CredentialVault Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern use of the CredentialVault platform at credentialvaults.com (the "Service"), operated by Goldenstandards LLC ("we," "us"). By creating an account, using the Service, or clicking accept, you agree to these Terms. If you are accepting on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization.

1. The Service

CredentialVault is a platform for issuing, managing, and verifying digital credentials. Issuing organizations ("Issuers") create and maintain credential records for their recipients; anyone holding a valid verification code may check a credential's status through the public verification page.

2. What We Do — and Do Not — Represent

We record; we do not vouch. CredentialVault faithfully stores and displays credential information exactly as entered and maintained by the Issuer. We make no representation, warranty, or certification that any credential is accurate, that any training or qualification actually occurred, or that any recipient is qualified for any purpose. A verification result confirms only that a record exists in our system as issued and maintained by the named Issuer, and its current status. Anyone relying on a credential relies on the Issuer, not on us.

3. Accounts and Responsibilities

• You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you enter, for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials, and for all activity under your account.
• Issuers represent and warrant that they have the legal authority to record their recipients' information on the Service and to issue the credentials they issue.
• Organization administrators are responsible for managing their own staff access and for the actions of users they invite.

4. Acceptable Use

You may not use the Service to:

• Issue fraudulent, misleading, or unauthorized credentials, or credentials for training or qualifications that did not occur;
• Enter personal information about individuals without lawful authority to do so;
• Attempt to access another organization's data, probe or circumvent access controls, or interfere with the Service's operation;
• Automatically scrape, harvest, or enumerate verification data;
• Violate any applicable law.

We may suspend or terminate accounts engaged in fraudulent issuance or other violations of these Terms. Fraudulent use of a credentialing platform undermines the trust the Service exists to provide, and we treat it accordingly.

5. Subscriptions, Billing, and Trials

• Paid access is provided on a subscription basis at the prices presented at signup or otherwise agreed in writing. Fees are billed in advance and are non-refundable except where required by law.
• Trials convert to paid access only if you subscribe; otherwise access to issuance and management features ends when the trial ends.
• Plan allowances and fair use. Each plan includes a stated allowance of credentials that may be issued within a rolling twelve-month period (for example, the Standard plan includes up to 3,500 issued credentials per twelve-month period), along with the features described for that plan. Verification of credentials is always unlimited and free. Our plans are offered on flat-rate terms intended for typical use by training and credentialing organizations. If an organization's issuance volume or overall usage substantially exceeds its plan allowance or normal usage patterns, we may contact the organization to arrange a plan appropriate to its scale (such as an Enterprise plan). We will provide reasonable notice and work in good faith before making any change, and we will not interrupt verification of already-issued credentials in doing so.
• Enterprise plans. Organizations with higher volume needs, or requirements such as single sign-on, custom service levels, or dedicated support, may arrange an Enterprise plan on custom terms by contacting us.
• If a subscription lapses or is canceled, the organization's ability to issue new credentials and manage records is suspended. Already-issued credentials remain publicly verifiable, and the organization retains the ability to revoke a credential, regardless of subscription status. We believe recipients and verifiers should never be penalized for an Issuer's billing state.
• We may change pricing with reasonable advance notice; changes apply at the next renewal.

6. Data Ownership, Export, and Account Closure

• Issuers own the data they enter. We process it to operate the Service as described in our Privacy Policy.
• Export on closure. Upon written request at or after account closure, we will provide an export of the organization's own data (its records, recipients, credentials, and associated logs) in a standard machine-readable format, subject to any legal retention obligations. An organization's export contains only that organization's data.
• Deletion on closure. After providing any requested export, we will deactivate the organization's account and remove its administrative access. Unless you request otherwise in writing, we retain the organization's credential records in a verifiable state (see the permanence provision below) and may delete other operational data. You may request full deletion of the organization's data, which we will honor subject to the permanence provision and any legal retention obligations.
• Permanent verifiability of issued credentials. Credentials that have already been issued remain publicly verifiable even after an organization's subscription lapses, is canceled, or the account is closed. We consider this essential: a credential recipient should never lose the verifiability of a credential they earned because the issuing organization stopped paying or left the Service. Verification of already-issued credentials, and an issuer's ability to revoke a credential, are never suspended for non-payment. If an organization requests full deletion of its credential records, doing so will end the verifiability of those credentials — we will make this consequence clear at the time of such a request.
• Audit and verification logs are integrity records of the Service; we may retain them as described in the Privacy Policy even after other data is deleted.

7. Availability and Support

The Service is provided on an "as available" basis. We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability, and scheduled or emergency maintenance may occur. We rely on third-party infrastructure providers and are not liable for their outages. Support is provided by email at Hello@CredentialVaults.com during reasonable business hours.

8. Intellectual Property

We own the Service, its software, and its branding. Issuers retain all rights to their own names, logos, and content, and grant us a limited license to display them within the Service (including on credentials, verification pages, and emails) solely to provide the Service.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE ERROR-FREE OR UNINTERRUPTED, OR THAT ANY CREDENTIAL INFORMATION IS ACCURATE (SEE SECTION 2).

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW: (a) WE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR GOODWILL; AND (b) OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE IS LIMITED TO THE FEES YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM (OR ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS IF YOU HAVE PAID NO FEES). SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THESE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

11. Indemnification

Issuers will defend and indemnify us against third-party claims arising from (a) credentials they issue, (b) data they enter without proper authority, or (c) their violation of these Terms or applicable law.

12. Termination

You may cancel at any time via your billing settings or by written notice. We may suspend or terminate accounts for material breach of these Terms, including fraudulent issuance, with notice where practicable. Sections 2, 6, and 8–14 survive termination.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified to account holders by email or in-Service notice, and the "Last updated" date above will reflect the change. Continued use after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance.

14. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. The parties will first attempt to resolve disputes informally; any action must be brought in the state or federal courts located in New Jersey, and both parties consent to their jurisdiction.

15. Contact

Goldenstandards LLC Hello@CredentialVaults.com