Legal

Terms of Service

Last updated: August 19, 2026 · pact.market

1. Acceptance of Terms

Pact Marketplace is a service operated by Pact Harbor LLC ("Pact," "the Service," "we," "us"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. These Terms apply to all users, including posters and applicants. Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and a resident of the United States to use Pact. By using the Service you represent that you meet these requirements. We may terminate accounts that we believe are held by ineligible users.

3. Description of Service

Pact is a local marketplace for services, goods, and events. Users may post Buy listings (seeking a service or item), Sell listings (offering a service or item), or Event listings (hosting an event others can attend, with free RSVPs or paid tickets). When both parties agree, they form a Pact, a tracked agreement in which the buyer pays up front, the funds are held securely by our payment partner, Trustap, and the payment is released to the seller once the work is confirmed complete.

Pact is a platform only. We are not a party to any agreement between users and do not provide, guarantee, or supervise any services listed on the platform.

4. Independent Contractor Status

Sellers who provide services through Pact are independent contractors. They are not employees, agents, partners, or joint venturers of Pact. Pact does not direct, control, or supervise the work performed under any Pact agreement. Sellers are solely responsible for determining how, when, and where they perform their services, and for complying with all applicable laws governing independent contractor work, including licensing, insurance, and tax obligations (except taxes that Pact collects and remits under Section 8).

Nothing in these Terms shall be construed to create an employment, agency, or partnership relationship between Pact and any user.

Pact is an unvetted marketplace infrastructure. Pact does not conduct background checks, verify credentials, confirm licensing, or confirm insurance coverage for any user. Users are solely responsible for verifying the licensing, credentials, and insurance of any provider they contract with. Pact disclaims all liability for physical damage, property loss, personal injury, or any other harm caused by a third-party user encountered through the platform.

5. Accounts

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must provide accurate information at registration. Notify us immediately at support@pact.market if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or are inactive for an extended period.

6. Pact Agreements and Payment

When a paid Pact is sealed, payment is held securely by Trustap until the work is confirmed complete. The payout to the seller then arrives via standard bank transfer (5-7 business days).

Payment processing: Payments are processed by our payment partner, Trustap, using Stripe as its payment processor. By sealing a paid Pact you also agree to Trustap's Terms of Service as they apply to the payment transaction.

Proof of completion: To submit proof, the seller provides at least one photo or written description that reasonably demonstrates the agreed work has been completed; the seller may instead mark the work as handed over without photos. Blurry, irrelevant, or clearly insufficient submissions do not constitute valid proof and may be rejected by Pact support upon dispute. The 24-hour automatic release clock begins only when proof is submitted or the handover is marked complete through the app, not from any off-app communication.

Payment is released to the seller when Trustap's 24-hour complaint window closes. The window starts when handover is first confirmed: when the seller submits proof, or when the buyer releases payment early before proof. Once proof is submitted, no action is needed from the buyer; payment completes automatically when the window closes unless a dispute is raised before then. An early release cannot be undone, and a dispute may still be raised until the window closes and the funds are released.

By sealing a Pact you acknowledge that the transaction cannot be reversed without raising a formal dispute. You agree to act in good faith and complete your obligations under the Pact.

7. Trustap Services

All paid transactions conducted on Pact Marketplace are processed using services provided by Trustap.com ("Trustap") and are covered by Trustap Buyer Protection where applicable. Trustap is an independent third-party service provider. When you use Trustap Services through Pact Marketplace, you acknowledge and agree that:

Relationship with Trustap:

  • You enter into a direct contractual relationship with Trustap for the provision of Trustap Services.
  • Your use of Trustap Services is governed by Trustap's Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and all other applicable policies.
  • By using Trustap Services through Pact Marketplace, you agree to comply with those policies and are responsible for reviewing them periodically, as your continued use of Trustap Services will constitute acceptance of any updates.
  • Pact Marketplace does not control Trustap's services or policies and is not responsible for Trustap's performance of those services.

Data sharing with Trustap: To facilitate transaction processing, Pact Marketplace will share relevant transaction and user data with Trustap. By using Trustap Services, you consent to such sharing. Please review both Pact Marketplace's Privacy Policy and Trustap's Privacy Policy to understand how your data is collected, used, and protected. This consent may be required under applicable data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable.

Transaction processing: Trustap facilitates the collection, holding, and release of funds related to transactions conducted on Pact Marketplace in accordance with its policies and procedures. Pact Marketplace does not itself hold or process funds associated with transactions processed through Trustap Services.

Complaint Period: Buyers must report any issue with a transaction within 24 hours following delivery confirmation (the "Complaint Period"), as defined under Trustap's Terms of Service. If a dispute is not submitted within the Complaint Period, the transaction will be deemed successfully completed and funds will be released to the seller in accordance with Trustap's policies.

Submitting a dispute: To submit a dispute, buyers must follow the dispute submission process available on Pact Marketplace: disputes are raised directly in the app from the pact's screen while the Pact is active, as described in the Disputes section of these Terms.

Dispute investigations and outcome decisions: Disputes relating to transactions processed using Trustap Services will be handled in accordance with Trustap's Disputes, Refunds and Returns Policy. Pact Marketplace will administer dispute investigations and outcome determinations in accordance with Trustap's Disputes, Refunds and Returns Policy. Pact Marketplace may request information or documentation from buyers and sellers in order to investigate and resolve disputes. Outcome decisions made by Pact Marketplace under this process are binding within the framework set by Trustap's policy, subject to any rights available to you under applicable law.

Additional Platform Rules: Pact Marketplace may establish additional rules, conditions, limitations, or exclusions relating to transactions processed through Trustap Services (the "Additional Platform Rules"). Any Additional Platform Rules will be clearly documented within these Terms in this Section 7, or, where expressly stated, published on the Platform and incorporated into these Terms by reference. The current Additional Platform Rules applicable to Trustap Services are set out in the Pact Agreements and Payment, Disputes, and Refunds sections of these Terms. Where Additional Platform Rules are updated or added, such changes will take effect from the date they are published in this Section 7 (or otherwise communicated on the Platform) and will apply to all relevant transactions thereafter.

8. Fees and Taxes

Pact charges a platform fee on each completed transaction. The current fee structure is displayed at the time of sealing a Pact. Pact's fees on completed transactions are non-refundable, except where a dispute is resolved in the buyer's favor; if a Pact is cancelled before completion, the buyer is refunded in full. Seller-side fees, including the escrow fee charged by our payment partner, Trustap, are deducted only from a successful payout; no fees are charged on a cancelled or refunded Pact. We reserve the right to change Pact's fees with 14 days' notice.

Taxes: Where required by law, Pact collects applicable transaction taxes at checkout and remits them to the relevant tax authority (currently New Mexico gross receipts tax); the tax amount is shown in the price breakdown before you pay. Users remain solely responsible for all other tax obligations arising from their activity on the Service, including income tax and self-employment tax. Nothing in the Service constitutes tax advice.

9. Disputes

Either party may raise a dispute while a Pact is active (status: Sealed or Proof Submitted). When a dispute is raised the Pact is locked and the disputed funds remain securely held until the dispute is resolved. Pact Support mediates with each party in a separate private conversation, which the other party does not see, and may request information from either side. Both parties agree to participate in good faith.

Pact Support reviews each case and makes the final resolution decision: releasing the full payment to the seller, returning it in full to the buyer, or a partial split between the parties. Any of the three can apply at any stage, except that a partial split is only possible once handover has been completed; before handover the outcome is always a full release or a full refund.

Resolution execution: Resolutions are executed through our payment partner, Trustap. Some outcomes are carried out by Trustap's support team on Pact's instruction and may take additional processing time. While a dispute is being resolved you may receive an automated email from Trustap; no action is needed there, and the dispute is handled entirely in the app.

Pact is not an arbitration service and is not liable for the outcome of any dispute. You agree to use Pact's dispute process before pursuing any other remedy for Pact-related payment disagreements.

10. Refunds

Before proof is submitted, either party may cancel a Pact, and the buyer receives a full refund of everything paid, regardless of which party cancels. Seller cancellations result in escalating account restrictions, up to permanent restriction from accepting new work. Once proof has been submitted, cancellation is no longer available.

Event tickets: Ticket refunds follow the refund policy the organizer sets on the event listing: refundable until 24 hours before the event starts (the default), or all sales final. If the organizer changes the event time after you buy, your ticket becomes freely refundable until the event begins, regardless of policy. If the organizer cancels the event or removes your ticket, you are always refunded in full.

How refunds are processed: Approved refunds are returned to the original payment method used at the time of sealing. Processing typically takes 5-10 business days depending on your card issuer or bank.

Platform fees: Pact's platform fees on completed Pacts are non-refundable. If a Pact is cancelled before completion, or a dispute is resolved entirely in the buyer's favor, the full amount paid is refunded, including all fees.

11. Ratings and Reviews

After a Pact is completed, both parties may leave a rating. Where a dispute was resolved entirely in one party's favor, the party the decision went against may not leave a rating. Ratings close 14 days after the payment is released; a cancelled Pact may be reviewed without a deadline. You won't see the other party's rating until you've submitted your own; ratings become visible once both sides have rated or after 14 days, whichever comes first. You must not manipulate ratings or submit false reviews. We may remove ratings that violate these Terms.

12. Prohibited Uses

You may not use Pact to:

  • Post or fulfil listings for illegal services or products
  • Engage in fraud, misrepresentation, or identity theft
  • Harass, threaten, or abuse other users
  • Post content that is obscene, defamatory, or discriminatory
  • Arrange payment outside the platform to circumvent Pact's payment system. Doing so constitutes a material breach of these Terms and will result in permanent account termination. Pact's payment system exists specifically to protect both parties; bypassing it removes the dispute resolution, refund guarantees, and payment protections the platform provides.
  • Use automated tools to scrape or interact with the platform
  • Create multiple accounts to evade a suspension or ban

Violations may result in immediate account termination and, where applicable, referral to law enforcement.

13. Content

You retain ownership of content you post. By posting, you grant Pact a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display and use that content to operate the Service. You represent that you have the right to post all content you submit and that it does not infringe any third party's rights.

Content removal and takedown: Pact may remove, disable access to, or refuse to display any content, listing, message, review, image, or other material, in whole or in part, at any time and at our sole discretion, with or without notice. This includes, without limitation, content that we believe violates these Terms, our policies, or applicable law, or that is fraudulent, harmful, infringing, unsafe, or otherwise objectionable, or that is the subject of a complaint. We may also suspend, restrict, or terminate the account responsible. We are not obligated to host, display, or store any content, and we have no liability to you or any third party for removing or disabling content.

Reporting infringing or unlawful content: If you believe content on Pact infringes your intellectual property or other rights, or is otherwise unlawful, send a notice to dmca@pact.market that identifies the content and its location in the Service, describes the right you believe is infringed, provides your contact information, and includes a statement that the information in your notice is accurate. We will review valid notices and may remove or disable the reported content. Accounts that repeatedly post infringing material may be terminated.

14. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE. WE DO NOT ENDORSE, VERIFY, OR GUARANTEE ANY USER, LISTING, OR SERVICE ON THE PLATFORM.

PACT IS AN UNVETTED MARKETPLACE INFRASTRUCTURE. PACT PROVIDES A PLATFORM FOR INDEPENDENT USERS TO CONNECT AND ENGAGE IN COMMERCE VIA THE TRUSTAP PAYMENT GATEWAY. PACT DOES NOT VET, BACKGROUND CHECK, EMPLOY, OR VERIFY THE LICENSING, CREDENTIALS, OR INSURANCE OF ANY USER. YOU EXPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT USERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING THE LICENSING, CREDENTIALS, AND INSURANCE OF ANY PROVIDER THEY CONTRACT WITH. PACT IS NOT A PARTY TO ANY AGREEMENTS BETWEEN USERS AND DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY FOR PHYSICAL DAMAGE, NEGLIGENCE, PROPERTY LOSS, PERSONAL INJURY, OR BREACH OF CONTRACT CAUSED BY THIRD-PARTY USERS.

15. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PACT AND ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING LOSS OF FUNDS, LOSS OF DATA, OR PERSONAL INJURY. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM SHALL NOT EXCEED THE PLATFORM FEES PAID BY YOU IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; TO THE EXTENT SUCH LAWS APPLY TO YOU, THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY, AND OUR LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

16. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Pact and its affiliates from any third-party claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: your breach of these Terms; your violation of any law or any third party's rights; content you post; or your services, transactions, or interactions with other users. This obligation does not apply to the extent a claim results from Pact's own negligence or willful misconduct. We will notify you promptly of any such claim and may, at our option, control the defense; you agree to cooperate reasonably.

17. Termination

You may delete your account at any time. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time, for any reason, with or without notice, at our sole discretion.

Reasons for suspension or termination include, but are not limited to:

  • Violation of any provision of these Terms of Service
  • Fraudulent, deceptive, or illegal activity
  • Harassment, abuse, or threatening behavior toward other users or Pact staff
  • Posting prohibited content, including illegal services, obscene material, or discriminatory content
  • Attempting to circumvent Pact's payment system or dispute resolution process
  • Creating multiple accounts to evade a suspension or ban
  • Providing false or misleading information at registration or during a dispute
  • Inactivity for 24 or more consecutive months
  • Any conduct that Pact determines, in its sole discretion, to be harmful to other users, the platform, or the integrity of the marketplace

This list is non-exhaustive. Pact is not obligated to provide reasons for any suspension or termination decision.

Upon termination, any Pacts in progress will be resolved at Pact's discretion. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 13-15) will do so.

18. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New Mexico, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute not resolved through Pact's internal process shall be submitted to binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. Any in-person arbitration hearing will be held in the county where you reside, or another location mutually agreed in writing; where the AAA's rules allow, the arbitration may be conducted remotely.

Arbitration opt-out: You may opt out of binding arbitration within 30 days of first creating your account by emailing support@pact.market with the subject line "Arbitration Opt-Out" and your registered email address. Opting out does not affect any other provision of these Terms.

If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, you do so at your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with your local laws. Nothing in these Terms limits any rights you may have under the mandatory laws of your country of residence.

Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

19. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. We will notify you of material changes via push notification or email.

20. Contact

Questions about these Terms: support@pact.market

21. SMS Messaging Program

Program name: Pact Notifications

Description: When you opt in, Pact may send transactional text messages to the mobile phone number you provide. Messages include one-time verification codes (OTP) and transactional account notifications directly related to your activity on the platform. We do not send marketing or promotional SMS messages.

How to opt in: You may opt in to SMS messages in the following ways:

  • During account registration, by checking the optional SMS consent checkbox on the Create Account screen in the Pact app.
  • On the Verify Phone screen, by checking the optional SMS consent checkbox before tapping "Send Code".
  • After verifying your phone, by enabling the SMS Notifications toggle in Settings, Notifications.

In all cases, opt-in is entirely user-initiated and no SMS messages are sent until you explicitly consent.

Message frequency: Message frequency varies. You will typically receive one SMS per verification request. Transactional notifications are sent only when directly triggered by your account activity.

Costs: Message and data rates may apply. Check with your mobile carrier for details about your messaging plan.

Opt-out: Reply STOP to any text message from Pact at any time to opt out. You will receive one final confirmation message and no further SMS messages will be sent unless you re-enroll.

Help: Reply HELP to any text message from Pact, or contact us at support@pact.market.

No third-party sharing: Your phone number and SMS consent information will not be shared with third parties for marketing purposes or sold to any third party.

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