Payout Policy

1.1 Platform

1.2 Campaign

1.3 Host

1.4 Participant

1.5 Payee

1.6 Payout

1.7 Available Balance

1.8 ChallengeForge Parties

"Platform" means the ChallengeForge services, websites, applications, dashboards, campaign pages, hosting tools, submission portals, vote and judging features, payment interfaces, payout features, donation features, analytics features, AI-enabled tools, APIs, embeddable widgets, documentation, support channels, communications features, and related technology that we make available. The Platform includes free features, paid features, beta features, experiments, and features provided through third-party service providers.

"Campaign" means any challenge, contest, competition, sweepstakes, call for submissions, hackathon, tournament, award program, grant program, scholarship program, showcase, leaderboard, vote-based event, judging process, fundraising initiative, donation-supported project, prize program, creator program, branded activation, school program, nonprofit program, agency-run promotion, influencer campaign, community challenge, or other hosted experience created, managed, promoted, sponsored, administered, or facilitated through the Platform.

"Host" means any person or entity that creates, publishes, manages, sponsors, administers, moderates, judges, advertises, funds, accepts submissions for, collects payments or donations for, selects winners for, awards prizes for, communicates about, receives proceeds from, or otherwise controls a Campaign. A Host may be an individual creator, business, school, nonprofit, club, community organizer, influencer, agency, sponsor, brand, government-related entity, or other organization.

"Participant" means any person or entity that views, enters, applies to, submits content for, votes in, donates to, purchases from, judges, supports, follows, comments on, shares, receives communications about, or otherwise interacts with a Campaign. A Participant may also be a Host for a different Campaign.

"Payee" means any person or entity that requests, receives, is eligible to receive, or is designated to receive a payout, prize, reward, grant, donation distribution, campaign proceeds, creator earnings, Host proceeds, referral payment, affiliate payment, reimbursement, refund, or other amount through or in connection with the Platform.

"Payout" means any disbursement, withdrawal, transfer, prize payment, donation distribution, campaign proceeds transfer, creator payment, Host payment, referral payment, affiliate payment, reimbursement, or other payment that may be sent or attempted through Platform-supported payout flows. A Payout may be processed by ChallengeForge, a payment processor, a financial institution, a tax provider, a payout vendor, a sponsor, a Host, or another third party, depending on the feature and transaction.

"Available Balance" means an amount that the Platform displays as potentially eligible for payout after applicable fees, refunds, chargebacks, reserves, holds, offsets, adjustments, taxes, withholding, minimum thresholds, payment provider rules, and other deductions. Displayed balances, estimated balances, pending balances, donation totals, prize totals, revenue totals, referral totals, affiliate totals, campaign proceeds, and payout estimates are estimates until funds have cleared, all required reviews are complete, and the payout is finally settled.

"ChallengeForge Parties" means ChallengeForge, its owners, parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, representatives, licensors, service providers, payment partners, business partners, successors, and assigns.

2.1 Integration With Platform Terms

2.2 Campaign-Specific Rules

2.3 Supplemental Payout Terms

2.4 Changes to This Payout Policy

This Payout Policy supplements and forms part of the ChallengeForge Terms of Service, Host Agreement, Privacy Policy, and any supplemental terms, payment terms, community guidelines, acceptable use policies, feature terms, campaign-specific rules, or signed written agreements that apply to your use of the Platform. You must comply with all applicable Platform terms. If this Payout Policy conflicts with the Terms of Service or Host Agreement for payout-specific matters, this Payout Policy controls for payout-specific matters unless a signed written agreement with ChallengeForge states otherwise.

Hosts may publish Campaign-specific rules about prizes, donations, payment eligibility, winner verification, payout timing, refund treatment, tax forms, forfeiture, disqualification, and related matters. Those rules are generally between the Host and Participants unless ChallengeForge expressly agrees in writing that it is a party. Campaign-specific rules may not limit, waive, modify, or contradict ChallengeForge's rights, disclaimers, fraud controls, payment controls, tax controls, reserves, offsets, liability limits, indemnities, or platform-provider status.

Specific payout programs, creator monetization programs, Host monetization programs, referral programs, affiliate programs, sponsored programs, grants, beta features, subscriptions, or payment flows may have additional terms. Those supplemental terms become part of this Payout Policy when they are presented to you or made available through the Platform. If supplemental terms conflict with this Payout Policy, the supplemental terms control only for the specific program or transaction they describe, unless they say otherwise.

We may update this Payout Policy from time to time. We will post the updated Payout Policy on the Platform or provide notice through reasonable means. The updated Payout Policy becomes effective when posted or on the effective date stated in the notice. Your continued use of payout, payment, donation, prize, monetization, referral, affiliate, or Campaign features after the effective date means you accept the updated Payout Policy. If you do not agree to an update, you must stop using payout-related features and close or wind down affected activity as directed by ChallengeForge.

3.1 Platform Provider Only

3.2 No Default Sponsorship or Prize Funding

3.3 No Banking, Escrow, Fiduciary, or Investment Relationship

3.4 Third-Party Payment Providers

ChallengeForge provides software tools that may help users collect, track, review, estimate, request, or receive amounts connected to Campaigns. We may provide payment interfaces, payout dashboards, estimated balances, fraud controls, donation tools, prize-related workflows, verification workflows, tax collection workflows, reporting tools, and communications features. We do not become responsible for paying, guaranteeing, funding, insuring, escrowing, or fulfilling amounts merely because those tools are used.

Unless ChallengeForge expressly states in a signed written agreement or official ChallengeForge announcement that ChallengeForge is funding a specific prize, grant, reward, or payout, ChallengeForge does not fund, guarantee, hold, escrow, insure, validate, value, deliver, replace, or fulfill Host-funded prizes, sponsor-funded prizes, donations, campaign proceeds, creator earnings, referral earnings, affiliate earnings, or other amounts. ChallengeForge branding, URLs, templates, badges, automated emails, payment flows, support responses, dashboard balances, payout estimates, or promotional placements do not make ChallengeForge a sponsor, prize provider, guarantor, or payout obligor.

ChallengeForge is not a bank, escrow agent, trustee, fiduciary, investment adviser, money manager, broker, dealer, insurer, custodian, guarantor, or financial institution unless expressly stated in writing and required by law. Payment interfaces, payout holds, reserves, reviews, offsets, refunds, reversals, delayed disbursements, displayed balances, or custody-like operational controls do not create an escrow, trust, fiduciary, custodial, banking, investment, advisory, or money-management relationship between you and ChallengeForge. We administer Platform payment controls for operational, legal, risk, tax, payment, and compliance purposes.

Payments, donations, fees, refunds, chargebacks, payouts, identity verification, tax documentation, sanctions screening, fraud review, currency conversion, and bank transfers may be handled by third-party payment processors, financial institutions, tax providers, identity verification vendors, risk vendors, banking partners, card networks, automated clearing house networks, wallet providers, and other service providers. Your use of payout features may be subject to their terms, eligibility requirements, risk controls, fees, reserves, holds, refund rules, chargeback rules, account limits, reporting obligations, and compliance decisions. ChallengeForge is not responsible for third-party provider decisions, delays, restrictions, outages, account closures, reserves, fees, currency conversions, or errors.

4.1 No Earnings Guarantee

4.2 No Payout Timing Guarantee

4.3 No Prize Delivery Guarantee

4.4 Estimates Until Cleared

ChallengeForge does not guarantee earnings, winnings, payouts, donations, sponsorships, grants, prizes, revenue, profitability, sales, subscriptions, referrals, affiliate commissions, traffic, visibility, followers, votes, entries, public interest, rankings, campaign success, creator success, Host success, or business results. Any examples, projections, analytics, benchmarks, estimated balances, suggested pricing, estimated payout dates, success stories, leaderboards, revenue dashboards, or promotional materials are illustrative and do not promise that you will achieve similar results.

ChallengeForge does not guarantee payout timing. Estimated payout dates, pending balance dates, dashboard availability dates, review completion dates, settlement dates, bank arrival dates, or support estimates are not promises. Payouts may be delayed by verification, tax review, fraud review, Campaign review, voting review, donation review, chargebacks, refunds, reserves, payment provider rules, banking delays, holidays, currency conversion, incorrect payout information, sanctions screening, legal requests, technical issues, platform outages, or circumstances outside our control.

ChallengeForge does not guarantee that a prize, award, grant, opportunity, donation-supported benefit, sponsor benefit, Host-funded payment, or third-party-funded payment will be delivered unless ChallengeForge expressly states in writing that it is providing that specific item. Hosts, sponsors, prize providers, donors, and other third parties may fail to perform. ChallengeForge may provide tools, preserve records, review activity, freeze funds, restrict accounts, or assist with disputes, but those actions do not make ChallengeForge the prize provider or guarantor.

Displayed balances, pending balances, donation totals, prize amounts, campaign proceeds, creator earnings, Host earnings, referral amounts, affiliate amounts, available balances, payout estimates, revenue dashboards, donation dashboards, analytics, and transaction summaries are estimates until the underlying funds have cleared, payment provider settlement is complete, applicable fees are deducted, refund and chargeback exposure is assessed, tax and verification requirements are satisfied, fraud and integrity reviews are complete, and any required payout is finally settled. We may correct errors, reverse mistaken credits, adjust balances, remove ineligible activity, offset amounts, or recover overpayments.

5.1 Eligibility Requirements

5.2 Identity Verification

5.3 Business and Organization Verification

5.4 Tax Forms and Payout Information

5.5 Failed or Incomplete Verification

Payout eligibility is subject to account standing, feature availability, jurisdictional availability, minimum thresholds, Campaign rules, tax documentation, identity verification, business verification, payment provider approval, sanctions screening, fraud review, legal compliance, and applicable law. We may reject, delay, restrict, suspend, or terminate payout access if you are located in an unsupported jurisdiction, fail verification, create legal or payment risk, violate Platform terms, or use payout features in a prohibited way.

We may require government identification, passport, driver's license, national ID, tax identification number, date of birth, legal name, address, phone number, email address, selfie, liveness check, biometric or non-biometric identity check where permitted, proof of residence, proof of payment method ownership, bank account information, wallet information, or other information needed to verify your identity and payout eligibility. You authorize ChallengeForge and its service providers to verify information you provide and to request additional documentation when needed.

If you request payouts for a company, organization, school, nonprofit, brand, sponsor, agency, client, creator collective, campaign team, or other entity, we may require business verification, entity formation documents, registration documents, nonprofit documents, tax exemption documents, ownership information, beneficial owner information, officer information, authorized representative information, board approvals, procurement documents, sponsor authorization, banking authorization, proof of address, proof of domain ownership, Campaign ownership documentation, or other evidence that you are authorized to receive or direct payouts.

We may require tax forms, withholding certificates, taxpayer identification numbers, VAT or GST registration numbers, local tax documentation, certifications, invoices, receipts, payment instructions, banking details, routing numbers, account numbers, wallet addresses, payment provider account IDs, or other payout information. You must provide accurate, current, and complete information and keep it updated. Incorrect or outdated information may cause failed payouts, misdirected payments, tax reporting errors, withholding, account restrictions, or loss of funds.

We may reject, suspend, restrict, freeze, delay, reverse, or terminate payouts, balances, Campaigns, accounts, donations, prize processes, or monetization access if verification fails, information is incomplete, information is inaccurate, documents appear altered or unreliable, ownership cannot be confirmed, sanctions screening fails, a payment provider rejects you, you refuse requested documentation, or we believe payout activity creates legal, tax, fraud, payment, safety, reputational, or Platform integrity risk. We are not liable for losses caused by verification requirements, failed verification, delayed reviews, compliance holds, or third-party provider decisions.

6.1 Review Before Approval

6.2 Review Is Not Approval of Your Campaign

6.3 Cooperation With Reviews

6.4 No Obligation to Disclose Review Details

Before approving or releasing a payout, ChallengeForge may review accounts, Campaigns, Campaign rules, prize descriptions, winner selections, submissions, votes, QR code activity, referral activity, affiliate activity, traffic, analytics, donations, donors, entries, payment methods, refunds, chargebacks, user reports, fraud signals, support issues, tax information, ownership information, identity information, banking information, and third-party provider data. Review may occur before or after a payout request, before or after a Campaign ends, before or after a winner announcement, and before or after a balance appears in a dashboard.

ChallengeForge review of a payout, Campaign, vote, donation, referral, prize, or balance does not mean that your Campaign is lawful, tax compliant, fair, properly judged, properly funded, fraud-free, or approved by ChallengeForge. Review may be limited, automated, incomplete, delayed, or based on selected risk signals. You remain responsible for your Campaign, your payout eligibility, your tax obligations, your prize obligations, your advertising, your data practices, your eligibility decisions, and your compliance with law.

You agree to cooperate with payout reviews, Campaign reviews, fraud reviews, chargeback reviews, tax reviews, payment provider reviews, legal reviews, audits, and investigations. Cooperation may include providing identity documents, selfies, tax forms, bank statements, ownership records, Campaign rules, vote records, donation records, referral records, source files, invoices, receipts, prize fulfillment records, sponsor contracts, donor communications, Participant communications, team member information, consent records, shipping records, or other documentation reasonably requested. Failure to cooperate may result in payout delay, payout denial, forfeiture where permitted, account restriction, Campaign removal, or termination.

ChallengeForge is not required to disclose fraud detection methods, risk models, thresholds, review criteria, risk scores, vendor signals, investigation steps, internal notes, internal communications, payment provider rules, moderation methods, voting-integrity methods, referral-integrity methods, or security procedures. Disclosure could compromise Platform integrity, user safety, payment security, fraud prevention, trade secrets, or legal compliance. We may provide limited explanations at our discretion, but we are not obligated to provide detailed reasons for every payout decision.

7.1 Authority to Hold Funds

7.2 Common Reasons for Holds

7.3 Rolling Reserves

7.4 Duration of Holds

7.5 Offsets and Recoveries

We may delay, hold, freeze, reserve, offset, reverse, refund, suspend, restrict, or withhold payouts, balances, donations, campaign proceeds, prize payments, referral payments, affiliate payments, creator earnings, Host earnings, or other amounts when we believe doing so is necessary or appropriate for fraud prevention, chargeback risk, refund exposure, tax compliance, sanctions compliance, verification, legal compliance, Campaign disputes, prize disputes, donation disputes, user reports, consumer protection concerns, payment network rules, processor requirements, suspicious activity, unusual activity, excessive disputes, failed verification, or Platform integrity.

We may apply holds, freezes, delays, reserves, or offsets for large payouts, new Hosts, new creators, new payees, unusual donation volume, unusual voting patterns, suspicious QR code traffic, suspicious referral traffic, suspicious affiliate activity, bot activity, duplicate accounts, coordinated manipulation, chargeback spikes, refund spikes, donor complaints, Participant complaints, prize complaints, unclear Campaign rules, missing tax forms, failed identity checks, failed business verification, unsupported jurisdictions, inaccurate banking details, suspected money laundering, sanctions concerns, legal requests, court orders, regulator requests, payment provider requirements, or other risk signals.

We may require rolling reserves or fixed reserves to cover chargebacks, refunds, disputes, fraud, fees, taxes, penalties, payment provider requirements, Campaign obligations, or other potential liabilities. A reserve may be a percentage of amounts collected, a fixed dollar amount, a Campaign-specific amount, an account-level amount, or another amount determined by ChallengeForge or a payment provider. Reserve periods may continue for the time reasonably needed to cover dispute windows, chargeback windows, legal obligations, tax obligations, fraud reviews, and Platform risk.

Holds, freezes, delays, reserves, and restrictions may continue for as long as we reasonably determine is necessary or appropriate to complete reviews, satisfy legal obligations, respond to disputes, comply with payment provider rules, cover chargeback windows, cover refund exposure, process tax documentation, verify eligibility, protect users, protect ChallengeForge, or preserve Platform integrity. Some holds may last weeks or months depending on payment network rules, legal requirements, dispute windows, tax requirements, provider requirements, or investigation needs.

We may offset amounts you owe against current or future balances, payouts, donations, campaign proceeds, creator earnings, Host earnings, referral payments, affiliate payments, refunds, credits, or other amounts payable to you. Amounts you owe may include fees, refunds, chargebacks, penalties, taxes, withholding, negative balances, overpayments, mistaken credits, investigation costs, payment provider fees, legal costs where permitted, indemnity amounts, and losses caused by your Campaign, account activity, fraud, misconduct, or violation of Platform terms. If available balances are insufficient, we may seek recovery directly from you where permitted by law.

8.1 Your Responsibility for Chargebacks

8.2 ChallengeForge Remedies

8.3 Negative Balances

8.4 No Waiver by Delay

You are responsible for chargebacks, payment disputes, reversals, rejected payments, returned payments, refunds, dispute fees, chargeback fees, investigation costs, payment provider fees, penalties, and losses associated with your Campaigns, donations, purchases, prizes, payouts, account activity, or payment instructions to the fullest extent permitted by law. This responsibility applies even if a chargeback or dispute occurs after funds appear in your dashboard or after a payout has been sent.

If a payment is disputed, reversed, charged back, rejected, returned, suspected of fraud, or otherwise at risk, we may deduct the amount from your balance, offset future amounts, freeze payouts, impose reserves, reverse credits, request documentation, provide information to payment providers, refund affected users, suspend Campaigns, restrict features, recover losses from you, or terminate your account. We may also suspend or restrict accounts associated with the same person, entity, payment method, bank account, device, Campaign, or risk pattern.

If refunds, chargebacks, reversals, offsets, fees, penalties, taxes, corrections, or other adjustments exceed amounts available to you, your account may have a negative balance. You must promptly pay negative balances and related costs on request. We may recover negative balances by charging available payment methods where permitted, offsetting future payouts, withholding future amounts, invoicing you, using collection methods, or pursuing legal remedies.

Our decision not to immediately deduct, offset, freeze, reverse, recover, suspend, or collect an amount does not waive our right to do so later. Chargebacks, refunds, tax adjustments, payment provider fees, and legal claims may arise after a Campaign ends or after an account is closed. Your payment, reimbursement, indemnity, tax, and cooperation obligations survive Campaign completion, payout, suspension, and termination.

9.1 Nature of Donations

9.2 No Ranking or Judging Influence

9.3 Refund Treatment

9.4 Fraud Review

9.5 Host Responsibility for Donations

Donations are voluntary contributions made by donors to support a Campaign, Host, Participant, project, cause, prize pool, creator, community, or related purpose. A Donation does not purchase a vote, ranking, judging advantage, prize, equity, ownership, tax deduction, refund right, control right, or guaranteed benefit unless expressly stated, lawful, and supported by the applicable Campaign rules and Platform terms.

Unless a Campaign lawfully and clearly states that financial support affects a specific public metric, Donations must not influence judging, eligibility, winner selection, official rankings, official scores, prize outcomes, or Campaign decisions. Hosts may not mislead donors, Participants, judges, sponsors, or the public about the role of Donations. ChallengeForge may remove or discount Donation-related signals, adjust rankings, freeze Campaign activity, delay payouts, refund Donations, or take enforcement action if Donation activity appears manipulative, deceptive, unlawful, suspicious, or harmful to Campaign integrity.

Donations may be non-refundable once made, particularly when disclosed as voluntary contributions. Even when Donations are described as non-refundable, refunds may occur at ChallengeForge's discretion, by Host decision, due to fraud, legal requirements, payment provider rules, chargebacks, Campaign cancellation, duplicate payments, mistaken payments, donor complaints, or other circumstances. Refunds may not include processing fees, currency conversion losses, taxes, third-party fees, or amounts already paid out unless required by law.

Donations may be reviewed for fraud, manipulation, money laundering risk, sanctions risk, suspicious payment behavior, donor complaints, unusual patterns, Campaign integrity, vote manipulation, referral abuse, chargeback exposure, and legal compliance. Donation totals and donation-supported balances remain estimates until payments clear, reviews are complete, and chargeback and refund exposure is assessed. We may freeze, reserve, reverse, refund, or withhold Donation-related amounts when we believe risk controls require it.

Hosts are responsible for donation appeals, donation descriptions, use-of-funds statements, charitable solicitation compliance, donor receipts, tax deductibility statements, restricted gifts, nonprofit representations, sponsor matching claims, fundraising claims, and communications with donors. ChallengeForge does not guarantee that Donations will achieve a stated purpose, that a Host will use funds as described, that a charitable deduction is available, that a project will be completed, or that a donation recipient is trustworthy.

10.1 Host Responsibility for Prizes

10.2 No Guarantee of Host-Funded Prizes

10.3 Prize Payout Controls

10.4 Winner and Payee Verification

10.5 Prize Taxes

Hosts are primarily responsible for prizes, awards, grants, payments, opportunities, sponsorships, trips, products, services, internships, jobs, equity, tokens, credentials, exposure, mentorship, publicity, donations, and other benefits they advertise unless ChallengeForge expressly states otherwise in a signed written agreement or official ChallengeForge announcement. Hosts must have the legal right and practical ability to provide advertised prizes and must disclose material limitations, timing, delivery methods, tax obligations, eligibility conditions, and restrictions.

ChallengeForge does not guarantee Host-funded prizes, sponsor-funded prizes, donor-funded prizes, third-party-funded prizes, or prizes described by Participants, sponsors, vendors, judges, or other users. If a Host, sponsor, donor, vendor, or third party fails to provide a prize, ChallengeForge is not responsible for replacing, funding, valuing, insuring, delivering, or enforcing that prize unless ChallengeForge expressly agreed in writing to do so.

ChallengeForge may freeze, delay, reverse, reserve, investigate, restrict, or withhold prize-related payouts if prizes appear misleading, unavailable, unlawful, unsafe, unauthorized, fraudulent, disputed, underfunded, improperly judged, improperly awarded, tax-sensitive, subject to chargeback risk, subject to legal restrictions, or likely to harm Participants or ChallengeForge. We may require winner verification, eligibility documentation, tax forms, releases, affidavits, shipping information, or other documentation before a prize payout is processed.

Potential winners, finalists, grant recipients, creators, Participants, Hosts, or other Payees may need to complete verification, provide tax forms, sign releases, confirm eligibility, provide payout details, provide shipping details, respond by a deadline, or satisfy other requirements before receiving a prize or payout. Failure to complete required steps may result in delay, forfeiture where permitted, replacement selection, payout denial, or other action allowed by Campaign rules and law.

Prize recipients are responsible for taxes arising from prizes or awards, including income taxes, prize taxes, sales tax, VAT, GST, customs, duties, withholding, backup withholding, reporting, and local taxes. Hosts are responsible for prize tax reporting and withholding obligations that apply to their Campaigns. ChallengeForge may collect information, issue forms, withhold amounts, or report payments where required or operationally necessary, but those actions do not make ChallengeForge your tax adviser or relieve you of your obligations.

11.1 Monetization Features

11.2 No Profitability or Revenue Guarantee

11.3 Referral and Affiliate Review

11.4 Future Program Terms

The Platform may offer or later introduce creator monetization, Host monetization, donation sharing, revenue sharing, referral programs, affiliate programs, sponsor programs, promotional credits, bonuses, rewards, or similar features. Access to these features is not guaranteed. We may add, modify, pause, restrict, reprice, discontinue, or remove monetization features at any time, subject to applicable law and any signed written agreement.

ChallengeForge does not guarantee that Hosts, creators, Participants, referral partners, affiliates, sponsors, or other users will earn revenue, achieve profitability, recover costs, receive Donations, secure sponsorships, generate traffic, convert viewers, obtain votes, obtain entries, or receive payouts. You are responsible for your own costs, taxes, marketing, legal compliance, business decisions, and expectations. You should not rely on potential Platform earnings as your primary income source unless you independently accept the risk.

Referral and affiliate activity may be reviewed for fraud, self-referrals, duplicate accounts, fake accounts, bot activity, paid traffic abuse, misleading advertising, undisclosed incentives, prohibited traffic sources, chargebacks, refund abuse, manipulation, sanctions concerns, legal compliance, and Platform integrity. We may reject, delay, reverse, offset, withhold, or claw back referral or affiliate amounts that appear ineligible, suspicious, mistaken, abusive, or inconsistent with program terms.

If referral, affiliate, creator, or Host monetization programs become available, additional eligibility rules, payout thresholds, attribution windows, excluded transactions, prohibited promotion rules, tax requirements, reporting requirements, and termination rights may apply. Program dashboards may show estimated earnings before final review. We may correct tracking errors, attribution errors, duplicate credits, mistaken credits, and ineligible activity.

12.1 Your Tax Responsibility

12.2 Tax Forms and Information Reporting

12.3 Withholding

12.4 No Tax Advice

You are responsible for all taxes arising from your use of the Platform, Campaigns, Donations, purchases, fees, prizes, awards, grants, creator earnings, Host earnings, referral earnings, affiliate earnings, reimbursements, payouts, and other amounts. Taxes may include income tax, prize tax, sales tax, VAT, GST, use tax, withholding, backup withholding, payroll tax, employment tax, donor reporting, charitable reporting, local taxes, customs, duties, and international tax obligations.

ChallengeForge, payment processors, tax providers, Hosts, sponsors, or other third parties may collect tax information, validate taxpayer identification numbers, issue tax forms, collect or remit taxes, withhold amounts, report payments to tax authorities, or restrict payouts when required or operationally appropriate. You must provide accurate tax information and promptly update it when it changes. Failure to provide required tax information may result in withholding, payout delay, payout denial, account restriction, or reporting based on available information.

We may withhold amounts from payouts where required by law, tax rules, payment provider rules, court order, regulator request, or operational compliance needs. Withholding may apply to income, prizes, awards, grants, creator earnings, Host earnings, referral earnings, affiliate earnings, Donations, or other amounts. You are responsible for determining whether withheld amounts satisfy your tax obligations and for claiming any credits, refunds, deductions, or treaty benefits available to you.

ChallengeForge does not provide tax, accounting, legal, financial, investment, or professional advice. Platform dashboards, payment summaries, payout reports, tax forms, support communications, help articles, templates, and automated prompts are for operational purposes and may not capture every obligation. You are responsible for obtaining advice from qualified professionals for your circumstances.

13.1 Fraud and Manipulation

13.2 Investigation Authority

13.3 Enforcement Actions

13.4 No Disclosure of Methods

You may not engage in or permit fraud, payment abuse, chargeback abuse, donation abuse, vote manipulation, QR code manipulation, traffic manipulation, referral abuse, affiliate abuse, fake accounts, bot activity, coordinated manipulation, self-dealing, fake donors, fake sponsors, false entries, duplicate entries where prohibited, fabricated submissions, identity misuse, banking misuse, sanctions evasion, money laundering, ranking manipulation, judge tampering, eligibility fraud, false prize claims, or any other conduct that undermines Campaign integrity, payout integrity, payment integrity, or Platform integrity.

ChallengeForge may investigate accounts, Campaigns, Hosts, creators, Participants, Payees, donors, payments, payouts, traffic, QR codes, votes, referrals, affiliates, donations, entries, submissions, rankings, analytics, payment methods, devices, IP addresses, user reports, third-party data, and other activity for fraud, abuse, suspicious activity, legal compliance, payment risk, tax risk, safety risk, and Platform integrity. Investigations may use automated systems, human review, fraud vendors, payment signals, device signals, behavioral signals, account signals, network signals, reports, audits, and other methods.

We may freeze balances, delay payouts, hold funds, reverse transactions, impose reserves, remove votes, discount traffic, adjust rankings, remove entries, reject referrals, reject affiliate credits, require verification, request documentation, suspend Campaigns, remove Campaigns, restrict features, terminate accounts, report activity to payment providers, report activity to law enforcement, preserve records, or take other actions when we believe integrity, safety, legal compliance, risk management, or user trust requires it. We may act before completing a full investigation when risk requires prompt action.

ChallengeForge is not required to disclose fraud detection methods, risk scores, thresholds, ranking adjustments, vote-weighting methods, referral-review methods, affiliate-review methods, donation-review methods, security signals, vendor data, investigation steps, internal communications, enforcement criteria, or evidence. Our decision to disclose limited information in one instance does not require disclosure in another.

14.1 Processor Terms

14.2 Processor Decisions

14.3 Incorrect Payout Information

Your use of payment or payout features may require you to accept payment processor terms, tax provider terms, identity verification terms, banking partner terms, wallet provider terms, card network rules, or other third-party terms. Those providers may impose eligibility requirements, fees, reserves, holds, transaction limits, account limits, documentation requirements, sanctions screening, refund rules, dispute rules, chargeback rules, tax requirements, and account restrictions.

Payment processors and financial partners may hold, reject, reverse, freeze, delay, restrict, or close transactions or accounts under their own rules. They may also require documentation, impose rolling reserves, decline payout destinations, reject jurisdictions, delay settlement, correct errors, or report activity to regulators. ChallengeForge is not responsible for processor decisions, provider outages, banking delays, network failures, settlement delays, currency conversion differences, provider fees, reserve requirements, or account closures.

You are responsible for providing accurate payout information. ChallengeForge is not responsible for losses caused by incorrect bank account numbers, routing numbers, wallet addresses, payment provider account identifiers, names, addresses, tax identifiers, entity information, or other payout details you provide. We may not be able to recover funds sent according to the information you supplied.

15.1 Disputes With Users and Third Parties

15.2 ChallengeForge Assistance

15.3 Release

You are responsible for disputes with Hosts, Participants, winners, donors, sponsors, vendors, judges, collaborators, teammates, referral partners, affiliates, prize providers, payment recipients, regulators, and other third parties. Disputes may involve eligibility, judging, voting, rankings, donations, refunds, chargebacks, prize fulfillment, tax forms, payout splits, ownership, team authority, sponsorship, referral attribution, affiliate tracking, advertising, privacy, intellectual property, or Campaign rules.

ChallengeForge may choose to assist with disputes, request information, preserve records, pause Campaign activity, restrict communications, delay payouts, hold funds, remove content, refund payments, reverse transactions, invalidate votes, adjust rankings, reject referrals, reject affiliate credits, or take enforcement action. Any assistance is voluntary and does not make ChallengeForge a party to the dispute, judge of the dispute, guarantor of an outcome, prize provider, escrow agent, trustee, fiduciary, or administrator of your Campaign.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you release the ChallengeForge Parties from claims, demands, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses arising out of or related to your disputes with Hosts, Participants, winners, donors, sponsors, vendors, judges, collaborators, teammates, referral partners, affiliates, prize providers, payment recipients, regulators, or third parties, including disputes involving Campaign rules, prizes, judging, votes, rankings, Donations, refunds, chargebacks, payouts, taxes, ownership, team splits, referral attribution, affiliate tracking, communications, user misconduct, or third-party services.

16.1 Suspension and Restrictions

16.2 Effect on Payouts and Balances

16.3 Pending and Ineligible Amounts

16.4 Survival

We may suspend, restrict, freeze, or terminate your account, Campaigns, payout access, withdrawal ability, donation access, monetization access, referral access, affiliate access, or other features if we believe you violated Platform terms, created legal risk, failed verification, engaged in fraud, harmed users, violated law, infringed rights, abused payments, created excessive disputes, manipulated activity, or used the Platform in a way that harms ChallengeForge or others.

Upon suspension, restriction, or termination, we may freeze balances, suspend withdrawals, delay payouts, hold funds, impose reserves, reverse pending amounts, refund affected users, recover overpayments, process chargebacks, preserve records, complete fraud reviews, complete tax reviews, respond to disputes, comply with law, and take steps needed to wind down activity. Termination does not automatically entitle you to immediate payout, release of reserves, refund of fees, cancellation of chargeback responsibility, or deletion of records.

We may reverse, cancel, offset, withhold, or decline pending amounts connected to fraud, illegality, failed verification, suspicious activity, chargeback exposure, tax noncompliance, processor requirements, Campaign integrity concerns, prohibited conduct, mistaken credits, duplicate credits, referral abuse, affiliate abuse, donation abuse, voting manipulation, or violation of Platform terms. Amounts that are pending, estimated, disputed, reserved, or under review are not final or guaranteed.

Your obligations related to taxes, chargebacks, refunds, negative balances, fees, penalties, documentation, cooperation, indemnification, disputes, records, confidentiality, fraud investigations, and recovery of losses survive Campaign completion, payout, account suspension, account termination, and discontinuation of the Platform.

17.1 Payout Features Provided As Is

17.2 No Payment or Compliance Warranty

17.3 No Outcome Warranty

The Platform, payout features, payment interfaces, donation features, dashboards, balances, estimates, analytics, tax workflows, verification workflows, fraud tools, moderation tools, support communications, and third-party services are provided "as is" and "as available." To the fullest extent permitted by law, ChallengeForge disclaims all warranties, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, accuracy, availability, reliability, security, compatibility, and course of dealing.

ChallengeForge does not warrant that payout features, payment flows, tax forms, verification tools, fraud controls, analytics, donation tools, Campaign pages, dashboards, support communications, or third-party services will be complete, accurate, uninterrupted, error-free, tax compliant, legally compliant, or suitable for your circumstances. You are responsible for reviewing records, reconciling amounts, maintaining your own documentation, and satisfying your own obligations.

ChallengeForge does not warrant that you will receive any amount, that a payout will be approved, that a payout will arrive by a particular date, that a payment provider will accept you, that a Campaign will generate Donations, that a Host will deliver a prize, that a sponsor will perform, that a donor payment will not be charged back, that referral tracking will credit you, that affiliate tracking will credit you, or that displayed balances will become final.

18.1 Excluded Damages

18.2 Liability Cap

18.3 Application of Limitations

18.4 Non-Excludable Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the ChallengeForge Parties will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, enhanced, punitive, or lost-profit damages; loss of earnings, revenue, donations, sponsorships, business, goodwill, reputation, data, opportunity, audience, followers, publicity, votes, rankings, submissions, prizes, Campaign materials, referral credits, affiliate credits, expected outcomes, or expected payouts; delayed payouts; payout holds; reserves; chargebacks; refunds; tax consequences; processor delays; banking delays; currency conversion differences; payment provider decisions; fraud investigations; Campaign cancellation; user misconduct; Host misconduct; sponsor misconduct; donor misconduct; prize disputes; legal noncompliance; or third-party conduct, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the total liability of the ChallengeForge Parties for all claims arising out of or relating to this Payout Policy, the Platform, payments, Donations, payouts, prizes, Campaign proceeds, creator earnings, Host earnings, referral payments, affiliate payments, balances, reserves, holds, offsets, chargebacks, refunds, tax reporting, verification, fraud controls, enforcement, or third-party services will not exceed the greater of: (a) the amount you paid directly to ChallengeForge for the specific payout-related feature giving rise to the claim during the three months before the event giving rise to liability; or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars (US $100). If you use payout-related features for free, the cap is US $100.

The liability exclusions and cap apply collectively to all claims, regardless of the theory of liability, including contract, tort, negligence, gross negligence where permitted, strict liability, statute, warranty, misrepresentation, restitution, equity, or any other theory. Multiple claims do not increase the cap. The limitations apply even if a remedy fails of its essential purpose.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain exclusions or limitations. In those jurisdictions, exclusions and limitations apply to the maximum extent permitted by law. Nothing in this Payout Policy excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.

19.1 Your Indemnity

19.2 Payment and Tax Indemnity

19.3 Defense and Settlement

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the ChallengeForge Parties from and against any claims, demands, actions, investigations, proceedings, liabilities, damages, losses, judgments, settlements, penalties, fines, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of or related to your Campaign, Donations, prizes, payouts, payout instructions, bank information, tax information, verification information, chargebacks, refunds, payment disputes, negative balances, creator earnings, Host earnings, referral activity, affiliate activity, sponsorship activity, fundraising activity, donation use, Campaign rules, user communications, fraud, misconduct, violation of Platform terms, violation of law, violation of third-party rights, or disputes with users or third parties.

Your indemnity includes claims arising out of or related to income taxes, prize taxes, sales tax, VAT, GST, use tax, withholding, backup withholding, donor reporting, charitable reporting, employment classification, contractor payments, international tax obligations, customs, duties, payment provider fees, dispute fees, chargeback fees, penalties, refunds, reversals, overpayments, mistaken credits, negative balances, or any claim that ChallengeForge is responsible for taxes, prize fulfillment, donation use, Host conduct, sponsor conduct, or third-party payment decisions.

ChallengeForge may control the defense and settlement of any indemnified claim at your expense. You agree to cooperate, provide information, preserve evidence, make personnel available, and assist with defense. You may not settle any claim in a way that imposes obligations on ChallengeForge, restricts ChallengeForge's rights, admits fault by ChallengeForge, or requires payment by ChallengeForge without our prior written consent. Your indemnity obligations survive termination.

20.1 Platform Records

20.2 Your Records

20.3 Audits and Information Requests

We may maintain records of accounts, Campaigns, submissions, votes, QR code activity, referrals, affiliate activity, Donations, payments, payouts, balances, fees, refunds, chargebacks, reserves, offsets, tax information, verification information, fraud signals, support requests, communications, logs, moderation actions, and other activity. These records may be used for operations, compliance, analytics, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, enforcement, legal requests, tax reporting, audit support, and product improvement.

You are responsible for maintaining records needed to support your Campaigns, Donations, prizes, payouts, taxes, accounting, compliance, user communications, sponsor obligations, donor obligations, referral claims, affiliate claims, payment disputes, chargeback responses, and legal obligations. Platform records may be incomplete, delayed, corrected, unavailable, non-exportable, or insufficient for your obligations.

We may audit or request information about your accounts, Campaigns, payments, payouts, Donations, submissions, votes, referrals, affiliate activity, tax status, identity, authority, ownership, bank accounts, prize fulfillment, sponsor relationships, donor communications, or compliance. You must respond accurately and promptly. We may restrict access, hold funds, remove Campaigns, reverse amounts, or terminate accounts if you fail to provide information or if information appears inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, suspicious, or risky.

21.1 Informal Dispute Period

21.2 Arbitration and Class Waiver

21.3 Injunctive Relief

Before filing arbitration or a court proceeding related to this Payout Policy, you and ChallengeForge agree to try to resolve disputes informally. The party raising a dispute must send written notice describing the dispute, the requested relief, and contact information. Notices to ChallengeForge must be sent to legal@challengeforge.com and [LEGAL_ENTITY_NAME] at [REGISTERED_ADDRESS]. Notices to you may be sent to the email address associated with your account or another contact method you provided. The parties will have at least 30 days after notice is received to attempt informal resolution unless a shorter period is required to prevent immediate harm or preserve rights.

If the Terms of Service or another applicable agreement requires arbitration, class action waiver, jury trial waiver, small claims procedures, governing law, venue, claim timing limits, or other dispute procedures, those provisions apply to disputes arising out of or related to this Payout Policy to the fullest extent permitted by law. If no such provisions apply, disputes will be resolved under the dispute resolution provisions in the ChallengeForge Terms of Service unless a signed written agreement with ChallengeForge states otherwise.

Either party may seek temporary or preliminary injunctive relief in court to protect intellectual property, confidential information, security, Platform integrity, payment integrity, tax compliance, user safety, funds, records, or to stop unauthorized access, misuse, infringement, fraud, chargeback abuse, payment abuse, or other urgent harm. Seeking such relief does not waive arbitration for other claims where arbitration applies.

22.1 Notices to ChallengeForge

22.2 Notices to You

22.3 Electronic Communications

Legal notices to ChallengeForge about this Payout Policy must be sent to legal@challengeforge.com and [LEGAL_ENTITY_NAME] at [REGISTERED_ADDRESS]. Payout support questions may be sent to payouts@challengeforge.com if that address is available or submitted through Platform support channels. Notices must include your name, account email, entity name if any, Campaign name or URL if relevant, payout reference if available, a clear description of the issue, and the relief requested. Routine support requests are not legal notices.

We may provide notices to you by email, in-product message, dashboard notice, payout dashboard message, payment provider message, posting on the Platform, mail, or other reasonable method. Notices are effective when sent, posted, or delivered unless law requires otherwise. You are responsible for keeping your contact information current and monitoring notices related to Campaigns, payments, payouts, Donations, taxes, verification, disputes, and account status.

You consent to receive communications electronically and agree that electronic notices, agreements, disclosures, records, signatures, tax requests, payout confirmations, verification requests, and payment confirmations satisfy legal requirements that communications be in writing, to the extent permitted by law.

23.1 Feature Changes

23.2 International Availability

23.3 Severability and No Waiver

23.4 Force Majeure

23.5 Interpretation

23.6 Survival

23.7 Contact

We may add, modify, limit, suspend, discontinue, rename, reprice, or remove payout features, donation features, payment providers, payout providers, tax providers, verification providers, payout methods, currencies, countries, thresholds, timing estimates, dashboards, reports, fraud tools, referral programs, affiliate programs, creator monetization programs, Host monetization programs, and related features at any time. We are not required to maintain backward compatibility or continue supporting a payout feature unless we expressly agree in writing.

Not every payout method, payment method, currency, country, Campaign, prize, Donation, referral program, affiliate program, creator monetization feature, Host monetization feature, or tax workflow is available or lawful in every location. We may restrict access, payments, payouts, Donations, Campaigns, or features by jurisdiction. You are responsible for determining whether your use is lawful where you are located and where your Campaign, donors, Participants, Hosts, sponsors, Payees, or prize recipients are located.

If any provision of this Payout Policy is found unenforceable, the provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed if modification is not possible. The remaining provisions will remain in effect. Failure by ChallengeForge to enforce a provision does not waive our right to enforce it later. A waiver must be in writing and signed by ChallengeForge to be effective.

ChallengeForge is not liable for delay or failure to perform caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, terrorism, civil unrest, labor disputes, epidemics, pandemics, government actions, legal changes, internet failures, hosting failures, payment network failures, banking failures, processor failures, power outages, cyberattacks, supply-chain failures, third-party service failures, sanctions changes, regulator actions, court orders, or other force majeure events.

Headings are for convenience and do not affect interpretation. "Including" means "including without limitation." "Or" is inclusive unless context requires otherwise. References to laws include amendments, rules, regulations, guidance, and replacements. The singular includes the plural and the plural includes the singular. This Payout Policy is interpreted fairly and not against either party as drafter.

Sections relating to payment obligations, payout holds, reserves, offsets, chargebacks, refunds, negative balances, taxes, records, audits, fraud investigations, releases, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, dispute resolution, notices, interpretation, and any obligations that by their nature should survive will survive Campaign completion, account suspension, account termination, payout, payment provider account closure, and discontinuation of the Platform.

For legal questions about this Payout Policy, contact legal@challengeforge.com or write to [LEGAL_ENTITY_NAME] at [REGISTERED_ADDRESS]. For payout support questions, contact payouts@challengeforge.com if that address is available or use the Platform's support channels. Do not send government IDs, tax identifiers, full payment card numbers, private keys, passwords, or other highly sensitive documents by email unless we specifically request them and provide appropriate instructions.