Terms of Service | Sterling

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Sterling ("Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

We may modify these Terms at any time. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

2. Description of Service

Sterling is a personal finance management application that allows you to:

Connect your financial accounts through Plaid
View and categorize transactions
Set and track budgets
Receive AI-powered financial insights
Analyze spending patterns

The Service is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

3. Account Registration

To use the Service, you must:

Be at least 18 years of age
Provide accurate and complete registration information
Maintain the security of your account credentials
Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access
Accept responsibility for all activities under your account

4. Financial Data and Third-Party Services

4.1 Plaid Integration

Sterling uses Plaid to connect to your financial accounts. By using this feature, you:

Authorize Plaid to access your financial account information
Agree to Plaid's End User Privacy Policy
Acknowledge that we receive read-only access to your account data
Understand that we never store your bank login credentials

4.2 Data Accuracy

We strive to display accurate financial information, but we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of data received from financial institutions. You should verify important financial information directly with your financial institutions.

5. Subscription and Payments

5.1 Free and Premium Plans

Sterling offers both free and premium subscription plans. Premium features require a paid subscription.

5.2 Billing

Subscriptions are billed in advance on a monthly or annual basis
Payments are processed through Stripe
Prices are subject to change with notice
You are responsible for all applicable taxes

5.3 Cancellation and Refunds

You may cancel your subscription at any time
Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period
No refunds are provided for partial billing periods
We may offer refunds at our discretion

6. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

Use the Service for any unlawful purpose
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any systems
Interfere with or disrupt the Service
Upload malicious code or content
Impersonate others or provide false information
Use the Service for commercial purposes without authorization
Scrape, copy, or redistribute content from the Service
Use automated systems to access the Service without permission

7. AI Features Disclaimer

Sterling uses artificial intelligence to provide financial insights and recommendations. You acknowledge that:

AI-generated content is for informational purposes only
AI insights do not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice
You should consult qualified professionals for financial decisions
AI recommendations may not account for your complete financial situation
We do not guarantee the accuracy of AI-generated content

8. Intellectual Property

The Service, including all content, features, and functionality, is owned by Sterling and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not:

Copy, modify, or distribute our content without permission
Use our trademarks without authorization
Reverse engineer or decompile the Service

You retain ownership of your financial data. By using the Service, you grant us a license to use your data to provide and improve the Service.

9. Privacy

Your use of the Service is subject to our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your information.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES INCLUDING:

MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR COMPLETENESS OF CONTENT
UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OPERATION
SECURITY OF YOUR DATA

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, STERLING SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING:

LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL
SERVICE INTERRUPTION OR COMPUTER DAMAGE
COST OF SUBSTITUTE SERVICES
ANY DAMAGES EXCEEDING THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Sterling and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses arising from:

Your use of the Service
Your violation of these Terms
Your violation of any third-party rights

13. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time for any reason, including violation of these Terms. Upon termination:

Your right to use the Service immediately ceases
We may delete your account and data per our retention policy
Provisions that should survive termination will remain in effect

14. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of California.

15. Dispute Resolution

Before filing a claim, you agree to attempt to resolve disputes informally by contacting us at legal@joinsterling.com. If informal resolution fails, disputes may be resolved through binding arbitration.

16. General Provisions

Entire Agreement: These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Sterling.
Severability: If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.
Waiver: Failure to enforce any right does not constitute a waiver.
Assignment: You may not assign these Terms without our consent.

17. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, please contact us:

Email: legal@joinsterling.com
Website: https://joinsterling.com