Terms of Service

Effective: May 8, 2026

Version 2.0 — Last updated May 8, 2026

Welcome to seashellOS. These Terms of Service ("Terms") form a binding agreement between you and Seashell Studios LLC, doing business as seashellOS ("seashellOS", "we", "us", or "our"). They govern your access to and use of the seashellOS platform, including our web application at seashell-os.com, the seashellOS iOS application, our APIs, and any related services (collectively, the "Service").

By creating an account, accepting these Terms during signup, or otherwise using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Eligibility & Account Types

You must be at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract to use the Service. By creating an account, you represent that you meet these requirements.

The Service supports three account types:

  • SuperAdmin: seashellOS staff who operate the platform itself. SuperAdmins have access to platform infrastructure, monitoring, and support tooling for all tenants.
  • Admin (Studio Owner / Tenant): the creative business that operates a studio on the platform. Admins manage their tenant — their clients, projects, invoices, branding, and integrations.
  • Client: end users invited by an Admin to interact with their studio's portal — view projects, pay invoices, sign contracts, review deliverables, and message the studio.

Each account type has its own scope of access and responsibilities. These Terms apply to all account types unless a section explicitly notes otherwise.

2. Your Account

  • Accuracy: You agree to provide accurate, complete, and current information when creating your account and to keep that information up to date.
  • Security: You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials, including passwords, passkeys, and any biometric unlock you enable on your device. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.
  • One Person, One Account: Each account is intended for a single human user. Sharing login credentials is not permitted.
  • Tenant Provisioning: Studio Owners may invite their team members and clients to the platform. The Studio Owner is responsible for the conduct of users they invite and for ensuring those users are authorized to access studio data.

3. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use the Service to:

  • Violate any applicable law or regulation;
  • Infringe the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any person or organization;
  • Upload, transmit, or distribute malicious code, viruses, or any content intended to harm or disrupt the Service or other users;
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any account, tenant, system, or data;
  • Scrape, mirror, or systematically harvest data from the Service except through APIs we provide for that purpose;
  • Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any portion of the Service except to the limited extent expressly permitted by law;
  • Use the Service to send unsolicited bulk communications, spam, or harassing messages;
  • Impersonate any person or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity;
  • Resell, sublicense, or otherwise commercialize access to the Service without a written agreement with us.

We may suspend or terminate any account that we reasonably believe is engaged in any of the above conduct.

4. Shello AI Assistant

The Service includes Shello, an AI-powered assistant that can help you draft messages, summarize financial information, parse data, suggest workflows, and generate text. Your use of Shello is subject to the following terms in addition to the rest of these Terms.

Not Professional Advice

Shello's outputs are suggestions, not professional advice. Shello is not a licensed accountant, attorney, financial advisor, tax professional, or other regulated professional. Outputs may contain errors, omissions, or content that does not reflect your specific situation. You are solely responsible for reviewing Shello's outputs before relying on, sharing, or sending them, and for any decisions you make based on them.

Multi-Model Routing

Shello automatically routes queries to one of several AI providers based on query type:

  • Anthropic Claude (default for general queries)
  • Perplexity Sonar Pro (when live web information is required)
  • Google Gemini (when conversation context is exceptionally large)

All providers are bound by their respective zero-retention or short-retention data policies. Our agreements with these providers prohibit them from using your data to train their foundational models.

Data Access Controls

Studio Owners control which categories of business data Shello may access through configurable toggles in Settings. Some categories — including financial data — are opt-in only and disabled by default. You can change these settings at any time. When a toggle is turned off, the corresponding database query is never executed and that data is never transmitted to any AI provider. See our Privacy Policy for full details on what data flows to Shello.

Generated Content Ownership

Subject to applicable AI provider terms, you own the outputs Shello generates in response to your prompts, to the extent ownership in such outputs is recognized by law. You are responsible for ensuring that any content you generate, share, or send is appropriate for its intended use and complies with applicable laws and third-party rights.

5. Payments & Zero Platform Fees

Zero Platform Fees — Our Core Promise

seashellOS does not take a percentage of your transactions. When a client pays your studio through the platform, the funds flow directly from the client to your connected payment processor account. We do not insert ourselves into the money flow. The only fees that apply are the standard processing fees charged by the payment processor (e.g., Stripe, Square, or Helcim) — those go to the processor, not to us.

Payment Processors

  • Stripe via Stripe Connect — the default payment processor for online card and ACH payments. Stripe is PCI DSS Level 1 certified. Card details are entered directly into Stripe's secure Elements; we never see or store full card numbers.
  • Square — optional alternative for studios that prefer Square or operate in-person/point-of-sale.
  • Helcim — optional PCI-compliant alternative for studios that connect a Helcim merchant account.
  • Plaid — bank account linking and ACH payments. You authenticate directly with Plaid; we store an encrypted access token to retrieve account balances and transactions on your behalf.

Each payment processor has its own terms and consumer policies that apply to transactions processed through it. By making a payment, you also agree to the applicable processor's terms.

Refunds & Disputes

Refunds for studio services are arranged between the studio and the client. seashellOS does not arbitrate service disputes between Studios and their Clients. We provide tools to issue refunds through the payment processor, but the decision to refund is yours. Disputes that escalate to chargebacks are handled by the payment processor under their dispute resolution process.

6. Subscription Tiers & Billing

Tiers

Studio Owners subscribe to seashellOS at one of several tiers (e.g., Free, Pro, Pro+, Team). Each tier defines a set of features, usage limits, and price. Current tier descriptions and pricing are published on our website at seashell-os.com/pricing. We refer to subscription levels as Tiers throughout the Service.

Free Trial

We may offer a free trial period at our discretion. At the end of the trial, your tenant will downgrade to the Free tier (if available) or your access may be limited until you select a paid tier. You will not be charged until you explicitly choose a paid tier.

Billing

  • Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually, depending on the tier you select, in advance of each billing period.
  • All subscription fees are charged in U.S. dollars unless otherwise specified.
  • Subscription fees are non-refundable except where required by law. If you cancel, your subscription remains active through the end of the current billing period and does not renew.
  • We may change subscription pricing or tier features. We will provide reasonable advance notice (at least 30 days) for material price increases applicable to your existing subscription.
  • Failure to pay subscription fees may result in feature restrictions, suspension, or termination of your tenant.

Client Accounts

Clients of a studio do not pay seashellOS directly. Their use of the Service is provided through the studio's subscription. Clients pay the studio for services rendered, processed via the studio's connected payment processor.

7. Content & Intellectual Property

Your Content

You retain ownership of all content you upload to or create within the Service ("Your Content"), including photos, videos, contracts, invoices, messages, gallery images, gear photos, and brand assets. By uploading Your Content, you grant seashellOS a limited, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, display, transmit, and process Your Content solely for the purpose of operating the Service for you. We do not sell, license, or use Your Content for any other purpose, and we do not use Your Content to train AI models.

Studio vs. Client Content

  • Studios own the deliverables they produce (galleries, video files, edited content, contracts, etc.) subject to any service agreement they have directly with their clients.
  • Clients own the content they submit through the platform — questionnaire responses, signature images, uploaded files, messages — and their selections, approvals, and payment records.
  • Tenants and clients are responsible for the legal arrangements between them. seashellOS does not define, enforce, or arbitrate the IP terms of any individual studio-client engagement.

Platform IP

The Service itself — including the seashellOS software, source code, design, user interfaces, AI orchestration, and the seashellOS name and trademarks — is the exclusive property of Seashell Studios LLC. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right to use our trademarks, logos, or proprietary technology except as expressly provided.

Feedback

If you provide feedback, suggestions, or feature requests, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use that feedback to improve the Service, without obligation to you.

8. White-Label & Tenant Branding

Studios may apply their own branding (logo, colors, typography, custom domain) to their tenant portal under our white-label features. White-label branding is a presentation layer; it does not transfer ownership of the underlying Service or platform IP to the studio.

  • Studios may not represent the underlying Service as their own creation or imply that they built or own the seashellOS platform.
  • Studios are responsible for ensuring their custom branding does not infringe third-party rights.
  • seashellOS retains the right to display attribution (e.g., a small "Powered by seashellOS" footer) on tiers where attribution is part of the offering, and to remove that attribution on tiers that include full white-label.

9. Studio–Client Relationships

seashellOS provides a platform that connects studios with their clients. We are not a party to the service agreement between a studio and its clients. We do not provide creative, photography, video, event, or other professional services ourselves.

  • Studios are solely responsible for the services they offer their clients, including pricing, delivery, quality, scope, and any warranties or guarantees.
  • Clients should look to their studio — not seashellOS — for issues with services rendered, refunds, deliverables, or any service-level concerns.
  • Disputes between studios and their clients are between those parties. seashellOS does not arbitrate service disputes.

10. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with several third-party services to provide core functionality. Your use of these integrations is subject to the third party's terms and privacy policy in addition to these Terms. We do not control and are not responsible for third-party services. The current list of integrated providers is published in our Privacy Policy and includes payment processors (Stripe, Square, Helcim, Plaid), email delivery (Resend), AI providers (Anthropic, Perplexity, Google), calendar (Google Calendar), video collaboration (Frame.io), and authentication (Apple Sign In).

11. Service Availability & Modifications

We strive to keep the Service available and reliable, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The Service may be unavailable from time to time due to maintenance, upgrades, third-party outages, or unforeseen issues. We may add, modify, or discontinue features at our discretion. Where a change materially reduces functionality you rely on, we will provide reasonable notice when possible.

12. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available." To the fullest extent permitted by law, seashellOS disclaims all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, and any warranty arising out of the course of dealing or usage of trade.

We do not warrant that the Service will be error-free, that any defects will be corrected, that the Service will meet your specific requirements, or that any AI-generated output will be accurate or suitable for your purposes.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, in no event shall seashellOS, its affiliates, or its suppliers be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, business, or goodwill, arising out of or related to your use of the Service, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total cumulative liability for any claim arising out of or related to these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid us for the Service in the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).

13. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless seashellOS, its officers, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Service; (b) Your Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; (d) your violation of any rights of another person or entity; or (e) the services you provide to your clients (if you are a Studio).

14. Account Termination & Data Retention

Voluntary Termination

  • Clients: Can request account deletion at any time. Upon deletion, associated data (invoices, projects, messages, contracts, signatures) is removed.
  • Studio Owners: Can submit a tenant closure request. Upon approval, a 30-day grace period begins during which you may cancel the request. After the grace period, all tenant data is permanently purged — including users, projects, invoices, messages, integrations, and linked financial data. Stripe Connected Accounts are preserved separately by Stripe.
  • Deletion is permanent and cannot be reversed after the purge is completed. We recommend exporting any data you wish to retain before requesting closure.

Involuntary Termination

We may suspend or terminate any account for material breach of these Terms, abusive or illegal conduct, non-payment of fees, or where required by law. Where reasonable and not prohibited by the circumstances, we will provide notice and an opportunity to cure.

Effect of Termination

Sections relating to intellectual property, indemnification, disclaimers, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution survive termination. Your right to access the Service ends, but the Service's obligations to you that survived earlier in these Terms continue per their terms.

15. Gear Rental Module (When Activated)

Studios that operate gear rental services through seashellOS are subject to additional terms when the Gear Rental module is activated. Studios are solely responsible for:

  • The condition, ownership, and insurance of the gear they rent;
  • Defining and enforcing rental agreements with their clients (deposit, damage, lateness, etc.);
  • Determining and collecting any required security deposits;
  • Resolving rental disputes, damage claims, and recovery of unreturned items.

seashellOS provides tooling for inventory, scheduling, deposits, and damage tracking, but does not participate in the rental agreement between studio and renter, does not insure rented gear, and is not liable for damage to or loss of any rented item.

16. iOS App Specific Terms

If you use the seashellOS iOS app:

  • These Terms are an agreement between you and seashellOS only, not with Apple. Apple is not responsible for the iOS app or its content.
  • Your use of the iOS app is also subject to Apple's standard End User License Agreement (the "Apple EULA") for App Store apps. Where these Terms and the Apple EULA conflict, the more protective term applies to you.
  • Apple has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for the iOS app. We are responsible for the iOS app and any associated warranties (to the limited extent any are not disclaimed).
  • Apple is a third-party beneficiary of these Terms with respect to the iOS app and may enforce them against you.

17. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. The federal and state courts located in San Francisco County, California have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or related to these Terms or the Service, except that either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent actual or threatened infringement of intellectual property rights.

Before filing a claim, you agree to attempt to resolve the dispute informally by contacting us at support@seashell-os.com. If we cannot resolve the dispute within 60 days, either party may pursue formal proceedings.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by email and/or by posting a notice within the Service before the changes take effect. The "Effective" date at the top of these Terms reflects the most recent version. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of an updated version constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree with the updates, you may stop using the Service and request account closure.

19. Miscellaneous

  • Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any tier-specific addenda or order forms you accept, constitute the entire agreement between you and seashellOS regarding the Service.
  • Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect.
  • No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision is not a waiver of that right or provision.
  • Assignment: You may not assign these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or by operation of law.
  • Force Majeure: We are not liable for delays or failures in performance caused by events beyond our reasonable control.

20. Contact

For questions about these Terms or to exercise any of your rights under them, please contact us: