Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using INK.D (“we,” “our,” or “us”), operated by InkDeposit SA (registration number pending, South Africa), you confirm that you are at least 18 years old and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, you may not use the platform.

INK.D is a booking and deposit management platform connecting independent tattoo artists with clients in South Africa. We facilitate bookings — we do not perform tattoo services, employ artists, or control the quality of work delivered.

2. Accounts & Registration

You are responsible for:

• —Providing accurate and complete registration information
• —Maintaining the security of your account credentials and not sharing access
• —All activity that occurs under your account, including artist listings
• —Notifying us immediately of any unauthorised access at security@inkdeposit.com

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, contain false information, engage in fraudulent activity, or bring the platform into disrepute.

3. Booking & Deposit Policy

When you book a session through INK.D, you pay a deposit to secure the artist's time. This deposit is collected by INK.D on behalf of the artist via PayFast.

• —Deposits may be converted to studio credit if cancellation occurs within the artist's stated policy window
• —The deposit amount is set by the individual artist and displayed clearly before booking
• —Final session pricing is agreed between you and the artist — INK.D only collects the deposit
• —Remaining balances are paid directly to the artist on the day of the session
• —INK.D is not responsible for disputes over final pricing between artist and client

4. Artist Obligations & Standards

Artists using INK.D agree to:

• —Honour all confirmed bookings — no-shows or last-minute cancellations may result in account suspension
• —Keep their availability calendar accurate and up to date at all times
• —Communicate professionally and respectfully with clients through the platform
• —Comply with all applicable South African health, safety, and business regulations, including hygiene standards set by the South African Health Professions Council
• —Not conduct business off-platform to avoid commission fees — circumvention may result in permanent account termination
• —Ensure all portfolio images are their own original work or properly licensed
• —Clearly communicate any additional costs (touch-ups, deposit top-ups) before the session
• —Notify clients promptly of any unavoidable schedule changes

INK.D reserves the right to remove artists whose conduct, portfolio, or business practices are brought to our attention as harmful or deceptive.

5. Commission & Fees

INK.D charges artists a commission on deposits collected through the platform. Commission rates are tiered based on monthly booking volume and displayed in your artist dashboard.

• —Commission is deducted before artist payouts are processed
• —Deposits are collected as a split payment through PayFast: the artist’s share is settled to the artist by PayFast under PayFast’s own settlement terms, and INK.D receives only its commission. INK.D does not hold, bank or disburse artist funds
• —Commission-free periods for waitlist members expire as specified at sign-up
• —INK.D reserves the right to adjust commission rates with 30 days' written notice
• —Commission tiers and minimum booking thresholds are published in the artist dashboard

6. Payments & PayFast

All payments are processed by PayFast (PayFast (Pty) Ltd), a registered payment service provider in South Africa. By making a payment, you also agree to PayFast's terms of service at payfast.io. INK.D does not store card details, bank account information, or sensitive payment credentials.

• —Payments are denominated in South African Rand (ZAR)
• —Currency conversion for international payments is subject to PayFast's prevailing exchange rates
• —INK.D is not liable for PayFast downtime, payment processing errors, or chargebacks arising from payment disputes handled by PayFast

7. InkScan — AI Design Analysis (Beta)

InkScan is an AI-powered design analysis feature that provides pricing estimates, session duration estimates, and needle recommendations based on uploaded images.

• —All InkScan estimates are estimates — artists may quote higher or lower after reviewing the design in person
• —InkScan needle recommendations are general guidance for professional tattoo artists — artists must exercise their own professional judgment
• —INK.D accepts no liability for decisions made based on InkScan estimates
• —InkScan is provided as-is during the beta period and may produce inaccurate or incomplete results
• —We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue InkScan at any time without notice
• —Uploaded images used for InkScan analysis are not shared with third parties beyond the AI model (GPT-4o by OpenAI)

8. Prohibited Conduct

• —Using the platform for any unlawful purpose under South African law
• —Making ghost bookings with no intention of attending
• —Harassing, threatening, or abusing artists, other users, or INK.D staff
• —Circumventing the platform to avoid fees or commissions
• —Creating multiple accounts to manipulate tier benefits, waitlist position, or referral rewards
• —Uploading false, misleading, offensive, or copyrighted content without permission
• —Using automated bots, scraping, or scraping tools to interact with the platform
• —Impersonating an artist or claiming to be affiliated with INK.D without authorisation
• —Using the platform to distribute malware, phishing links, or harmful content

9. Intellectual Property

Artists retain full ownership of all original portfolio images and artwork uploaded to their profiles. By uploading content, you grant INK.D a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to display that content on the platform, in search results, and in promotional materials (with credit to the artist where reasonably practicable).

The INK.D name, logo, brand, website design, and all proprietary software are the intellectual property of InkDeposit SA. No licence to use our trademarks is granted without prior written consent.

Clients retain ownership of designs they commission. Artists must not reproduce client-commissioned work without explicit consent.

10. Third-Party Services

The INK.D platform integrates with third-party services including PayFast (payments), Supabase (infrastructure), Resend (email), and OpenAI (AI analysis via InkScan). We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or conduct of these third parties. Their terms of service and privacy policies apply.

11. Limitation of Liability

INK.D is a booking platform, not a party to the contract between artist and client. To the maximum extent permitted by South African law:

• —We are not liable for the quality, safety, or outcome of tattoo services booked through the platform
• —We are not liable for disputes, injury, infection, or dissatisfaction arising from sessions
• —We are not liable for artist no-shows, last-minute cancellations, or client no-shows beyond processing credits as per policy
• —Our total liability to any user is limited to the amount paid to INK.D in the 12 months preceding the claim
• —We are not liable for indirect, consequential, special, or punitive damages

12. Account Suspension & Termination

INK.D may suspend or terminate accounts with or without notice for violations of these terms, fraudulent activity, non-payment of commissions, or conduct that harms other users or the platform. Suspended artists may not receive payouts for bookings made during the suspension period.

13. Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises between a client and artist, INK.D will endeavour to mediate fairly but cannot compel either party to a particular outcome. Clients and artists are encouraged to resolve disputes directly. Persistent disputes may be referred to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) at www.cgso.org.za.

14. POPIA Compliance

INK.D processes personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). Our Privacy Policy provides full details on data collection, use, and your rights. By using the platform, you consent to the processing of your personal information as described in our Privacy Policy.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated to registered users via email at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of the platform after the notice period constitutes acceptance of updated terms.

16. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes not resolved through mediation shall fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa.

17. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be severed and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.