Terms of Service

1.1 "Creator" means a registered user who maintains a public ChaiLink profile to receive voluntary financial support from Supporters.

1.2 "Supporter" means any person who makes a voluntary contribution to a Creator through the Service without requiring a ChaiLink account.

1.3 "Contribution" or "Support Payment" means a voluntary monetary transfer in PKR made by a Supporter to a Creator via Easypaisa, JazzCash, Raast, card payment through PayFast (APPS), or other payment rails integrated on the Platform.

1.4 "Platform Fee" means the service charge retained by ChaiLink on successful Contributions, currently five percent (5%) of the gross transaction value unless otherwise disclosed at checkout.

1.5 "Vault" means the electronic ledger maintained for each Creator reflecting gross Contributions received, Platform Fees deducted, and amounts available for Payout.

1.6 "Payout" means a withdrawal request by a Creator to transfer accumulated Vault balance to a designated bank account, mobile wallet, or Raast ID.

1.7 "Payment Partner" means a State Bank-licensed EMI, PSP (including PayFast/APPS), or bank integrated to process Contributions and Payouts.

1.8 "Merchant of Record" means ChaiLink contracts with Payment Partners and appears as the merchant on supporter checkout; ChaiLink settles net amounts to Creators.

1.9 Headings are for convenience only. References to statutes include amendments and subsidiary legislation.

2.1 Creators must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and legally capable of entering contracts under the Contract Act, 1872.

2.2 Creators must be residents of Pakistan or maintain a valid Pakistani CNIC, NICOP, or POC where applicable, and provide accurate identity information during onboarding and upon request for enhanced due diligence.

2.3 Creators represent that content published on their profile does not violate the Pakistan Penal Code, PECA, Copyright Ordinance, 1962, or our Acceptable Use Policy.

2.4 ChaiLink reserves the right to refuse, suspend, or terminate registration where identity cannot be verified, fraud is suspected, prohibited activities are detected, or regulatory obligations require account restriction.

2.5 Supporters are not required to register. By initiating a Contribution, Supporters confirm they are authorized to use the selected payment instrument and that funds are derived from lawful sources.

3.1 ChaiLink facilitates voluntary patronage between Supporters and Creators. Contributions are gifts or tips, not loans, investments, equity participations, deposits, or purchases of goods/services unless explicitly stated by the Creator.

3.2 ChaiLink is not a bank, deposit-taking institution, or securities intermediary under the Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962 or Securities Act, 2015.

3.3 No interest, profit-sharing, or guaranteed return is offered on Contributions or Vault balances.

3.4 ChaiLink does not support cryptocurrency transactions per SBP regulations.

3.5 Creators are solely responsible for tax reporting of income received through the Platform under the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 and Sales Tax Act, 1990 where applicable.

4.1 Contributions are processed through Payment Partners licensed or authorized by the State Bank of Pakistan, including PayFast (Avanza Premier Payment Services). ChaiLink acts as merchant of record.

4.2 All amounts are displayed and charged in Pakistani Rupees (PKR). The Platform Fee is deducted before crediting the Creator Vault unless otherwise displayed at checkout.

4.3 Payment Partner charges (MDR) may apply on underlying rails as described in our Payment Processing Disclosure.

4.4 Failed, reversed, or disputed transactions may result in Vault adjustments. Chargebacks initiated through card networks will be debited from the Creator Vault or recovered through offset against future Contributions per our Dispute & Chargeback Policy.

4.5 ChaiLink may place holds on Vault balances pending fraud investigation, AML review, or compliance with SBP directives.

4.6 ChaiLink will promptly notify Payment Partners of any security breach, suspected fraudulent activity, or suspicious transactions as required by merchant agreements.

5.1 Creators may request Payouts subject to minimum thresholds (currently Rs. 1,000) and successful completion of identity verification.

5.2 Payouts are executed via Raast, IBFT, or mobile wallet rails within twenty-four (24) to forty-eight (48) business hours, excluding public holidays and SBP-declared bank closures.

5.3 Payout destination accounts must match the verified identity of the Creator. Third-party payouts are prohibited unless expressly authorized under documented exceptions.

5.4 ChaiLink may delay or refuse Payouts where AML/CFT concerns arise, court orders exist, or regulatory reporting is pending.

6.1 Users may not use the Service for activities prohibited under our Acceptable Use Policy, PayFast merchant restrictions, or Pakistani law including money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, sanctions evasion, illegal gambling, sale of prohibited goods, hate speech inciting violence, child exploitation, or cryptocurrency dealings.

6.2 Circumvention of Platform Fees, use of stolen payment credentials, creation of fake Supporter transactions, or coordinated inauthentic engagement is strictly prohibited.

6.3 Automated scraping, denial-of-service attacks, reverse engineering of payment flows, or interference with security controls violates these Terms and may be reported under PECA.

7.1 ChaiLink retains all rights in the Platform software, trademarks, trade dress, and documentation. Limited license is granted for use of the Service as intended.

7.2 Creators retain ownership of original content on their profiles but grant ChaiLink a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display such content for Service operation and marketing with Creator's brand intact.

7.3 DMCA-style takedown requests may be submitted to legal@chailink.co with sufficient detail for assessment under applicable copyright law.

8.1 ChaiLink maintains transaction and account records for minimum seven (7) years per AML requirements and at least two (2) years per payment partner obligations.

8.2 Records are available to Payment Partners, SBP, and lawful authorities upon request.

8.3 ChaiLink will provide evidence of service delivery (digital Vault credit and transaction logs) in connection with payment disputes and chargebacks.

9.1 THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. CHAILINK DISCLAIMS WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

9.2 ChaiLink is not liable for Payment Partner outages, mobile network failures, SBP system maintenance affecting Raast, or force majeure events including natural disasters, civil unrest, or government orders.

9.3 To the extent permitted by Pakistani law, ChaiLink's aggregate liability shall not exceed the Platform Fees paid by the Creator in the six (6) months preceding the claim.

10.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

10.2 Parties shall attempt good-faith negotiation for thirty (30) days before initiating arbitration or litigation.

10.3 Subject to mandatory consumer protections, courts at Lahore, Punjab shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

10.4 Supporters with payment disputes should contact support@chailink.co or +92-300-2612-932 within fourteen (14) days. See our Dispute & Chargeback Policy and Refund Policy.

11.1 ChaiLink may amend these Terms with thirty (30) days' notice via email or Platform banner. Continued use constitutes acceptance.

11.2 ChaiLink may suspend or terminate accounts immediately for material breach, regulatory order, or imminent harm.

11.3 Upon termination, pending Payouts will be processed subject to compliance holds. Surviving sections include payment obligations, liability limits, and dispute resolution.