Terms of Service

Last updated: 21 July 2026

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of BuyMeATea, operated at buymeatea.online (“the Platform”, “we”, “us”). By creating an account, making a payment, or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

1. What BuyMeATea is

BuyMeATea lets supporters send voluntary payments (“support”, “tips”) to creators, and lets creators receive those payments into their own bank account or UPI ID. We are a technology platform that facilitates these payments; we are not a bank, and we do not provide banking, deposit, or investment services. Payments are processed by our RBI-regulated payment gateway partner (currently Razorpay Software Pvt. Ltd.), and settlement to creators happens through the gateway’s systems.

2. Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years old to create a creator account or receive payouts.
• Creators must be residents of India with a valid PAN and an Indian bank account or UPI ID in their own name.
• You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide, including KYC details. Providing false information may result in suspension and withheld payouts.

3. Creator accounts and pages

• Your username and page must not impersonate another person or brand, infringe anyone’s rights, or mislead supporters about who you are.
• You retain ownership of the content you post. You grant us a non-exclusive licence to host and display that content for the purpose of operating the Platform.
• Payouts require identity verification (PAN and account verification). Until verification completes, your page may be visible but payments and payouts may be limited.

4. Payments, fees and settlement

• Supporters pay voluntarily. A payment is support for a creator’s work — it is not a purchase of goods, an investment, or a loan, unless the creator explicitly offers something in return (such as a membership benefit).
• The Platform charges a platform fee (currently 5% of each payment on the free plan), deducted before settlement. Payment gateway charges and applicable taxes (including GST on our fee) may also apply. Fees in effect at the time of a payment apply to that payment.
• Settlement to creators follows the payment gateway’s settlement cycle (typically T+2 working days). We may hold or delay payouts where required for fraud checks, KYC verification, a change of payout account (24-hour safety hold), or legal compliance.
• Creators are responsible for their own taxes on amounts received.

5. Prohibited use

You may not use the Platform to solicit or receive payments in connection with:

• anything illegal under Indian law;
• gambling, betting, lotteries or games of chance;
• adult or sexually explicit content or services;
• sale of regulated goods (weapons, drugs, tobacco, pharmaceuticals) or counterfeits;
• cryptocurrencies, securities, financial products or investment schemes;
• hate speech, harassment, or content that incites violence;
• misleading fundraising — you must not misrepresent who you are or what support will be used for;
• money laundering, self-dealing, or artificially routing your own funds.

These restrictions largely mirror our payment gateway partner’s policies; violating them can lead to removal of your page, cancellation of payments, withheld payouts, and reporting to the gateway or authorities where required.

6. Refunds and chargebacks

Payments are voluntary and generally non-refundable. Our Refund Policy describes the limited cases in which we process refunds. Where a refund or chargeback is processed on a payment already settled to a creator, the corresponding amount may be recovered from that creator’s future payouts.

7. Suspension and termination

You may stop using the Platform at any time; creators can unpublish their page from Settings. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, create risk for supporters, other creators or the Platform, or where we are required to by law or by our payment partners. Where lawful, pending verified balances will still be paid out after termination.

8. Disclaimers and liability

The Platform is provided “as is”. We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability, and we are not a party to the relationship between a supporter and a creator — we do not guarantee that a creator will use support in any particular way or deliver any particular content. To the maximum extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability for any claim arising from the Platform is limited to the platform fees we earned from the transactions giving rise to the claim.

9. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms as the Platform evolves. Material changes will be announced on the Platform or by email, and the “Last updated” date above will change. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

10. Governing law and contact

These Terms are governed by the laws of India, and courts of competent jurisdiction in India will have exclusive jurisdiction. Questions and grievances: [email protected].