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Terms of Service

Tchola Terms of Service

Last Updated: April 16, 2026 Version: 1.0 (Phase 1 — Coordination Only)

Important: This is a working draft prepared for beta onboarding. It must be reviewed by a licensed fintech attorney before public launch or before Tchola begins moving funds on behalf of users (Phase 2).

1. Agreement to These Terms

Welcome to Tchola. These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a binding legal agreement between you ("you," "your," or "User") and Tchola LLC, a limited liability company ("Tchola," "we," "us," or "our"). By creating an account, accessing, or using the Tchola mobile application or any related services (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

Please read Section 16 (Arbitration and Class Action Waiver) carefully. It affects your legal rights.

2. What Tchola Is (and What It Is Not)

Tchola is a social coordination platform that helps people organize rotating savings groups ("Sol Groups"), track shared financial commitments in Financial Circles, and connect with a community around money goals. Tchola is inspired by the Haitian tradition of sòl.

During Phase 1 (the current phase), Tchola does not:

Tchola is a coordination and record-keeping tool. All actual money movement between Users in Phase 1 happens outside the Service (for example, via cash, Venmo, Zelle, or bank transfer). Tchola records what Users tell it happened; Tchola does not verify, escrow, or settle payments.

We will notify you in advance before the Service expands to include money movement ("Phase 2"), and additional terms will apply at that time.

3. Eligibility

To use Tchola, you must:

Teen accounts (future): We anticipate offering accounts for Users ages 13–17 with verified parental consent in a future release. Those accounts will be governed by supplemental terms.

4. Your Account

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity under your account. Notify us immediately at support@tchola.app if you suspect unauthorized access.

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to keep it updated. Tchola may suspend or terminate accounts that contain false, misleading, or impersonating information.

5. How Sol Groups Work

A Sol Group is a User-organized rotating savings arrangement. One User creates the Group, sets contribution amounts and payout schedule, and invites other Users. Members agree among themselves to contribute and receive payouts on a rotating basis.

You acknowledge and agree:

If a member defaults, Tchola may, at its discretion, reflect this in the member's Trust Score and Group history, but Tchola has no obligation to pursue, recover, or indemnify any losses.

6. Financial Circles and Social Features

Financial Circles let Users coordinate shared expenses (splits, requests, group tabs). The same principle applies: Tchola records the coordination, not the money. The social feed displays activity you and your connections choose to share.

You agree not to post content that is unlawful, harassing, defamatory, hateful, sexually explicit, deceptive, infringing, or that impersonates another person. We may remove content and suspend accounts at our discretion.

7. Fees

Phase 1 of the Service is free for Users. We reserve the right to introduce fees in the future with at least 30 days' advance notice via in-app notification or email.

8. Gamification and Rewards

Points, tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum), and cashback benefits are promotional features offered at Tchola's discretion. They have no cash value, are non-transferable, and may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time. Cashback, if any, applies only once Phase 2 money movement is live and is governed by supplemental reward terms.

9. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Service to:

Violation may result in immediate termination and referral to law enforcement.

10. Intellectual Property

The Service, including the Tchola name, logo, Sol Groups concept as implemented, visual design, and all software, is owned by Tchola LLC and protected by U.S. and international IP laws. We grant you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service for personal, non-commercial purposes.

You retain ownership of content you post. You grant Tchola a worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable license to host, display, and distribute your content as needed to operate and promote the Service.

11. Privacy

Your use of the Service is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference.

12. Third-Party Services

The Service may integrate third-party services (e.g., Stripe for test processing, Plaid for bank linking in Phase 2, Persona for identity verification). Your use of those services is governed by their own terms. Tchola is not responsible for third-party acts or omissions.

13. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. TCHOLA DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE.

Tchola is not a financial advisor. Nothing in the Service constitutes financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.

14. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, TCHOLA AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE. TCHOLA'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY WILL NOT EXCEED ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100) OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO TCHOLA IN THE PRIOR 12 MONTHS, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold Tchola harmless from claims arising out of your use of the Service, your content, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third-party right.

16. Arbitration and Class Action Waiver

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

Any dispute between you and Tchola will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, in Wisconsin or via remote hearing. You and Tchola waive the right to a jury trial and to participate in a class action. Either party may bring a qualifying claim in small-claims court.

30-day opt-out: You may opt out of this Section 16 by emailing legal@tchola.app within 30 days of first accepting these Terms, stating your name and intent to opt out.

17. Termination

You may stop using the Service at any time and delete your account in-app. We may suspend or terminate your access at any time for any reason, including suspected violation of these Terms. Sections 10, 13–16, and 18 survive termination.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms. For material changes, we will provide at least 30 days' notice via in-app notification or email. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

19. Governing Law and Miscellaneous

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin, excluding its conflict-of-laws rules. If any provision is unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect. These Terms are the entire agreement between you and Tchola regarding the Service.

20. Contact

Tchola LLC Email: support@tchola.app · Legal: legal@tchola.app Website: https://tchola.app