Terms of Service

1. Who we are & what these terms cover

ChefHat ("ChefHat", "we", "us") provides a platform that turns a food creator's existing short-form recipe videos into a branded, subscription-based recipe app for their fans. These Terms govern use of the platform by creators ("Chefs"), by their subscribers ("Members" or "Fans"), and by anyone who visits a ChefHat-powered site. By using ChefHat, you agree to these Terms.

2. Eligibility & accounts

You must be old enough to enter a binding contract in your country. Accounts are created via an email magic link or Google sign-in; you are responsible for keeping your email and account secure and for activity that happens under your account. Keep your information accurate.

3. How the service works

When a Chef connects a social media account, ChefHat imports the recipe videos they bring in and uses automated tools, including AI, to turn each video into a structured recipe — ingredients, steps, and images — inside a branded app hosted on a ChefHat subdomain or custom domain. ChefHat builds, hosts, and operates the app; the Chef keeps posting as usual.

4. Chef terms — content & rights

As a Chef, you represent that you own or have all rights necessary to connect your content, and that ChefHat's processing and display of it will not infringe anyone's rights or violate the terms of the platforms where your content is posted. You retain ownership of your content. You grant ChefHat a worldwide, non-exclusive licence to host, store, reproduce, transcode, adapt (including AI extraction of recipe data), display, and distribute that content solely to operate and promote your ChefHat app. You can disconnect or remove content; limited copies may persist in backups for a short period.

5. Chef terms — payments, revenue share & payouts

Fans pay recurring subscription fees to access a Chef's app. ChefHat is the merchant of record for these subscriptions and uses Stripe to process payments. ChefHat retains a 20% platform fee and remits 80% to the Chef, and ChefHat absorbs Stripe's payment-processing fees so that the Chef's 80% is calculated on the gross subscription price. Payouts are made to the Chef's connected Stripe account on Stripe's payout schedule.

• As merchant of record, ChefHat handles billing, sales tax / VAT, refunds, and chargebacks on fan subscriptions.
• The Chef is responsible for their own income taxes; tax forms relating to payouts are provided through Stripe.
• The Chef sets subscription prices within the ranges ChefHat makes available; ChefHat may change the available ranges or the platform fee on reasonable notice.

6. Chef terms — onboarding & verification

To receive payouts, a Chef must complete Stripe Connect onboarding, including any identity or business verification (KYC) that Stripe performs. ChefHat may pause payouts or a Chef's app if Stripe disables the account, if verification is incomplete, or if we reasonably suspect fraud, impersonation, or rights violations.

7. Member terms — subscriptions, trials & cancellation

Members subscribe on a recurring basis (for example, monthly or yearly), sometimes after a free trial. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. You can cancel at any time and keep access until the end of the paid period. Prices are shown before purchase, and payment is processed by Stripe with ChefHat as merchant of record.

• Free trials convert to paid subscriptions unless cancelled before the trial ends.
• Refunds are handled in line with our refund practices and applicable consumer law; contact us for any billing issue.
• Access to a Chef's content lasts for the duration of an active subscription; the content belongs to the Chef and may change or be removed.

8. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• post, connect, or distribute illegal, infringing, or harmful content;
• impersonate any person or misrepresent your affiliation;
• scrape, reverse-engineer, overload, or disrupt the service;
• misuse payments, or harass or harm other users;
• use the service to violate any law or any third party's terms.

9. Intellectual property

The ChefHat platform, software, and brand are owned by ChefHat. Chef and Member content remains owned by its respective owners. Every ChefHat-powered site carries a "Powered by ChefHat" mark.

10. Third-party services

ChefHat relies on third parties — including Stripe for payments — and your use may be subject to their terms. We are not responsible for third-party services. Chefs are responsible for complying with the terms of the social platforms where they post their content.

11. Suspension & termination

You may stop using ChefHat at any time. We may suspend or terminate access for breach of these Terms, to comply with legal or payment-provider requirements, to address risk or fraud, or for rights violations. On termination, a Chef's app and content may be removed, and active Member subscriptions will be handled in line with applicable law.

12. Disclaimers

The service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind to the fullest extent permitted by law. AI-generated recipe data may contain errors; recipes are provided for general information only, and you are responsible for your own judgement regarding allergies, dietary needs, and food safety.

13. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ChefHat is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, and our total liability is limited as set out here. [Liability cap and any carve-outs to be finalized by counsel.]

14. Indemnification

Chefs agree to indemnify and hold ChefHat harmless from claims arising out of the content they connect or their breach of these Terms.

15. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time and will communicate material changes. Continued use after the changes take effect means you accept them.

16. Governing law & disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federative Republic of Brazil, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. The courts of Brazil have jurisdiction over disputes arising from these Terms, except where mandatory consumer-protection law lets a Member bring proceedings where they live. [Specific venue/city and any arbitration provisions to be confirmed by counsel.]

17. Contact

Questions about these Terms: support@chefhat.io.