Terms of Service

Last Updated: October 6, 2026

Welcome to Maelo. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Maelo platform at maelo.app and its related apps and services (the "Service"), operated by Maelo App Inc. ("Maelo"), a federal corporation (Corporations Canada No. 1736630-2) based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. What Maelo Is – and Is Not

Maelo is a booking, portfolio, and payments platform that connects independent tattoo artists ("Artists") with their clients ("Clients"). Maelo provides the software; it does not provide tattooing or any other artistic, cosmetic, or health service.

Any booking, deposit, quote, or cancellation policy is a contract between the Artist and the Client. Maelo is not a party to it.
Maelo does not employ Artists, set their prices, or control how or whether they perform their services.
Maelo does not guarantee the quality, safety, legality, or suitability of any Artist's services, nor any Client's conduct or ability to pay.
Each Artist sets their own booking policies, deposit terms, and cancellation rules, which govern the Artist–Client relationship.

2. Eligibility

To use the Service you must:

Be at least 18 years of age (tattoo services are age-restricted; some jurisdictions require Clients to be older)
Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract
Not be barred from using the Service under any applicable law

3. Accounts

When you create an account you agree to:

Provide accurate, current, and complete information
Keep your login credentials secure and confidential
Notify us promptly of any unauthorized access
Accept responsibility for all activity under your account

4. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

Violate any applicable law or regulation
Infringe the intellectual-property or privacy rights of others
Upload unlawful, harmful, hateful, harassing, or infringing content
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or other accounts
Transmit spam or malware, or disrupt or overload the Service
Impersonate any person or entity
Collect other users' data without their consent

Nonsexual tattoo photos are allowed, including revealing images, provided you have permission to share them. Pornography and sexually explicit content are prohibited.

Zero tolerance for objectionable content and abuse. There is no tolerance on Maelo for objectionable content or abusive users. You can report a message, a client, an artist or a public page from inside the app, and you can block another user so they can no longer contact you through Maelo. We review reports within 24 hours. Where content or behaviour breaks these Terms, we remove the content and may suspend or terminate the account responsible (see Section 16).

5. Artist Responsibilities

Artists agree to:

Hold and maintain all licences, permits, certifications, and insurance required to operate lawfully in their jurisdiction
Comply with all applicable health, safety, and sanitation regulations
Provide accurate descriptions of services, availability, and pricing
Honour confirmed bookings or give reasonable notice and follow their own published cancellation/refund policy
Set clear, lawful booking policies and apply them fairly
Only upload content they own or are licensed to use
Handle any Client personal information they receive in accordance with applicable privacy law (see Section 11)

6. Client Responsibilities

Clients agree to:

Provide accurate information when submitting a booking request
Read and follow the Artist's booking policies before booking
Honour confirmed bookings or give reasonable notice of cancellation
Pay deposits and fees as agreed with the Artist
Communicate respectfully

7. Bookings, Deposits, Payments, and Fees

Booking requests are offers to book that the Artist may accept, decline, or modify.
Deposits and prices are set by the Artist. A deposit is a prepayment toward the Artist's service; refundability is governed by the Artist's published policy and applicable consumer-protection law.
Payment processing is provided by Stripe. Card and banking details are handled by Stripe; Maelo does not store full card numbers.
Artists and Stripe. Payment processing services for Artists on Maelo are provided by Stripe and are subject to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement, which includes the Stripe Services Agreement (together, the “Stripe Agreement”). By agreeing to these Terms or continuing to take payments through Maelo, you agree to be bound by the Stripe Agreement, as Stripe may modify it from time to time. As a condition of Maelo enabling payments through Stripe, you agree to give Maelo accurate and complete information about you and your business, and you authorise Maelo to share it, and transaction information about your use of Stripe’s services, with Stripe.
Platform fees may be charged to Artists (and, where disclosed, Clients). Our current fee is shown on our Plans page, and any fee will be clearly disclosed before the relevant transaction. Taxes are the responsibility of the party legally required to collect or remit them.
Disputes about a service, deposit, or refund are between the Artist and the Client. Maelo may, but is not obligated to, assist.

8. Intellectual Property

Our content: The Service – including its software, design, and Maelo branding – is protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws. You may not copy, modify, or distribute it without permission.

Your content: You retain ownership of content you upload (portfolio images, references, messages). You grant Maelo a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, display, and process that content solely to operate and provide the Service. You represent that you have the rights to the content you upload.

9. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with third parties such as Stripe (payments), Telnyx (text messages), Cloudflare (hosting, security, edge AI), Apple, Google and Microsoft (calendars, maps and notifications), and social platforms. Your use of those integrations is subject to the relevant third party's terms. Maelo is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or content of third-party services.

Accounting connections and exports

Accounting features are optional. You must have authority to connect the QuickBooks company you select and to share the included Client and transaction information. After you configure accounts and enable sync, Maelo sends payment-activity journal entries using your settings. Xero and general exports are files you import or share yourself.

You are responsible for reviewing account mappings, date ranges, currency, tax treatment, deposit recognition, refunds and the resulting records with your accountant, and for avoiding duplicate imports or overlapping integrations. These features organize payment activity; they do not create customer invoices, prepare or file tax returns, or provide accounting, tax or legal advice. Review reported failures and incomplete records before relying on your books.

You can pause or disconnect a connection. Disconnecting does not remove entries already sent to another service or files already downloaded or imported. Your accounting provider's terms, subscription requirements and fees apply separately. See the Privacy Policy for data access, sharing and retention.

10. AI Features

Maelo offers optional AI features (e.g., receipt scanning, page-building suggestions and the help assistant). Each runs only when you choose to use it. AI output is a suggestion only and does not make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects; final decisions remain with you. See the Privacy Policy for how AI data is handled.

11. Privacy

Your use of the Service is governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains what personal information we collect and how we use, disclose, and protect it under Canada's PIPEDA, British Columbia's PIPA, and, for applicable users, the EU/UK GDPR. To delete your account, see Account deletion.

12. Text Messages (SMS)

If you give us a mobile number and agree to be texted, Maelo sends you text messages about your booking or visit. By opting in you agree to the following.

Who sends the messages. The artist or studio you booked with, through Maelo, using our messaging provider Telnyx. The messages carry the artist or studio name.
What we text. Booking confirmations, deposit and payment receipts, appointment reminders, reschedules, walk-in queue updates, and replies on your request. We do not send marketing or promotional text messages.
Consent is optional. You opt in by ticking “Receive booking updates by SMS text” on the booking form (it is unticked by default), or by saying yes when a studio front desk asks to text you. Consent is not a condition of booking, buying anything, or using the Service. Without it we contact you by email.
Frequency and cost. Message frequency varies with your booking. Message and data rates may apply.
Opting out. Reply STOP to any message and we stop texting you immediately. You may also email support@maelo.app. After you reply STOP you may receive one final message confirming it.
Help. Reply HELP for help, or email support@maelo.app.
Walk-in queue. Replying C to a walk-in message cancels your place in the queue.
Carriers. Wireless carriers and their partners are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
Your information. We will not share or sell your mobile information to third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. See our Privacy Policy and How texting works.
Records. We keep a record of your consent and of any opt-out, as required by Canada’s CASL and the United States’ TCPA.

13. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. MAELO DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE, AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE QUALITY, SAFETY, OR LEGALITY OF SERVICES PROVIDED BY ARTISTS OR THE CONDUCT OF ANY USER. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law (including the BC Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act).

14. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, MAELO WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE. MAELO'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID MAELO IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM, OR (B) CAD $100.

These limits do not apply to liability that cannot be limited by law, including liability for fraud, for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for our gross negligence or wilful misconduct. They also do not take away any rights you have as a consumer under the law where you live.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Maelo and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claim, damage, loss, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Service, your content, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any law or third-party right.

16. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access if you breach these Terms, if the law requires us to, or to protect other users or the Service. Where it is reasonable to, we will tell you first and give you a chance to fix the problem. If we stop offering the Service altogether, we will give you reasonable notice so you can export your data. You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time. On termination:

Your right to use the Service ends immediately
You remain liable for any outstanding obligations
Provisions that by their nature should survive (IP, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnity, governing law) will survive

17. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable there, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. You agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Vancouver, British Columbia, except where applicable consumer-protection law gives you the right to bring a claim in your local jurisdiction.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may modify these Terms. If we make material changes we will update the "Last Updated" date and, where appropriate or required, notify you by email or in-app. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

19. Contact

Maelo App Inc. – questions about these Terms? Contact us at support@maelo.app.