Terms of Service
Welcome to CathChat. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the CathChat mobile application and related services (collectively, the "Service"), provided by CathChat Inc. ("CathChat," "we," "us," or "our"), a Public Benefit Corporation incorporated in the State of Delaware. Please read these Terms carefully.
By creating an account or using CathChat, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
1. Eligibility
You must be at least 13 years old to use CathChat. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement. If you are between 13 and 17, you represent that your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf.
2. Description of the Service
CathChat is a Catholic faith-formation and community platform offering interactive lessons, an AI-powered educational companion ("Guardian Angel"), gamified progress tracking, parish community features, and the ability to make donations to participating organizations. We may add, modify, or discontinue features at any time.
3. Your Account
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to provide accurate information, to keep it current, and not to share your account with others. Notify us promptly at legal@cathchat.app if you suspect unauthorized use of your account.
4. Subscriptions and Payments
CathChat offers a free tier and paid subscription tiers (Plus, Premium, and Family). Paid subscriptions are sold and billed through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, subject to their respective terms.
- Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.
- You can manage or cancel your subscription through your device's account settings.
- Payment is charged to your Apple or Google account at confirmation of purchase and upon each renewal.
- The Family tier provides access for up to six members through your platform's family-sharing feature.
- Refunds are handled by Apple or Google in accordance with their policies; we do not directly process subscription refunds.
Prices are subject to change. We will provide notice of price changes as required by the applicable app store.
5. Donations
CathChat enables donations to participating parishes, dioceses, and groups, processed through Stripe. By making a donation, you acknowledge and agree that:
- Donations are processed anonymously; your identity is not disclosed to the recipient organization through the Service.
- CathChat charges a processing fee (currently 2%) on donations, in addition to standard payment-processor fees.
- Donations are final and non-refundable.
- CathChat is a technology platform, not a charitable intermediary. Donations made through CathChat are not tax-deductible through CathChat. For tax receipts or questions about deductibility, consult the recipient organization directly.
6. Community Standards and Conduct
CathChat is a Catholic faith community. When using community features (Feed, Messages, and comments), you agree to:
- Use your verified real name as required;
- Treat all members with charity, respect, and good faith;
- Post only content consistent with Catholic teaching and values;
- Refrain from posting spam, harassment, hate speech, threats, sexually explicit material, or content contrary to the Catholic faith;
- Not impersonate clergy, religious, CathChat staff, or other members; and
- Not use the Service for any unlawful purpose or to infringe the rights of others.
We may remove content, suspend, or permanently terminate accounts that violate these standards, at our discretion.
7. Identity Verification
To participate in community features, you must verify your identity using your real name and mobile phone number. By doing so, you confirm that the information is accurate and belongs to you. Providing false identity information, or impersonating another person or role, is a violation of these Terms and may result in immediate termination.
8. User Content and License
You retain ownership of the content you create and post in CathChat ("User Content"). By posting User Content, you grant CathChat a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable license to host, store, reproduce, display, and distribute that User Content for the purpose of operating and providing the Service.
You represent that you have the rights necessary to post your User Content and that it does not violate any law or third-party right. We are not responsible for User Content posted by others and do not endorse it. We may, but are not obligated to, monitor or remove User Content at our discretion.
9. Community Interactions
CathChat provides community features that allow interaction with other users. You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users. CathChat reserves the right, but has no obligation, to monitor interactions or resolve disputes between users. You release CathChat from any claims, demands, and damages arising from disputes between you and other users.
10. Guardian Angel AI — Important Disclaimer
The Guardian Angel feature uses artificial intelligence to generate responses intended to be grounded in Catholic teaching and Sacred Tradition. You acknowledge and agree that:
- The Guardian Angel is an educational tool only. It is not spiritual direction, pastoral counseling, confession, or a substitute for the sacraments or for guidance from ordained clergy.
- AI-generated responses may contain errors or inaccuracies. While we strive for doctrinal fidelity, we do not warrant the completeness, accuracy, or doctrinal correctness of any AI-generated response.
- You should not rely on the Guardian Angel for theological, medical, legal, financial, psychological, or emergency guidance. For serious spiritual or personal matters, consult a qualified priest, professional, or appropriate authority.
11. Intellectual Property
All content, features, and materials within CathChat — including but not limited to the CathChat name and logo, lesson content, artwork, illustrations, icons, badge designs, audio, user-interface designs, and software — are the property of CathChat Inc. or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Our faith-formation content is grounded in Catholic teaching and Sacred Tradition.
You may not copy, modify, distribute, reproduce, reverse-engineer, or create derivative works from any CathChat content or materials without our prior written permission. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right, title, or interest in our intellectual property except the limited right to use the Service in accordance with these Terms.
12. Third-Party Services
The Service relies on third-party providers (including Apple, Google, Supabase, RevenueCat, Stripe, Anthropic, OpenAI, and Resend). Your use of those services may be subject to their own terms and policies. CathChat is not responsible for the acts, omissions, or content of third parties.
13. Disclaimer of Warranties
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR THAT ANY CONTENT (INCLUDING AI-GENERATED CONTENT) WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE.
14. Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, CATHCHAT INC. AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OUR TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100).
Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.
15. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless CathChat Inc. and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to your use of the Service, your User Content, or your violation of these Terms or applicable law.
16. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration
Please read this section carefully — it affects your legal rights.
Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by a recognized arbitration provider, rather than in court, except that either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court. Arbitration shall be conducted on an individual basis only.
Class Action Waiver. You and CathChat agree that each may bring claims against the other only in an individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class or representative proceeding.
Opt-Out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending written notice to legal@cathchat.app within 30 days of first accepting these Terms.
17. Governing Law and Venue
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles. To the extent any dispute is not subject to arbitration, you agree that it shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in the State of Delaware, and you consent to their jurisdiction.
18. Religious Affiliation Disclaimer
CathChat is an independent platform. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to the Holy See, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), or any diocese, parish, religious order, or other ecclesiastical authority, except where a specific partnership is expressly stated. References to Catholic teaching reflect our good-faith effort to present the faith faithfully and do not constitute official Church teaching or magisterial authority.
19. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms or is harmful to other users, to us, or to third parties. You may terminate your account at any time by deleting it within the app. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution) will survive.
20. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or through an in-app notification. The "Last Updated" date above reflects the most recent revision. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
21. Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms, contact us at:
CathChat Inc.
8 The Grn Ste B
Dover, DE 19901
Email: legal@cathchat.app
Web: cathchat.app
These Terms of Service are provided for general informational purposes and do not constitute legal advice. The arbitration, liability, and indemnification provisions in particular have specific legal requirements to be enforceable and vary by jurisdiction. These Terms should be reviewed and finalized by qualified legal counsel before publication.