Terms of Service

Effective date: 2026-04-29 (DRAFT)

1. Service description

CottageOps is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for licensed cottage-food bakers. We provide an operator dashboard, menu and order management, a state-compliant label generator, and Stripe payment integration. CottageOps is software. We do not bake, package, deliver, or warrant the food you sell.

2. Account terms

  • You must register an account using a valid email address. Anonymous use is not permitted.
  • You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential and for all activity that occurs under your account.
  • You must be at least 18 years old to register and use CottageOps.
  • One account per baker / bakery business. Sharing an account with another commercial entity is a breach of these terms.

3. Payment terms

  • CottageOps is offered at $19 per month (Monthly), $190 per year (Annual), or as a Lifetime-Lock subscription at $19 per month locked for life (limited to the first 100 sign-ups).
  • Subscriptions are billed in advance via Stripe. By subscribing you authorize CottageOps to charge your payment method on the recurring billing cycle.
  • Stripe handles all card data; CottageOps never stores full card numbers. See our Privacy Policy for what we do receive.
  • Stripe processing fees on your customer transactions (~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) are charged by Stripe, not by CottageOps. CottageOps takes no transaction fee.

4. Cancellation

  • You may cancel your subscription at any time from your dashboard or by emailing tianfang_pku@hotmail.com.
  • Monthly cancellations take effect at the end of the current paid billing period. Pro-rated refunds are not offered by default for monthly subscriptions.
  • Annual subscriptions are non-refundable except as stated in our Refund Policy.
  • Lifetime-Lock subscriptions are refundable in full within 30 days of purchase (acts as a soft trial). After 30 days, Lifetime-Lock follows the Annual refund rules.

5. Acceptable use

  • You must hold a valid cottage-food permit, license, or other authorization required by your state, county, or municipality to sell home-baked goods commercially. Some states (e.g., Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, California Class A) do not require a state permit; others (e.g., California Class B) do.
  • You are solely responsible for legal compliance with your jurisdiction's cottage-food laws, including labeling, allowable foods, sales-channel limits, and revenue caps.
  • CottageOps is software, not a permit. We do not issue, vouch for, or substitute for any government license.
  • You agree not to use CottageOps to sell unsafe, fraudulent, or non-compliant products.

6. Disclaimers

  • CottageOps does not process, prepare, package, transport, or deliver food. All food handling is performed by you.
  • CottageOps does not warrant your customers' satisfaction with the food you produce.
  • CottageOps is not responsible for any foodborne illness or injury arising from food you produce. Liability for foodborne illness lies between baker and customer per applicable state cottage-food law.
  • CottageOps is provided "as is." We disclaim warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement to the maximum extent permitted by law.

7. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, CottageOps's total liability under these Terms is capped at the total fees you paid to CottageOps in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. CottageOps is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits, lost revenue, lost goodwill, or business interruption.

8. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of [YOUR-STATE], without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising under these Terms will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in [YOUR-STATE].

Note for founder: TX is the suggested default given founder residency; counsel should confirm.

9. Termination

CottageOps may suspend or terminate your account, with notice, for non-payment, breach of these Terms, or use of the service that violates law or our Acceptable Use policy. Where practicable, we will give you 30 days' notice and an opportunity to cure. Upon termination you will retain CSV export access to your customer and order data for 30 days.

10. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. For material changes, we will provide at least 30 days' notice via email and a banner in your dashboard. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not accept the changes, you may cancel under §4.

11. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email tianfang_pku@hotmail.com.