Terms of Service

1. What RateIQ Is

RateIQ is a merchant payment analytics platform. The Service provides educational content about payment processing fees, independent processor reviews, statement analysis tools, and — when fully launched — rate monitoring, negotiation support, and a processor marketplace. RateIQ is not a payment processor, registered investment adviser, licensed financial planner, or licensed attorney.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age and have the legal authority to enter into contracts on behalf of yourself or your business to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent that you meet these requirements.

3. Waitlist and Account Registration

By joining the RateIQ waitlist or creating an account, you agree to provide accurate, complete, and current information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately at support@rateiq.org if you believe your account has been compromised.

RateIQ reserves the right to refuse registration, suspend, or terminate accounts at its sole discretion for any reason, including violation of these Terms.

4. The Service Is Informational — Not Professional Advice

All content provided through the Service — including processor reviews, blog posts, rate comparisons, statement analysis outputs, benchmarks, negotiation guidance, and marketplace recommendations — is for general educational and informational purposes only.

Nothing in the Service constitutes:

• Legal advice or a lawyer-client relationship
• Financial advice or a financial adviser-client relationship
• Accounting or tax advice
• A guarantee of any specific outcome, rate, saving, or result

Your actual fees, contract terms, and results will depend on your specific processing volume, card mix, industry classification, negotiation history, and the terms of your individual merchant agreement. RateIQ makes no representation that the fees, rates, or contract terms described in its content apply to your specific account. Consult qualified legal and financial professionals before making decisions about your payment processing agreements.

5. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law:

(a) RateIQ, its owners, officers, employees, contractors, and contributors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages of any kind arising from or related to your use of or inability to use the Service, including but not limited to: decisions made about payment processors or contracts; processor switches; negotiation outcomes; fees charged by any processor; or reliance on any content, tool, or analysis provided through the Service.

(b) In no event shall RateIQ's total aggregate liability to you for any claims arising from your use of the Service exceed the greater of (i) the total fees paid by you to RateIQ in the twelve months preceding the claim, or (ii) one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).

(c) Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such jurisdictions, RateIQ's liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

6. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless RateIQ and its owners, officers, employees, and contractors from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any applicable law; or (d) any content you submit to the Service, including uploaded statements or account information.

7. Uploaded Content and Statement Data

When you upload a merchant statement or other business document to the Service, you grant RateIQ a limited, non-exclusive license to process, analyze, and use that content solely to provide the Service to you. RateIQ will not sell, share, or use your uploaded documents for any purpose other than delivering the Service, subject to our Privacy Policy.

You represent that you have the right to upload any content you submit and that doing so does not violate any third-party rights or applicable law.

8. Processor Marketplace and Referrals

When the RateIQ marketplace is active, RateIQ may receive compensation from payment processors when merchants sign up through the platform. When this occurs, RateIQ will disclose the existence of these commercial relationships prominently on its website and in affected reviews. The presence of a commercial relationship will not guarantee favorable scores or coverage for any processor, and merchants are encouraged to evaluate all options independently.

RateIQ does not guarantee that any processor recommendation will result in cost savings, approval for a merchant account, or any other specific outcome.

9. Third-Party Links and Content

The Service may contain links to third-party websites, review platforms, regulatory filings, or other external content. These links are provided for informational purposes only. RateIQ does not endorse and is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or practices of any third-party site. Your use of third-party sites is at your own risk.

10. Intellectual Property

All content on the RateIQ website — including text, analysis, scoring methodologies, tools, graphics, and the RateIQ name and logo — is the property of RateIQ and protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, republish, distribute, or commercially exploit any RateIQ content without prior written permission.

Processor names, brand names, and trademarks referenced in RateIQ content are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only under nominative fair use. Their use does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, completeness, or non-infringement. RateIQ does not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components.

12. Changes to the Service and These Terms

RateIQ reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service at any time without notice. We may update these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall first be addressed through good-faith negotiation. If not resolved within 30 days, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. Each party shall bear its own costs. Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm.

14. Contact

Legal questions: legal@rateiq.org

General support: support@rateiq.org