1. What this agreement covers

These terms govern use of Tip the Play — the website at tiptheplay.com, every athlete page hosted on it, and our mobile apps. By creating an account or sending money you agree to them.

2. Accounts

2.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 18 to create an athlete account and receive payouts, because our payment provider requires it. Fans must be old enough to hold a valid payment method. Counsel to confirm handling for under-18 athletes and any guardian structure before high school athletes are onboarded.

2.2 Your handle

Handles are first come, first served, and we may reclaim one that impersonates a real person, infringes a trademark, or has never been used.

2.3 Accuracy

You must not misrepresent who you are. Creating a page in someone else's name is grounds for immediate termination and forfeiture of any balance, and we will cooperate with the person impersonated.

3. Verification

Anyone may open an account and begin receiving payments before verification. Until a member of our team confirms your identity, your page displays that fact to fans and our fee is the unverified rate published on our fees page. Verification changes your rate going forward only. Amounts already deducted at the unverified rate are not refunded or credited. We may decline or revoke verification at our discretion.

4. Payments

4.1 What a fan is charged

A fan is charged the amount they select. We do not add a service fee to that amount. Card processing costs and our platform fee are deducted from the amount received by the athlete and are itemised before payment.

4.2 Our fee

Our platform fee is published on the fees page and may change with notice. Changes apply to transactions occurring after the change.

4.3 Processing

Payments are processed by Stripe, and use of the service is also subject to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement. We do not store payment card details.

4.4 Payouts

Funds accrue to your balance and may be withdrawn subject to the published minimum. We may delay a payout where volume is unusual, where a dispute is pending, or where required by law or by our payment provider.

4.5 Refunds and disputes

Payments to athletes are generally final. We may reverse a payment obtained through fraud or impersonation. Chargebacks are debited from the receiving athlete's balance. Counsel to define the refund position for funds collected by an account later found to be fraudulent.

5. Credits

Credits are a prepaid balance denominated in US dollars, usable only on Tip the Play. They are not refundable, not transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. They do not expire. Counsel to review against state gift-card, unclaimed-property and money-transmitter law in each state of operation before launch.

6. Content

6.1 Your content stays yours

You keep ownership of everything you post. You grant us a licence to host, display and distribute it for the purpose of running the service, and to show excerpts in promotion of your own page.

6.2 What isn't allowed

• Sexual content, nudity, or content sexualising any person
• Content involving anyone under 18 in any sexualised way whatsoever
• Harassment, threats, hate speech, or targeting of private individuals
• Anything unlawful, or promotion of gambling, drugs or weapons
• Content you don't hold the rights to, including broadcast footage you didn't create
• Impersonation, or presenting fabricated endorsements as real

6.3 Broadcast footage

Game footage is usually owned by a broadcaster, league or school. Posting it may breach their rights even where it features you. That risk is yours.

7. Eligibility and institutional rules

You are responsible for your own compliance. Rules on athlete compensation vary by country, state, league, governing body and institution, and they change. We provide an export of your earnings so you can disclose them. We do not advise on whether receiving money here is permitted for you, and nothing on this site is a ruling on your eligibility. Check with your compliance officer, athletic department, federation or agent before you start.

8. Suspension and termination

We may suspend or close an account for breach of these terms, suspected fraud or impersonation, or where required by law or our payment provider. You may close your account at any time; balances above the payout minimum will be paid out subject to any pending disputes.

9. Disclaimers and liability

Counsel to draft: service provided “as is”, limitation of liability, cap on damages, indemnity, and carve-outs required by applicable consumer law.

10. Disputes

Counsel to draft: governing law, venue, and whether arbitration and class-action waiver are appropriate given the consumer-facing nature of the service.

11. Changes

We may update these terms. Material changes will be notified in advance by email and in the app, and will not apply retroactively to completed transactions.

12. Contact

legal@tiptheplay.com