1 Introduction
Welcome to Folloverse ("Folloverse", "we", "us", or "our"), a platform that enables creators to build and monetize their communities through memberships, per-creation billing, pay-to-unlock posts, and digital products. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Folloverse website, applications, and related services (collectively, the "Services").
By creating an account, accessing, or using any part of the Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms.
2 Definitions
- User: Any person who creates an account or uses the Services, including both Creators and Fans.
- Creator: A User who publishes content, offers memberships, or sells digital products through Folloverse.
- Fan: A User who purchases access to Creator content, memberships, or digital products.
- Merchant of Record (MoR): Folloverse LLC is the legal seller of all digital access, memberships, and products purchased by Fans on the platform.
- Creator Earnings: The portion of net revenue allocated to a Creator after Folloverse platform fees, payment processor fees, refunds, and chargebacks.
- Platform Fee: The fee charged by Folloverse on monetized transactions (currently 6% of the gross transaction amount, before payment processor fees and taxes).
- Content: Any text, image, video, audio, file, or other material uploaded or made available on or through the Services.
3 Eligibility & Accounts
- You must be at least 18 years old to use the Services.
- You must provide accurate and complete information when creating an account and keep it up to date.
- You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.
- You must not share your account with others or allow others to access the Services using your credentials.
4 Folloverse as Merchant of Record
Folloverse LLC acts as the Merchant of Record for all purchases made by Fans on the platform. This means that:
- Fans purchase digital access, memberships, and products from Folloverse, not directly from Creators.
- Folloverse appears as the seller on receipts and, where applicable, on payment descriptors or statements.
- Folloverse is responsible for handling refunds, chargebacks, and consumer disputes in relation to these purchases.
- Creators provide their Content and services to Folloverse, and Folloverse in turn provides access to Fans.
- Folloverse calculates and pays out Creator Earnings based on the revenue generated from their Content.
Creators acknowledge and agree that they are not the merchant of record for transactions processed through Folloverse and that they appoint Folloverse to act as their payment collection agent for the limited purpose of facilitating payments, refunds, and chargebacks.
5 Payments, Fees, and Payouts
5.1 Payments from Fans
- Fans may purchase memberships, per-creation access, pay-to-unlock posts, and digital products via payment methods supported by our payment processor (currently Stripe).
- By submitting payment information, Fans authorize Folloverse to charge the applicable amounts, including any taxes where collected.
- Access to purchased Content is granted subject to these Terms and any additional terms shown at the time of purchase.
5.2 Platform Fees
- Folloverse charges a Platform Fee of 6% on monetized transactions (such as memberships, per-creation charges, and digital product sales).
- The Platform Fee is calculated on the gross transaction amount before payment processor fees and applicable taxes.
5.3 Payment Processing (Stripe)
- Folloverse uses Stripe as its payment processor. Use of the Services is subject to Stripe's terms and acceptable use policies.
- Payment processor fees (charged by Stripe) are deducted from transaction amounts before calculating Creator Earnings.
- Stripe does not refund processing fees when a payment is refunded; these fees are generally borne by Folloverse as part of operating costs.
5.4 Creator Payouts
- Creator Earnings are calculated as gross revenue from the Creator's monetized activity minus Platform Fees, payment processor fees, refunds, chargebacks, and any adjustments.
- Creators must connect a valid Stripe account and complete all required identity verification steps before receiving payouts.
- Folloverse may apply a short holding period to new transactions to manage refunds, chargebacks, fraud checks, and compliance.
- Payout frequencies, minimum payout thresholds, and available payout methods may be shown in the Creator dashboard and may change over time.
- In the case of refunds or chargebacks, Folloverse may deduct the relevant amounts from current or future Creator Earnings.
5.5 Earnings Manipulation
- Creators may not purchase their own memberships, products, or Content or arrange for others to do so primarily to inflate metrics or earnings.
- Creators may not attempt to bypass Platform Fees, payment processor fees, or tax requirements.
- Folloverse may suspend or permanently close accounts involved in fraudulent or abusive transactions and may adjust or withhold earnings in such cases.
6 Taxes
6.1 Folloverse Tax Role
As Merchant of Record, Folloverse may be responsible for collecting and remitting certain transaction taxes (such as VAT, GST, or sales tax) in jurisdictions where legal thresholds are met. At the time of this version of the Terms, Folloverse operates below applicable tax nexus thresholds in many jurisdictions and therefore may not be required to collect or remit such taxes in all regions.
Folloverse may implement automated tax calculation and reporting tools (such as TaxJar or similar services) as the platform grows and tax obligations expand. When such tools are implemented, information about tax collection will be reflected in these Terms or other policies.
6.2 Creator Tax Responsibility
- Creators are independent and are responsible for reporting and paying income taxes or other taxes due on the earnings they receive from Folloverse.
- Folloverse does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. Creators should consult their own advisors regarding their tax obligations.
- Folloverse may issue certain tax forms or reports if required under applicable law, but the ultimate responsibility for tax compliance remains with the Creator.
7 Refunds, Chargebacks, and Disputes
7.1 Refund Requests
- Because purchases on Folloverse involve digital Content, refunds are limited.
- Folloverse may grant refunds in cases such as duplicate charges, technical failures preventing access, or other clear errors.
- In other cases (e.g., dissatisfaction with Content), refunds are generally not provided once Content has been accessed or downloaded, unless required by applicable law.
7.2 Folloverse as Decision Maker
- As Merchant of Record, Folloverse is the sole decision maker on refund and dispute outcomes.
- Folloverse may contact the Creator for context about a particular purchase but is not required to obtain the Creator's consent to issue a refund.
- When a refund is granted, the refunded amount is deducted from Creator Earnings (current or future) associated with the relevant transaction.
7.3 Chargebacks
- If a Fan disputes a charge with their bank or payment provider (a chargeback), Folloverse will respond to the chargeback and may provide information in support of the transaction.
- If the chargeback is upheld, the disputed amount and any associated fees may be deducted from associated Creator Earnings.
- Excessive chargebacks may result in suspension or closure of a Creator's account.
8 Content & Acceptable Use
8.1 Creator Content
- Creators remain the owners of their Content but grant Folloverse a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, transmit, display, and distribute such Content as necessary to operate and promote the Services.
- This license allows Folloverse to show Creator pages, memberships, previews, and related elements to Fans and potential Fans.
8.2 Stripe-Compliant Content Rules
To comply with Stripe's acceptable use policies, Creators must not publish, promote, or sell:
- Pornography or explicit sexual content.
- Sexualized nudity or fetish content.
- Paid adult entertainment, escort services, or sexual services.
- Content involving minors (anyone under 18) in sexual or suggestive contexts.
- Content that promotes illegal activity, violence, hate, or harassment.
- Content that involves fraud, scams, or other prohibited business activities under Stripe's policies.
Creators may post non-sexual artistic nudity and suggestive or PG-13 content, provided it is not pornographic or sexualized and complies with applicable laws.
8.3 Prohibited Conduct
Users (including Creators and Fans) agree not to:
- Use the Services for illegal purposes or in violation of any laws.
- Harass, threaten, or abuse other Users.
- Upload malware, viruses, or harmful code.
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts or systems.
- Scrape, harvest, or misuse data from the platform.
- Infringe upon the intellectual property or privacy rights of others.
8.4 Content Removal
Folloverse may remove or restrict access to any Content at its sole discretion if it:
- Violates these Terms or any other policy.
- Violates Stripe's acceptable use policies.
- Appears illegal, harmful, or abusive.
- Exposes Folloverse or its Users to legal, financial, or reputational risk.
9 Identity Verification (KYC)
- Before monetization features and payouts can be enabled, Creators must complete identity verification processes powered by Stripe (KYC/AML checks).
- Stripe or Folloverse may request additional documentation at any time to maintain compliance.
- If verification is not completed or is revoked, Folloverse may freeze or withhold payouts and disable monetization features.
10 No Guarantee of Earnings
Folloverse provides tools for Creators to monetize their Content but does not guarantee any particular level of income, number of Fans, or success.
A Creator's earnings depend on factors outside Folloverse's control, including their audience size, pricing, posting frequency, and the demand for their Content. This is standard across creator platforms and does not mean Creators cannot earn; it simply means results vary by Creator.
11 Changes to the Services
- Folloverse may add, modify, or discontinue features, functionalities, or pricing at any time.
- Where practical, Folloverse will provide reasonable notice of material changes (for example, via email or in-app notices).
- Continued use of the Services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of those changes.
12 Account Suspension & Termination
- Users may close their account at any time through account settings or by contacting support.
- Folloverse may suspend or terminate any account, with or without notice, for breach of these Terms, suspected fraud, abuse, or as required by law or payment providers.
- Upon termination, access to the Services and Content may cease, and pending payouts may be withheld to cover potential refunds, chargebacks, or legal obligations.
13 Intellectual Property & DMCA
- The Folloverse platform, design, logos, and software are owned by Folloverse or its licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws.
- Users may not copy, modify, or create derivative works of the platform or its code.
- If you believe your copyrighted work has been used in a way that constitutes infringement, you may contact Folloverse with a DMCA-style notice including sufficient details to identify the work and the allegedly infringing material.
14 Disclaimers
The Services are provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
Folloverse does not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that any Content will be accurate or meet your expectations.
15 Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Folloverse and its officers, directors, employees, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, arising out of or related to your use of the Services.
In no event shall Folloverse's total liability for all claims relating to the Services exceed the greater of (a) the amounts paid by you to Folloverse in the three (3) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars (USD $100).
16 Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws applicable in the jurisdiction where Folloverse LLC is registered, without regard to conflict of laws principles. Any disputes arising from or related to these Terms or the Services shall be brought in the competent courts of that jurisdiction, unless otherwise required by applicable law.
17 Changes to These Terms
Folloverse may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify users by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, by additional notices.
Your continued use of the Services after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms.
