Legal

Terms of use

Last updated: November 4, 2026

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) are a binding agreement between you and Paws Forward (“Paws Forward,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) governing access to and use of our website, donation flows, promoter QR / referral program, Portal, and related fundraising services (collectively, the “Services”).

By visiting the site, creating a promoter profile, scanning or sharing a QR, starting a donation, using the Portal, or otherwise using the Services, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.

Please read these Terms carefully. They include important information about donations processed through Stripe, how referral attribution works, promoter commissions, acceptable use, disclaimers, and limits on liability.

1. Who we are

Paws Forward is a dog-rescue fundraising organization. We raise money to help dogs obtain food, water, and shelter. We also operate a promoter program: individuals may create a personal QR / donation link so that gifts made through that link can be attributed to them, with a portion of attributed gifts paid out as a commission for spreading the word and the remainder supporting the rescue mission.

Contact for general questions: joinpawsforward@outlook.com. Privacy questions: see our Privacy Policy or email joinpawsforward@outlook.com.

2. Eligibility

You must be able to form a binding contract under applicable law to use the Services in a capacity that creates obligations (for example, signing up as a promoter or making a donation).
The Services are not directed to children under 13. Do not create a promoter profile or submit personal information for anyone under 13.
If you use the Services on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.
You must provide accurate information when we ask for it (including promoter payout details) and keep it reasonably up to date.

3. Description of the Services

Depending on how you use Paws Forward, the Services may include:

Public website — information about the mission and ways to donate or join as a promoter.
Direct donations — gifts made without a promoter referral code, supporting Paws Forward without promoter attribution.
Attributed donations — gifts made through a promoter QR or donate link that includes a referral code.
Promoter signup — creating a profile, receiving a referral code, and obtaining a QR / share link that points donors to our donate flow with that code attached.
Visit / scan recording — operational logging of opens of referral links to support attribution, abuse prevention, and program administration (details in the Privacy Policy).
Volunteer / operator portal — tools for authorized staff to administer promoters, donations, and payouts.

We may change, suspend, or discontinue features of the Services at any time, including commission rates, available payout methods, or technical flows, subject to these Terms and any notices we post.

4. Donations

4.1 How donations work

Donations are processed by Stripe. When you choose to donate, you are taken to Stripe Checkout (or another Stripe-hosted payment interface) where you select or confirm an amount and complete payment using methods Stripe supports. Paws Forward does not store full payment card numbers on our systems; card data is handled by Stripe.

Our application data related to donations (amounts, status, Stripe session identifiers, referral attribution, and related records) is stored and processed using Supabase as our database and backend provider, as described in the Privacy Policy.

4.2 Direct vs attributed gifts

Direct donations (no referral code) support Paws Forward without promoter attribution.
Attributed donations are gifts completed through a donate URL that includes a valid, active referral code (for example from a promoter QR). Those gifts are attributed to that code for commission calculation, subject to the rules below.

4.3 Amounts, currency, and fees

Unless we state otherwise on the checkout flow, donations are processed in U.S. dollars. You choose the amount on Stripe Checkout when custom amounts are enabled. Stripe and your payment provider may apply their own fees, FX conversion, or bank rules. We are not responsible for fees charged by your bank, card issuer, or Stripe beyond what is required for us to receive the net donation proceeds according to our Stripe account settings.

4.4 Finality, refunds, and chargebacks

Once Stripe confirms a successful payment, donations are generally final.
Refunds, cancellations, or adjustments may occur when required by Stripe, your card issuer, applicable law, or when we decide in good faith that a refund is appropriate (for example duplicate charges or clear error).
If a donation is refunded, reversed, or charged back, any promoter commission associated with that gift may be reduced, clawed back, or withheld from future payouts.
Questions about a charge on your statement may require working with Stripe, your bank, and us. Contact joinpawsforward@outlook.com with the approximate time, amount, and any receipt details you have.

4.5 No goods for sale on the public donate flow

The public donation experience is a gift to support the rescue mission. Completing a donation does not purchase merchandise, equity, or a guaranteed outcome for a specific animal unless we separately and expressly offer that in writing.

5. Referral attribution

Attribution exists so promoters can be credited for gifts that come through their shared QR or link. We determine attribution using the referral code present on the donate session when checkout is created and when payment is confirmed.

If a donor opens a promoter link and completes checkout with that code attached, the gift is generally attributed to that promoter, provided the code is valid and active at the relevant time.
If a donor donates without a referral code, the gift is unattributed.
We may refuse or correct attribution in cases of fraud, abuse, technical error, conflicting codes, inactive codes, or evidence that a code was used in violation of these Terms.
Opening a link or scanning a QR may create a visit record; a visit alone is not a donation. Commission is based on confirmed attributed donations, not scans alone.

We aim for accurate attribution but do not guarantee that every edge case (browser quirks, abandoned checkouts, delayed webhooks, or user error) will resolve in a promoter’s favor. Our operational records in Supabase and payment records from Stripe are the primary sources we use to resolve disputes in good faith.

6. Promoter program (“Get your QR”)

6.1 Creating a profile

To join as a promoter you must submit the information we request, which typically includes first name, last name, phone number, preferred payout type, and payout handle. You represent that this information is accurate and that you are authorized to receive payouts at the handle you provide.

After signup we generate a referral code and provide a QR / share link that sends donors to our donate page with your referral parameter attached so gifts can be attributed to you.

6.2 Commission rate

Unless we publish a different rate on the site or communicate a different rate to you in writing, promoters earn 50% (fifty percent) of donations successfully attributed to their referral code. The remaining portion supports Paws Forward’s rescue fundraising purposes.

We may change the default commission rate prospectively by updating the site or notifying active promoters. Rate changes do not retroactively alter commissions already earned on donations that were confirmed before the change, except where a gift is later refunded or charged back.

6.3 What counts as an earned commission

A commission is associated with a donation only after payment is confirmed as successful through Stripe and recorded in our systems.
Abandoned checkouts, failed payments, and unconfirmed sessions do not earn commission.
Commissions may be adjusted for refunds, disputes, chargebacks, duplicate records, or fraud.

6.4 Payouts

Payouts are administered by authorized Paws Forward operators using the payout type and handle on your profile.
We may require additional verification before paying (for example confirming phone ownership or clarifying an ambiguous handle).
We may set minimum payout thresholds, payout schedules, or batching practices for operational reasons.
If your payout information is wrong, outdated, or unreachable, payment may be delayed or fail. Update us promptly if your details change.
You are responsible for any taxes, reporting, or legal obligations that apply to commissions you receive. We may request information reasonably needed for our own compliance.

6.5 Promoter conduct

As a promoter you agree that you will not:

Misrepresent Paws Forward, the rescue mission, commission rates, or where money goes
Spam, harass, or use deceptive advertising to drive scans or donations
Place QRs on property or channels where you lack permission
Use bots, fake traffic, stolen payment methods, or other schemes to manufacture attributed gifts
Imply that donors must use your QR, or pressure vulnerable people in misleading ways
Use the program for any unlawful purpose

We may disable referral codes, withhold payouts related to abusive activity, remove promoter profiles, or refuse service if we reasonably believe these Terms were violated.

6.6 No employment relationship by default

Joining as a promoter through the public signup flow does not, by itself, make you an employee, partner, or agent of Paws Forward. Promoters are independent participants in a referral fundraising program unless we separately agree otherwise in writing. The “Portal” is a private operator tool for authorized staff and is not the same as public promoter signup.

7. QR codes and share links

Your QR encodes a link to our donate experience with your referral code so donors land on our site with attribution intact.
You may share your QR and link, subject to the conduct rules above.
We may rotate, disable, or replace codes when needed for security or abuse prevention.
Legacy short paths may still redirect to the donate page for older printed codes; newer codes are intended to open the donate page directly with the referral parameter.

8. Acceptable use of the Services

You agree not to:

Attempt unauthorized access to the Portal, databases, or other users’ data
Probe, scan, or attack the Services, or interfere with Stripe or Supabase integrations
Abuse payment flows, create fraudulent donations, or test stolen cards
Scrape personal data of promoters, donors, or operators
Reverse engineer or copy the Services except where applicable law allows
Use the Services in any way that violates law or these Terms
Upload malware or attempt to disrupt availability

We may investigate suspected abuse and suspend or terminate access, disable codes, or cooperate with payment networks and law enforcement when appropriate.

9. Volunteer / operator portal

The Volunteer / operator dashboard is private. Access is limited to authorized people through the Portal. Unauthorized access, sharing of access credentials or unlock codes, or use of operator tools beyond assigned duties is prohibited.

Operators must handle promoter and donation information confidentially and only for program administration, support, compliance, and rescue accounting.

10. Third-party services: Stripe and Supabase

The Services depend on Stripe for payment processing and Supabase for application database and backend functions. Your use of payment checkout is also subject to Stripe’s applicable terms and policies. Infrastructure and data processing through Supabase are subject to Supabase’s applicable terms and policies.

We are not responsible for outages, declines, risk blocks, or policy enforcement by Stripe, or for infrastructure incidents affecting Supabase, except to the extent we are required to help resolve issues affecting records we control. For privacy details about how these processors handle personal information in our program, see the Privacy Policy.

11. Intellectual property

The Paws Forward name, logos, site design, text, and other branding materials we provide are owned by Paws Forward or its licensors. You may use your personal QR and share link to promote donations to the program. You may not use our branding in a way that suggests false endorsement, creates confusingly similar sites or apps, or modifies our marks in a misleading way.

Feedback you send us may be used to improve the Services without obligation to you.

12. Privacy

Our collection and use of personal information is described in the Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Services you acknowledge that policy.

13. Disclaimers

THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PAWS FORWARD DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components; that attribution will be perfect in every case; that Stripe checkout will always succeed; or that any particular fundraising total or animal outcome is guaranteed.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain disclaimers. In those places, disclaimers apply to the maximum extent allowed.

14. Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PAWS FORWARD AND ITS OPERATORS, OFFICERS, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, GOODWILL, OR COMMISSIONS, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) THE SERVICES — INCLUDING LOSSES CAUSED BY STRIPE DECLINES, NETWORK ISSUES, SUPABASE OR SITE DOWNTIME, MISUSE OF A QR, ATTRIBUTION DISPUTES, OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO YOUR PAYOUT HANDLES — WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR ANY OTHER THEORY, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT OF COMMISSIONS ACTUALLY PAID TO YOU IN THE THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM OR (B) FIFTY U.S. DOLLARS (US $50), EXCEPT WHERE LIABILITY CANNOT BE LIMITED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW (FOR EXAMPLE, CERTAIN CLAIMS FOR GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT WHERE SUCH LIMITS ARE PROHIBITED).

15. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Paws Forward and its operators from and against claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your misuse of the Services; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your promoter marketing or QR placement; (d) inaccurate payout information you provided; or (e) your violation of any law or third-party right.

16. Suspension and termination

You may stop using the Services at any time. We may suspend or terminate access to promoter codes, the Portal, or other features if you violate these Terms, if required by law, or if we discontinue the Services. Provisions that by their nature should survive (including ownership, disclaimers, limitations of liability, indemnification, and accrued payment adjustments for refunds/chargebacks) will survive termination.

17. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes may also be highlighted on the website. Continued use of the Services after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms, except where applicable law requires a different method of consent.

18. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the laws of the state in which Paws Forward principally operates its fundraising program, without regard to conflict-of-law rules that would require another jurisdiction’s law, except where mandatory consumer protections in your place of residence apply and cannot be waived.

Before filing a formal dispute, please contact joinpawsforward@outlook.com so we can try to resolve the issue informally. Nothing in these Terms limits non-waivable rights you may have under applicable law.

19. Severability; entire agreement; assignment

If a provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.
These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Services and supersede prior conflicting understandings on the same subject.
You may not assign your rights under these Terms without our consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a reorganization or transfer of the fundraising program.
Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.

20. Contact

Questions about these Terms, donations, promoter payouts, or the Services: