Terms of Service

1. Introduction and Scope

These Terms of Service govern access to and use of Yocota, including the website, seller area, product tools, product review workflow, hosted checkout pages, checkout links, order and access pages, dispute tools, payout records, notifications, integrations, documentation and any related service offered under the Yocota brand (together, the "Platform").

Yocota is commerce, checkout and payout infrastructure for online sellers. It brings product creation, product approval, hosted checkout, instant delivery, sales records, buyer protection, payout visibility and provider connections into one platform.

These are global platform terms. Depending on where the seller, buyer, Yocota entity, payment provider, product or transaction is located, country-specific laws, provider rules, payment network rules and mandatory consumer rights may also apply.

By creating an account, applying to sell, creating products, using the checkout, receiving payouts or otherwise using Yocota, you agree to these Terms together with the Terms of Service, the Commerce & Supplier Addendum, the Privacy Policy, the Buyer Policy and the Payment Orchestration documentation, and any additional terms shown to you. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.

2. Legal Entities, Brand and Platform Structure

The Yocota technology, software, brand, documentation and platform infrastructure are owned, licensed or controlled by Yocota LLC, a domestic limited liability company organised in New Mexico, United States, registration no. 0008092470, with its principal address at 1209 Mountain Road Pl NE, Ste R, Albuquerque, NM 87110, United States.

YOCOTA (PTY) LTD is a private company registered in South Africa, registration no. 2026/831703/07, with its registered office at 11 Gwezi Street, Dunoon, Milnerton, Cape Town, Western Cape, 7441, South Africa. It operates Yocota activities in South Africa, including local commercial operations, seller onboarding and related regional workflows where enabled.

Yocota LLC and YOCOTA (PTY) LTD are separate legal entities that cooperate under the Yocota brand. Each entity is responsible only for the services, contracts, operations and obligations it expressly provides or accepts in writing. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, agency, employment, fiduciary, banking, deposit or trust relationship between any Yocota entity and any user, and no Yocota entity guarantees the obligations of another unless agreed in writing or required by law.

Technology and platform:

Yocota LLC, domestic limited liability company (New Mexico registration no. 0008092470), 1209 Mountain Road Pl NE, Ste R, Albuquerque, NM 87110, United States

South African operations:

YOCOTA (PTY) LTD (registration no. 2026/831703/07), 11 Gwezi Street, Dunoon, Milnerton, Cape Town, Western Cape, 7441, South Africa

E-mail:

suporte@yocota.com

Phone / WhatsApp:

+27 81 898 7082

Website:

yocota.com

3. Applicable Laws and Compliance Framework

Use of the Platform may be subject to the laws of the countries of the seller, the buyer, the payment, the settlement and the Yocota entity involved, as well as provider and payment network rules.

South African operations may be subject to, among others, the Companies Act 71 of 2008, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), the Financial Intelligence Centre Act 38 of 2001, the National Payment System Act 78 of 1998, the Value-Added Tax Act 89 of 1991, the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 and the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020.

United States operations, including technology licensing, intellectual property, platform infrastructure and electronic contracting provided by Yocota LLC, may be subject to United States federal law and the laws of the State of New Mexico, including the New Mexico Limited Liability Company Act, the Federal Arbitration Act, the E-SIGN Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act and applicable sanctions and anti-money laundering laws.

Where relevant, international frameworks such as the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulations and local consumer, privacy, tax and electronic commerce laws may also apply. Rights that cannot legally be waived are not affected by these Terms; any conflicting provision is limited only to the extent necessary.

4. Definitions

• "Yocota", "we", "us", "our": the relevant Yocota entity providing the service in question.
• "Seller", "supplier", "you": a person or business approved to sell through the Platform.
• "Buyer" or "customer": a person or business that buys through a checkout hosted by the Platform.
• "Product": a digital product, course, e-book, template, mentoring, membership or other item or service approved for sale.
• "Direct Settlement": the operating model where the payment provider settles the seller's share of each sale directly into the seller's verified payout account and Yocota receives its commission.
• "Yocota Balance": where enabled, the internal record showing amounts that are pending, on hold, reserved, available, adjusted or scheduled for payout. It is an operational record only, not a bank account or deposit.
• "Connected Provider": where enabled, a payment provider account controlled by the seller and connected to the Platform.
• "Provider": any payment gateway, processor, acquirer, bank, wallet, mobile money provider, card network, payout provider, identity verification provider or similar third party.

5. Platform Model

Yocota is software and commerce infrastructure. It does not replace payment providers, banks, card networks or mobile money operators; it works above them as an operating layer, and it is not a bank or a payment service provider.

Payments are processed by licensed payment providers. Under Direct Settlement, which is the model currently active, the seller's share is settled by the provider directly into the seller's verified payout account and Yocota does not hold the seller's money. Other models, such as the Yocota Balance or Connected Providers, apply only where Yocota has enabled them for a seller in writing or in the seller area.

Approval to use Yocota does not mean that every product, payment method, country, currency, provider or feature is available to every seller. Yocota may approve, limit, delay or remove any of them based on risk, compliance, availability, provider rules or business judgment.

6. Account Registration, Eligibility and Continuous Review

To sell on Yocota you must submit a seller application with accurate, complete and current information, be at least 18 years old and have authority to bind the person or business you represent. Yocota may request identity documents, business documents, tax information, payout account details, website and social media details, product descriptions, proof of authorship or licensing and any other information it reasonably needs.

Yocota may approve or reject any application. Approval is not permanent: Yocota may re-review an account at any time and request additional information before allowing new products, higher volume, new payment methods or continued payouts.

Seller approval, product approval, payment-method approval, country approval and payout approval are separate decisions. No product is approved automatically because a seller account exists. You are responsible for all activity under your account and must keep your credentials secure and report any unauthorised access immediately.

7. Seller Responsibility

Sellers are fully responsible for the products they publish and sell, including content, descriptions, prices, claims, delivery, access, customer support, refunds, taxes and legal compliance.

Before a buyer pays, the product page and checkout must clearly and truthfully show what is being sold, the price, how and when it is delivered and the support contact. Sellers must not mislead buyers about what they are buying, who supplies it, when it is delivered or whether any result is guaranteed.

Yocota may reject, hide, pause or remove any product, page or account that creates legal, compliance, reputational, fraud, chargeback, consumer harm or provider risk.

8. AI Tools, Generated Content and Seller Responsibility

Where Yocota makes artificial intelligence or automation features available (for example, help with descriptions, images or messages), their output is provided for convenience only and may be inaccurate, incomplete or unsuitable.

The seller must review and approve all AI-assisted content before publishing or sending it and remains responsible for it. Yocota is not responsible for claims, refunds, chargebacks, complaints or penalties arising from content used by the seller, and may restrict or remove content it considers misleading, infringing or high risk.

9. Yocota Commerce and Merchant of Record

Where Yocota enables Yocota Commerce for an approved seller and an eligible transaction, the applicable Yocota entity may act as merchant of record or contracting merchant for the checkout transaction: it may collect the payment, issue the receipt, select the provider and manage refunds, chargebacks, holds, reserves and payout eligibility.

In that model the seller remains the supplier of the product and remains responsible for its quality, delivery, support, claims, taxes and compliance. The seller authorises the applicable entity to receive payments, deduct fees, hold funds, create reserves, delay payouts, process refunds, respond to chargebacks and recover losses as described in these Terms.

Until Yocota Commerce is enabled for a seller, that seller's sales follow Direct Settlement.

10. Bring Your Own Gateway

Where enabled, approved sellers may connect their own payment provider accounts to Yocota. Yocota then acts as the technical, checkout, routing and operational layer above those providers.

The seller remains responsible for its relationship with each connected provider and must comply with that provider's terms. Yocota is not responsible for whether a provider approves, declines, holds, reverses or restricts any payment or account. By connecting a provider, the seller authorises Yocota to use the related credentials, tokens and transaction data as needed to provide the Platform.

11. Payment Providers and Third-Party Rules

Yocota works with third-party providers such as payment gateways, processors, banks, card networks, mobile money operators, identity verification services, e-mail and messaging services and cloud infrastructure. By using the Platform you agree to comply with the rules of the providers involved in your transactions.

Provider rules can change at any time. Yocota may change payment methods, providers, routes, countries or processing flows where required by those rules, by law or by risk controls. Yocota is not liable for provider downtime, errors, holds, settlement delays, fees, declines or decisions outside its reasonable control.

12. Payments, Billing and Subscriptions

The Platform supports one-time payments through hosted checkout pages and checkout links, and may support other billing models where enabled. Recurring charges require the buyer's clear prior authorisation, and the seller is responsible for the accuracy of any recurring offer.

Card details are entered on the secure page of the payment provider. Yocota does not store full card numbers or security codes; it may store transaction references, payment status, card brand and other metadata needed to operate checkout, refunds, disputes and support.

Checkout pages, receipts and messages may show the seller's name, product name and support details. Charges may appear on statements under Yocota, the provider's descriptor or a combination with the seller's name.

13. Yocota Balance, Ledger and Payouts

Under Direct Settlement, the seller's share is paid by the provider to the seller's verified payout account according to the provider's settlement schedule, and the seller area shows the related sales, commission, refunds and payout records.

Where the Yocota Balance is enabled, it is an internal operational record only. It is not a bank account, does not earn interest and is not a deposit. Payouts from it are not automatic or immediate and are subject to settlement, risk review, verification, minimum thresholds, supported countries and currencies, and deductions for fees, refunds, chargebacks, reserves and other amounts owed.

Yocota is not a bank and does not provide deposit, lending, investment or financial advisory services.

14. Risk Review, Holds and Reserves

Yocota monitors accounts, products and transactions to protect buyers, sellers, providers and the Platform, using signals such as complaints, refund and dispute rates, sales velocity, delivery and access records, device and login data, verification results and provider responses.

Where there is risk of fraud, chargebacks, refunds, non-delivery, misleading marketing, incomplete verification, suspicious activity or a breach of these Terms, Yocota may pause products, limit processing, request documents, instruct or ask the provider to delay settlement where the provider supports it, and, where the Yocota Balance is enabled, hold funds or apply reserves for as long as the related exposure reasonably exists.

15. Chargebacks, Refunds and Disputes

The seller is responsible for refunds, chargebacks, disputes, reversals and related fees connected to its products. When a buyer is refunded, the seller must return the share it received from that sale, and the related amounts may be deducted from future sales or payouts.

Yocota decides how to handle disputes and may request evidence from the seller, such as delivery or access records, communications and product descriptions, within the deadline it sets. If the seller does not respond on time, cannot prove delivery or provides false evidence, Yocota may refund the buyer, accept the chargeback, limit processing or terminate the account. Yocota may refund a buyer without the seller's prior approval where required by the Buyer Policy, by law or by provider or network rules.

16. Fees, Pricing and Deductions

Yocota may charge platform fees, transaction fees, commissions, payout fees, currency conversion fees, refund, dispute and chargeback fees, provider pass-through fees and other applicable fees. Fees are shown in the seller area, at onboarding, in an order form or in another written communication, and may vary by country, currency, payment method, provider, operating model, business type, risk level, volume or individual agreement.

Yocota may change its fees and commercial terms. Where required or reasonably practical, Yocota will notify sellers of material changes, and continued use after the change means acceptance. Fees caused by third-party costs, provider requirements or network rules may apply immediately. Yocota may deduct fees and amounts owed before any payout and may set off amounts the seller owes against amounts payable to the seller.

17. Taxes and Merchant of Record Tax Indemnity

Sellers are responsible for all taxes connected to their products, sales and income, except where Yocota expressly states in writing that it will calculate, collect or remit a specific tax for a specific transaction. Where a Yocota entity acts as merchant of record, it may calculate, collect, withhold or report taxes where it considers this required by law.

Sellers must provide accurate tax and product information. The seller indemnifies Yocota LLC, YOCOTA (PTY) LTD and their directors, employees and partners against taxes, penalties and costs arising from inaccurate information or from the seller's own tax obligations.

18. Acceptable Use, Product Review, Prohibited and Restricted Activities

Yocota is a reviewed platform, not an open marketplace. Every product is reviewed by our team before it goes on sale and can be approved, rejected with a reason, paused or removed. Changing a product's name, description, category or delivery link sends it back for review.

Approved categories may include SaaS, software, mobile applications, business tools, legitimate digital products and education, templates, memberships, online and professional services, subscriptions with clear authorisation, physical products with reliable fulfilment evidence, creator products and other lawful products or services approved by the team. Approval always depends on product review, seller verification, country and provider availability, risk profile, documentation and support readiness.

Restricted categories may require manual approval, additional documents, lower limits, delayed settlement, reserves, delivery holds, stronger disclosures, proof of stock, fulfilment or licensing, or written approval. They include high-value physical goods, cross-border shipping, dropshipping or third-party fulfilment, pre-orders, high-ticket digital products, coaching or education with performance claims, trading or financial education, health, wellness, beauty or supplement claims, tickets and events, marketplace-like selling, regulated products and any category with elevated refund or chargeback risk.

Prohibited activities include illegal products, fraud, deceptive sales practices, unauthorised financial services, money laundering, terrorist financing, sanctions violations, tax evasion, stolen or counterfeit goods, fake documents, identity fraud, card testing, phishing, malware or hacking tools, illegal drugs, unlicensed medicine, unsafe products, weapons, gambling, betting, lotteries, pyramid or get-rich-quick schemes, misleading investment or income claims, adult sexual content or services, infringing products, products that cannot be fulfilled, simulated sales, fake buyers, transactions without a genuine sale and processing for another business without approval.

Approval is not permanent. A product may be re-reviewed at any time, for example after complaints, refund growth, changes in claims or provider requests.

19. Anti-Money Laundering, Sanctions and Transaction Monitoring

You must not use Yocota to disguise the source or destination of funds, split transactions to avoid review, use fake buyers, move money without a genuine sale, evade sanctions or tax, or bypass provider rules. Persons or entities on sanctions or restricted lists, including those published by the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) of South Africa, may not use the Platform.

Yocota may block, delay, refund, investigate or report any transaction or account where it suspects unlawful activity, and may cooperate with providers, banks, regulators, tax authorities and law enforcement where required or permitted by law.

20. Customer Support and Buyer Communications

Sellers must provide timely and accurate support and respond to buyer questions, access problems and refund requests within the time set by Yocota. Yocota may communicate directly with buyers about payments, receipts, access, refunds, disputes and security, and may act where a seller fails to respond or harms buyers.

21. Intellectual Property and Seller Content

Yocota LLC owns or licenses the Yocota technology, software, design, brand, logos, documentation and related intellectual property. Users receive a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Platform for lawful business purposes and may not copy, reverse engineer, resell, scrape, clone or interfere with it.

Sellers keep ownership of their own products and content. Sellers grant Yocota a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to host, display, process and use that content as needed to operate the Platform, run checkout, deliver products, support buyers, handle disputes and comply with law. Feedback may be used by Yocota without restriction.

22. Data, Privacy and Security

Yocota processes personal and transaction data as described in the Privacy Policy. Depending on the context, Yocota may act as a responsible party, controller, operator or processor. Sellers must comply with privacy and electronic communications laws for any buyer data they receive and must use it only to deliver and support their products.

23. API and Developer Use

Where Yocota provides APIs, webhooks, keys or integrations, they must be used only in line with the documentation, security standards and these Terms. You are responsible for all activity using your keys and integrations and must not expose them, overload the Platform or use them for prohibited activity. Yocota may rotate, limit or revoke access at any time for security or compliance reasons.

24. Suspension, Limitation and Termination

Yocota may suspend, limit or terminate any account, product, checkout, payout or feature, immediately and without prior notice, where it believes there is fraud, high risk, excessive refunds or chargebacks, prohibited products, misleading marketing, false information, non-delivery, legal or provider risk or a breach of these Terms. Yocota may also discontinue features, countries, payment methods or providers for business or regulatory reasons.

Termination does not remove the seller's responsibility for refunds, chargebacks, disputes, fees and other obligations that arose before or after termination.

25. Negative Balances and Recovery of Losses

If refunds, chargebacks, fees or other amounts owed exceed the amounts payable to the seller, the seller must pay Yocota the difference on demand. Yocota may recover it from future sales, payouts or reserves, invoice the seller, refer the debt to collection or take legal action. This obligation survives account closure.

26. Confidentiality, Security and Platform Protection

Non-public information provided by Yocota must be kept confidential and used only for your authorised use of the Platform. You must not attack, scan, overload, bypass or attempt unauthorised access to the Platform or any account. Yocota may investigate security events, suspend access, rotate credentials, preserve logs and notify providers or authorities.

27. No Warranty

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available". Yocota does not guarantee that it will be uninterrupted or error-free, available in every country, compatible with every provider, or that using it will increase sales, prevent disputes or guarantee payouts. Features may be updated, replaced or discontinued, subject to applicable law.

28. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Yocota, Yocota LLC, YOCOTA (PTY) LTD and their directors, employees, licensors and partners are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, revenue, business, goodwill or data, provider downtime, declines, payout delays, holds or third-party actions. Their total liability for any claim is limited to the fees paid by the seller to Yocota for the service giving rise to the claim during the three months before the event, or, for a buyer, to the amount paid for the product concerned. Liability that cannot legally be excluded is not excluded.

29. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Yocota, Yocota LLC, YOCOTA (PTY) LTD and their directors, employees, providers and partners against claims, losses, penalties, fees and costs arising from your products, content, sales, delivery, support, taxes, misuse of the Platform, breach of these Terms or of the law, fraud or misrepresentation, whoever brings the claim.

30. Contracting Entity, Governing Law, Arbitration, Venue and Dispute Resolution

Unless a written agreement states otherwise, the contracting entity depends on the service. For technology, software, intellectual property, the Platform infrastructure, hosted checkout technology, Connected Providers and global services, the contracting entity is Yocota LLC. For South African commercial operations, South African seller onboarding, settlement and payout workflows and services expressly operated by YOCOTA (PTY) LTD, the contracting entity is YOCOTA (PTY) LTD. Each entity is responsible only for its own part of the service, and claims must be brought only against the entity that provided the service concerned.

Matters involving Yocota LLC are governed by the laws of the State of New Mexico and applicable United States federal law. Matters involving YOCOTA (PTY) LTD are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Before starting any formal claim, you must send written notice to suporte@yocota.com describing the dispute, the account, the transaction, the amount and the relief requested, and the parties will try to resolve it informally for at least thirty days, unless urgent relief is needed.

To the extent permitted by law, disputes with Yocota LLC are finally resolved by binding individual arbitration seated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in English, before one arbitrator, administered by the American Arbitration Association or JAMS under their commercial rules; matters that cannot be arbitrated go to the state or federal courts located in New Mexico. Disputes with YOCOTA (PTY) LTD are finally resolved by binding individual arbitration seated in Cape Town, in English, before one arbitrator, under the rules of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa; matters that cannot be arbitrated go to the competent courts in Cape Town, including the Western Cape High Court.

To the extent permitted by law, claims may be brought only individually and not as part of a class, collective or representative action, any right to a jury trial is waived, and claims must be brought within one year of the event giving rise to them.

These provisions do not limit rights that consumers cannot waive under the law of their country of residence, and they do not prevent Yocota from taking protective measures, recovering amounts owed or seeking urgent relief from a competent court while a dispute is pending.

31. Electronic Communications and Notices

Yocota may send notices, agreements, receipts, review decisions, payout and refund notices and other communications electronically, by e-mail, WhatsApp, the seller area or the website. Electronic communications have the same legal effect as written ones to the extent permitted by law. You must keep your contact details up to date.

32. Changes to These Terms

Yocota may update these Terms and the related documents to reflect changes in law, provider requirements, risk standards or operations. Material changes are communicated by e-mail, a notice in the seller area or on the website, and take effect on the date stated. Continued use after that date means you accept the updated Terms.

33. Assignment, Severability, No Waiver and Entire Agreement

You may not assign these Terms without Yocota's prior written consent. Yocota may assign them to an affiliate, successor or operating partner. If a provision is found unenforceable, it is limited only to the extent necessary and the rest remains in force. Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. These Terms, together with the Terms of Service, the Commerce & Supplier Addendum, the Privacy Policy, the Buyer Policy and the Payment Orchestration documentation, form the entire agreement for use of the Platform. If translated, the English version prevails.

34. Survival

Provisions on contracting entities, governing law, arbitration, limitation of claims, refunds, chargebacks, negative balances, holds, indemnity, taxes, intellectual property, confidentiality, data and limitation of liability, and any other provision that by its nature should survive, survive account closure or termination.

35. Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent to suporte@yocota.com or to our team on WhatsApp.

Technology and platform:

Yocota LLC, domestic limited liability company (New Mexico registration no. 0008092470), 1209 Mountain Road Pl NE, Ste R, Albuquerque, NM 87110, United States

South African operations:

YOCOTA (PTY) LTD (registration no. 2026/831703/07), 11 Gwezi Street, Dunoon, Milnerton, Cape Town, Western Cape, 7441, South Africa

E-mail:

suporte@yocota.com

Phone / WhatsApp:

+27 81 898 7082

Website:

yocota.com