Pick your billing model
Each model maps to its own billing-specific block (sections 4–7) further down. Pick the card that matches how you charge — it jumps straight to the matching block.V1 — Subscription
Monthly or yearly recurring. Auto-renews until canceled.
V2 — Credits
Buy credit packs and spend them. Optional auto top-up.
V3 — Hybrid
A plan with credits and extra packs sold separately.
Before you publish
🔴 items are what wins or loses disputes. 🟡 items materially strengthen your defense.🔴 Must be done
- Legal name and address filled in (company: legal entity + registered address; individual / sole trader: legal name + business address)
- The T&C is shown at checkout, with a tick-box consent
- Recurring / auto-top-up authorization in place (if you charge automatically)
- In-product cancel flow exists (not email-only)
- Refund policy filled in and shown at checkout
- Third-party AI providers declared (if you use them)
- Prohibited-uses list matches your actual product
- Payment processor named:
Waffo Pancake - Every contact channel listed is real and monitored
🟡 Strongly recommended
- Billing descriptor set so customers recognize the name on their card statement — the #1 chargeback cause is “I don’t recognize this charge”
- Annual subscribers get a renewal reminder ~7 days out
- Free-trial users get a “trial converting” reminder ~7 days out
- V2/V3 — credits-about-to-expire reminder
On the refund policy display: in Pancake, save the refund policy in your store settings — the checkout picks it up automatically. You don’t need to keep two copies in sync.
Template
Copy the common sections below, then pick the billing-specific block that matches your model and slot it in between Section 3 and Section 8. Replace every[placeholder] with your real text.
The template is in English. Translate or localize as your market requires.
Common — sections 1–3 and 8–16
Sections 1–3 & 8–16 (use in every version)
Billing-specific — sections 4–7
Pick the one block that matches your billing model and slot it between Section 3 and Section 8. Delete the other two.V1 — Subscription
V1 — Subscription (sections 4–7)
V2 — Credits / Top-up
V2 — Credits / Top-up (sections 4–7)
V3 — Hybrid
V3 — Hybrid (sections 4–7)
Reference — what each clause does
A condensed walkthrough. Use it when you need to look up what a specific section is for, or what to put in a placeholder.| Section | Tier | At a glance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Who you are | 🔴 | Names the seller. A company gives its legal entity + registered address; a sole trader / individual gives their legal name + business address. A brand name alone won’t do. |
| 2 — Service description | 🔴 | “Digital SaaS, delivered immediately on payment” — the line that pushes back when customers claim non-delivery. |
| 3 — Account ownership | 🔴 | Establishes that the account holder is responsible. Blocks “someone else used my login.” |
| 4 — Plans (V1/V2/V3) | 🔴 | Describes what you sell. Functions only — prices go on your pricing page, not the T&C. |
| 5 — Billing authorization | 🔴 | The clause Visa cares about most for recurring charges. Customer must explicitly authorize. |
| 6 — Cancellation | 🔴 | In-product, one-click. Email-only is not enough. |
| 7 — Refund policy | 🔴 | The clause with the biggest impact on dispute outcomes. Pancake checkout reads this from your store settings. |
| 8 — Billing disputes | 🔴 | Where customers reach you before going to their bank. |
| 9 — AI output & IP | 🔴 if you ship AI | Customer owns outputs; you have limited license to process inputs; don’t train without consent. |
| 10 — Acceptable use | 🔴 | What customers can’t do. Includes AI-specific prohibitions (no competing models, no deepfakes, no impersonating professionals). |
| 11 — Data & privacy | 🔴 | PCI-DSS handling + privacy policy link. Pancake merchants: name Waffo Pancake as the processor. |
| 12 — Disclaimers & liability cap | 🔴 | As-is disclaimer + AI output disclaimer (orange callout) + 12-month liability cap. |
| 13 — Term & termination | 🔴 | When you can suspend; how customers delete. |
| 14 — Governing law | ⚪ | Jurisdiction + arbitration clause. Confirm with a lawyer if unsure. |
| 15 — General provisions | 🔴 | Boilerplate. 14-day minimum notice for terms changes. |
| 16 — Contact information | 🔴 | Six channels by default. Better to list fewer real ones than six unmonitored. |
More detail — sections 1–3 (common)
More detail — sections 1–3 (common)
1. Who you are. Fill:
[Legal Name] (your legal name, not your brand — for an individual / sole trader this is your own legal name), the address line that fits you ([Legal Registered Address] for a company, [Business Address] for an individual / sole trader — delete the other), [Country/Region], [Website URL], [Brief service description].2. Service description. Fill: [Legal Name], [describe core functionality], [Website URL], [99.X]% (uptime, 99% is safe), [24/48] hours (maintenance notice).3. Account ownership. Fill: [security@company.com].More detail — V1 sections 4–7
More detail — V1 sections 4–7
4. Subscription plans. Fill:
[describe subscription plans], [pricing URL]. Prices don’t go here — keep them on your pricing page.5. Recurring authorization. Fill: [Legal Name], [billing@company.com]. Don’t put in the T&C: free-trial day count (checkout instead), renewal-reminder timing (email system), failed-payment retry rules (billing system).6. Cancellation. Fill: [cancellation path] (e.g., Settings → Subscription → Cancel), [cancel@company.com], [Website URL], [10] minutes, [90] days.7. Refund policy. Fill: [X]% (usage cap for the 7-day window), [refunds@company.com], [30] days (annual cutoff). Don’t go with “no refunds” — it increases chargebacks. At minimum, give first-time buyers 7 days.More detail — V2 sections 4–7
More detail — V2 sections 4–7
4. Credit plans. Fill:
[describe credit plans], [pricing URL]. Prices stay on the purchase page.5. Purchase authorization. Fill: [Legal Name], [billing@company.com]. Include 5.2 only if you offer auto top-up.6. Validity & termination. Fill: [X] months/years (credit validity), [X] days (retention after termination, 30 days recommended), [support@company.com].7. Refund policy. Fill: [refunds@company.com]. State explicitly that consumed credits are non-refundable; allow a 7-day refund on untouched credits.More detail — V3 sections 4–7
More detail — V3 sections 4–7
4. Plans & credits. Fill:
[describe subscription plans], [describe credit plans], [pricing URL].5. Hybrid authorization. Fill: [Legal Name], [billing@company.com]. Delete 5.3 if you don’t offer auto top-up.6. Cancellation. Same fields as V1 Section 6.7. Refund policy. Three picks (A, B, C) — delete the options you don’t choose. Explain your choice on your help center too — customers don’t read T&Cs to learn how their credits work.More detail — common sections 8–16
More detail — common sections 8–16
8. Billing disputes. Fill:
[billing@company.com].9. AI output & IP. Fill: [Legal Name] in 9.2. Add 9.3 if you use OpenAI / Anthropic / Google / similar.10. Acceptable use. No placeholders. Read the prohibited list and make sure it covers your product.11. Data & privacy. Fill: [privacy policy URL], [90] days, payment processor name (Waffo Pancake for Pancake merchants).12. Disclaimers & liability cap. Fill: [LEGAL NAME] (all caps), [12] months. Keep §12.2 (the orange AI-output callout) — it’s the clause that protects you when customers act on AI output and lose money.13. Term & termination. Fill: [support@company.com].14. Governing law. Fill: [Country / State], [legal@company.com]. Arbitration in §14.3 is [OPTIONAL] — confirm with a lawyer.15. General provisions. Fill: [Legal Name], [14] days (notice for terms changes; 30 is friendlier).16. Contact information. Six channels. Every channel here is verified during dispute handling — list only what you can actually monitor. If you can only commit to one channel reliably, use it for every row.