Terms of Service

Acceptance of these terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the website at doughpayments.com and any services provided by Dough Payments Inc. ("Dough," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing our website or using our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

If you don't agree with these Terms, please don't use our website or services.

Our services

Dough Payments Inc. is a registered payments agent that helps Canadian small businesses with:

• Credit and debit card payment processing through partner acquirers
• Surcharging, dual pricing, interchange-plus, and flat-rate pricing models
• Payment terminals (Clover Flex, Clover Mini, Clover Station Duo, Newland N910, and others)
• Online payment gateways and virtual terminals
• The Dough Boost program — free websites, social media content, custom AI tools, and Google review cards based on processing volume

Actual processing services are provided through our acquiring partners. Specific processor agreements will be provided when you sign up.

Eligibility

To use our services, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be authorized to act on behalf of a legitimate business
• Operate a business in Canada
• Pass underwriting requirements set by our processing partners
• Comply with all applicable laws and card network rules (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express)

Account responsibilities

If you sign up for a merchant account through Dough, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information during application and underwriting
• Notify us promptly of any material changes to your business (ownership, address, banking details, business model)
• Comply with PCI-DSS requirements for handling cardholder data
• Use Dough services only for legitimate, authorized business transactions
• Maintain accurate records of transactions
• Cooperate with chargeback investigations and fraud reviews
• Honor all transactions in accordance with card network rules

Fees & pricing

Pricing varies based on your selected model (surcharge, interchange-plus, or flat rate), your industry, your monthly volume, and our processor's underwriting decision. Specific rates and fees will be set out in your merchant agreement.

Published rates on our website (such as IC + 0.20% or 2.75% + 15¢ flat rate) are starting points. Final rates may vary based on industry, volume, risk profile, and underwriting outcome.

You agree to the rates and fees in your specific merchant agreement. If you don't agree, you can cancel without penalty before processing your first transaction.

Boost program terms

The Dough Boost program offers free or discounted services (websites, social media content, custom AI tools, Google review cards) based on monthly card processing volume:

• Boost Starter — Under $10K/mo: One perk of choice; hosting on the website is $50/mo
• Boost Pro — $10K-$50K/mo: 5-page website with hosting OR monthly social + custom GPT
• Boost Premium — $50K+/mo: 7-page website with hosting OR monthly social + custom GPT
• Free Google review card included at every tier

Boost program access requires:

• An active, in-good-standing merchant account with Dough
• Maintenance of the monthly volume threshold for your selected tier
• Reasonable cooperation in delivering Boost services (providing assets, content approvals, etc.)

If your processing volume falls below your tier threshold for an extended period, we may adjust your Boost benefits accordingly. We'll discuss with you before making any changes.

Boost benefits are non-transferable, have no cash value, and cannot be exchanged. We reserve the right to modify the Boost program with reasonable notice.

Approval & underwriting

We do not guarantee account approval. All merchant applications go through underwriting by our processing partners. Approval depends on factors including business type, credit history, processing history, and risk profile.

If approved, your account may be subject to:

• Volume caps or transaction limits
• Reserve requirements (a percentage of processing volume held for chargeback risk)
• Periodic underwriting reviews
• Suspension or termination if risk factors change

Prohibited uses

You may not use our website or services to:

• Process transactions for illegal activities or businesses
• Process transactions on behalf of third parties (factoring/aggregating)
• Engage in fraudulent or deceptive practices
• Violate card network rules
• Process transactions in industries explicitly prohibited by our acquirer (these include but aren't limited to certain types of adult content, illegal goods, and other high-risk verticals — discussed during onboarding)
• Reverse-engineer, copy, or attempt to extract source code from our website
• Scrape, harvest, or systematically collect data from our website without permission
• Interfere with or disrupt our website or servers

Intellectual property

The Dough name, logo, "Dough," "Dough Payments," "Dough Boost," and the look and feel of our website are owned by Dough Payments Inc. You may not use them without our written permission.

Content created for you under the Boost program (custom websites, social posts, GPTs) is licensed to you for use in your business. Specific terms about ownership and licensing will be covered in your service agreement.

Disclaimers

Our website and services are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, except as required by law.

While we work hard to deliver accurate, helpful information, we don't guarantee:

• That savings examples shown on the website will match your specific situation
• Continuous, uninterrupted, or error-free operation of the website or services
• That any specific outcome will result from using our services (such as a particular savings amount or business growth result)

Examples of savings shown on our website (like "save $800/mo") are real examples from real merchants but are not guarantees. Your actual savings depend on your specific business, volume, current processor, and pricing model.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Dough Payments Inc. and its directors, officers, employees, and agents are not liable for:

• Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, revenue, data, or business opportunities
• Damages resulting from third-party actions (including our acquirer, card networks, or service providers)
• Damages exceeding the fees you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim

Some jurisdictions don't allow these limitations, so they may not fully apply to you.

Termination

You may stop using our website or services at any time. If you have an active merchant account, termination is governed by your merchant agreement (which may have specific notice requirements).

We may suspend or terminate your access to the website or services if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent or illegal activity, or if required by law.

Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable in Ontario, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any disputes arising from these Terms or use of our services will be resolved in the courts of Ontario, Canada.

Contact us

Questions about these Terms?