information; (B) is independently developed by the receiving party without use of or reference to the other party’s Confidential Information, and without breaching any provisions of these Terms of Service; or (C) is thereafter rightly obtained by the receiving party from a source other than the disclosing party without breaching any provision of these Terms of Service.
WHICH MEANS
  • Both you and Towne agree to use the Confidential Information of the other only to perform the obligations in these Terms of Service. Confidential Information must be protected and respected..
5. Warranties; Disclaimer
The Merchant represents and warrants that: (a) if it is a business, it is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing; (b) it has all requisite right, power, and authority to agree to these Terms, perform its obligations, and grant the rights, licenses, and authorizations; (c) any information provided or made available is at all times accurate and complete; (d) the Merchant Marks and Merchant Materials do not infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate any third party’s intellectual property or other proprietary rights, (e) it will not disclose any information related to a consumer to a third party (except as required to comply with law or pursuant to a court order); (f) its use of the Services will comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Towne does not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted or error free; nor does it make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from use of the Services. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION, THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND TOWNE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
WHICH MEANS
  • You promise that you have the right to enter into these Terms, that you are allowed to provide us any of the requested materials, and that your use of the Services will not be illegal.
  • Our Services supplement your business. We do not make any promises that our Services will guarantee certain results.
6. Indemnity, Limitation of Liability
If a dispute arises between You and any third party such as a shopper, delivery person, store, or any other third party, such dispute shall be solely between You and such third party and you agree not to involve Towne in any such dispute. YOU HEREBY RELEASE, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS TOWNE, ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, AGENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES, OF, FOR, AND AGAINST ALL LIABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY AND ALL COMPLAINTS, ACTIONS, PROCEEDINGS, COSTS, CLAIMS, DAMAGES, DEMANDS, AND EXPENSES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LAWYER’S FEES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT, THAT MAY ARISE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF A DISPUTE BETWEEN YOU AND ANY THIRD PARTY.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY, EXCEPT FOR BODILY INJURY OF A PERSON, TOWNE AND ITS SUPPLIERS (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ALL EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY SUPPLIERS), OFFICERS, AFFILIATES, REPRESENTATIVES, CONTRACTORS AND EMPLOYEES SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE WITH RESPECT TO ANY SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS AGREEMENT OR TERMS AND CONDITIONS RELATED THERETO UNDER ANY CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER THEORY: (A) FOR ERROR OR INTERRUPTION OF — USE OR FOR LOSS OR INACCURACY OR CORRUPTION OF DATA OR COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS, SERVICES OR TECHNOLOGY OR LOSS OF BUSINESS; (B) FOR ANY INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; (C) FOR ANY MATTER BEYOND TOWNE’S REASONABLE CONTROL; OR (D) FOR ANY AMOUNTS THAT, TOGETHER WITH AMOUNTS ASSOCIATED WITH ALL OTHER CLAIMS, EXCEED THE FEES RECEIVED BY TOWNE FOR THE SERVICES UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IN THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACT THAT GAVE RISE TO THE LIABILITY, IN EACH CASE, WHETHER OR NOT TOWNE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
WHICH MEANS
  • If you get into a dispute with anyone other than us, either a delivery person, another business, or a shopper, we will not be involved.
  • Service is “as is” so it may have errors or interruptions and we provide no warranties and our liability is limited.
7. Term and Termination

(a) The term of these Terms will start on the date of your completed registration for use of a Service and continue until terminated by us or you as provided below (“Term”).

(b) You may at any time terminate your use of any Service upon thirty (30) day notice to us via email at [email protected].

(c) We may terminate your use of any Services or terminate these Terms at any time for any reason.

WHICH MEANS
  • To initiate a termination contact Support. Towne will respond with specific information regarding the termination process for your account.
  • We may change or terminate your account at any time.
8. Feedback and Suggestions
Towne welcomes any ideas and/or suggestions regarding improvements or additions to the Services. If you elect to provide or make available suggestions, comments, ideas, improvements, or other feedback or materials to us in connection with or related to Towne’s Site or Service, we will be free to use, disclose, reproduce, modify, license, transfer and otherwise distribute, and exploit any of the foregoing information or materials in any manner. If we make suggestions on using the Services, you are responsible for any actions you take based on our suggestions.
WHICH MEANS
  • Please give us your feedback and suggestions! Just know that we might use that feedback to make our Site and Services better.
9. Payment of Fees

(a) You will pay the fees applicable to your subscription (“Subscription Fees”) and any other applicable fees (collectively, the “Fees”) as set forth on the Site. All Fees are non-cancelable and non-refundable regardless of any early termination of this Agreement. If Merchant’s use of the Services exceeds any applicable limits set forth on the Site, Merchant shall be billed for such usage and Merchant agrees to pay the additional fees in the manner provided herein. Merchant reserves the right to change the Fees or applicable charges and to institute new charges and Fees at the end of the initial Term or then-current renewal term, upon thirty (30) days prior notice to Merchant (which may be sent by email).

(b) If required on the Site or Services, you must keep a valid payment method on file with us to pay for all incurred and recurring Fees. Towne will charge applicable Fees to any valid payment method that you authorize (“Authorized Payment Method”), and Towne will continue to charge the Authorized Payment Method for applicable Fees until the Services are terminated, and any and all outstanding Fees have been paid in full. Unless otherwise indicated, all Fees and other charges are in U.S. dollars, and all payments shall be in U.S. currency.

(c) Subscription Fees are paid in advance and, along with any other Fees, will be invoiced to you in 30 day intervals (each such date, a “Billing Date”). You will be charged on each Billing Date for all outstanding Fees that have not previously been charged. Fees will appear on an invoice, which will be sent to the Merchant via the email provided. As well, an invoice will appear in your Merchant Account. Users have approximately two weeks to bring up and settle any issues with the billing of Subscription Fees.

(d) All Fees are exclusive of applicable sales, goods and services or other taxes (“Taxes”). You are responsible for all applicable Taxes that arise from or as a result of your subscription. To the extent that Towne charges these Taxes, they are calculated using the tax rates that apply based on the billing address you provide to us. Such amounts are in addition to the Fees for such products and services and will be billed to your Authorized Payment Method. If you are exempt from payment of such Taxes, you must provide us with evidence of your exemption, which in some jurisdictions includes an original certificate that satisfies applicable legal requirements attesting to tax-exempt status. Tax exemption will only apply from and after the date we receive evidence satisfactory to Towne of your exemption. If you are not charged Taxes by Towne, you are responsible for determining if Taxes are payable, and if so, self-remitting Taxes to the appropriate tax authorities in your jurisdiction.

WHICH MEANS
  • Our fees are set forth on the Site.
  • We bill you monthly for all the Fees for our Services.
  • You are responsible for Taxes related to the Products.
10. Preferred Partner Program

In addition to the terms applicable to the Services generally, the following terms apply to merchants enrolled in our Preferred Partner Program. We will refer to such merchants as Preferred Partners. In some cases merchants will participate in both the Preferred Partner Program and the Category Partner Program, in which case both sections 10 and 11 will apply. Under the Preferred Partner Program we showcase your products (including images, product descriptions and pricing) in priority position when a shopper’s search request matches your inventory. Shoppers can purchase your products directly through Towne or they can choose to come to your store to purchase in-person.

(a) Merchants will provide Towne with access to their Products or inventory in real-time or near real-time and to their Product catalog on an as-needed basis. This includes a unique product identifier (UPC, SKU, otherwise), product name, product description, product image, quantity in stock, and price. The mechanism for doing so will vary from merchant to merchant.

(b) Towne will showcase your Products in priority position when a shopper’s search request matches your inventory. This includes the product name, product description, product image, quantity in stock at your store, and price as well as your store’s name and location, if applicable.

(c) Merchants will commit to picking and packing Products purchased through Towne within 60 minutes of receiving notification from Towne. Notification of a Towne purchase will be made to an email address provided by the merchant or via other means mutually agreed upon.

(d) Merchants will leave the picked and packed Product(s) in a predetermined location for pick up by a Towne personnel or the shopper. The merchant will verify purchase by requiring the Towne delivery person or the shopper to produce the unique order number or email confirmation.

(e) Merchants must provide Towne with valid bank account information for a bank account acceptable by Towne (“Your Bank Account”). You authorize us (and will provide us documentation evidencing your authorization upon our request) to verify your information. All payments to you will be remitted to Your Bank Account through a banking network or by other means specified by us.

(f) Towne will settle with merchants on a weekly basis for the previous week’s sales. Your payment will be the amount of the sale pre-tax less Towne’s commission and processing fees.

(g) Towne’s commission and processing fees are set forth on the Site.

(h) Towne bears the risk of credit card fraud (i.e., a fraudulent purchase arising from the theft and unauthorized use of a third party’s credit card information) occurring in connection with purchases made through the Towne platform.

(i) Towne’s platform does not currently facilitate returns or exchanges. Any requests for returns or exchanges from shoppers will be handled on a case-by-case basis via Towne Support.

WHICH MEANS
  • If you elect to be a part of the Preferred Partner Program, these terms will apply.
11. Category Partner Program
In addition to the terms applicable to Services generally, the following terms apply to merchants enrolled in our Category Partner Program. Under the Category Partner Program we showcase your store when a shopper’s search request matches your general inventory and when we do not have products from a Preferred Partner that are a match. Shoppers cannot purchase your Products directly through Towne but can learn more about your business and can visit your store in-person to shop.

(a) Merchants will provide Towne with store name, store description, and store image(s). The mechanism for doing so will vary from merchant to merchant.

(b) Towne will showcase your store when a shopper’s search request matches your general inventory and when we do not have products from a Preferred Partner that are a match. This includes the store name, store description, store image, and store location, if applicable.

(c) Merchants are responsible for all sales taxes.

WHICH MEANS
  • If you elect to be a part of the Category Partner Program, these terms will apply.
12. Disputes
Any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of or related to the Terms or the interpretation, performance, or breach hereof, including but not limited to alleged violations of state or federal statutory or common law rights or duties, shall be resolved solely and exclusively by final and binding arbitration initiated and conducted according to the JAMS/Endispute Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures in effect as of the date hereof, including the Optional Appeal Procedure provided for in such rules (the “Arbitration Rules”). The arbitration shall be conducted in San Francisco County before a single neutral arbitrator and the members of any Appeal Panel shall be retired judges or justices of any California state or federal court. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Towne may seek injunctive relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property rights.
WHICH MEANS
  • If we get into a dispute, we will use arbitration to resolve our issues.
13. Miscellaneous

Merchant may not remove or export from the United States or allow the export or re-export of the Services, Software or anything related thereto, or any direct product thereof in violation of any restrictions, laws or regulations of the United States Department of Commerce, the United States Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, or any other United States or foreign agency or authority. As defined in FAR section 2.101, the Software and documentation are “commercial items” and according to DFAR section 252.227 7014(a)(1) and (5) are deemed to be “commercial computer software” and “commercial computer software documentation.” Consistent with DFAR section 227.7202 and FAR section 12.212, any modification, reproduction, release, performance, display, or disclosure of such commercial software or commercial software documentation by the U.S. Government will be governed solely by the terms of this Agreement and will be prohibited except to the extent expressly permitted by the terms of this Agreement.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms will otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable. The Terms are not assignable, transferable or sublicensable by Merchant except with Towne’s prior written consent. Towne may transfer and assign any of its rights and obligations under these Terms without consent. The Terms are the complete and exclusive statement of the mutual understanding of the parties and supersedes and cancels all previous written and oral Terms, communications and other understandings relating to the subject matter of this Terms, and all waivers and modifications must be in writing and signed by both parties, except as otherwise provided herein. No agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment is created as a result of this Terms and Merchant does not have any authority of any kind to bind Towne in any respect whatsoever. In any action or proceeding to enforce rights under these Terms, the prevailing party will be entitled to recover costs and attorneys’ fees. All notices under this Terms will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given when received, if personally delivered; when receipt is electronically confirmed, if transmitted by facsimile or e-mail; the day after it is sent, if sent for next day delivery by recognized overnight delivery service; and upon receipt, if sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of California without regard to its conflict of laws provisions.

14. Contact
If you have any questions, or comments about these Terms please contact Towne at: Towne One Blackfield Drive, Suite 113 Tiburon, CA 94920 [email protected]