SERVICE AGREEMENT

Section VI: Losses; Termination; Arbitration and Additional Provisions

1. Right to Amend

We have the right to change or add to the terms of this Agreement at any time, solely with prospective effect, and to change, delete, discontinue, or impose conditions on use of the Services by posting such changes on our website or any other website we maintain or own. We will provide you with Notice of any changes through the Dashboard, via email, or through other reasonable means. If you are an existing BNI user, the changes will come into effect 10 days after we post the changes to our website, and your use of the Services, API, or Data more than 10 days after we publish any such changes on our website, constitutes your acceptance of the terms of the modified Agreement. You can access a copy of the current terms of this Agreement on our website at any time. You can find out when this Agreement was last changed by checking the “Last updated” date at the top of the Agreement.

2. Assignment

You may not assign this Agreement, any rights or licenses granted in this Agreement, or operation of your BNI Account to others without our prior written consent. If you wish to make such an assignment, please contact us. If we consent to the assignment, the assignee must agree to assume all of your rights and obligations owed by you related to the assignment and must agree to comply with the terms of this Agreement. BNI may assign this Agreement without your consent or any other restriction. If we make an assignment, we will provide reasonable Notice to you.

3. Right to Audit

If we believe that a security breach, leak, loss, or compromise of Data has occurred on your systems, website, or app affecting your compliance with this Agreement, we may require you to permit a third-party auditor approved by us to conduct a security audit of your systems and facilities, and you must fully cooperate with any requests for information or assistance that the auditor makes to you as part of the security audit. The auditor will issue a report to us which we may share with our Insurance Providers and Insurances Acquirers.

4. No Agency; Third-Party Services

A. Except as expressly stated in this Agreement, nothing in this Agreement serves to establish a partnership, joint venture, or other agency relationship between you and us, or with any Insurance Provider. Each party to this Agreement, and each Insurance Provider, is an independent contractor. Unless an Insurance Provider expressly agrees, neither you nor we have the ability to bind an Insurance Provider to any contract or obligation, and neither party will represent that you or we have such an ability.

B. We may reference or provide access to third-party services, products, and promotions that utilize, integrate, or provide ancillary services to the Services (“Third-Party Services”). These Third-Party Services are provided for your convenience only and do not constitute our approval, endorsement, or recommendation of any such Third-Party Services for you. You access and use any Third-Party Service based on your own evaluation and at your own risk. You understand that your use of any Third-Party Service is not governed by this Agreement. If you decide to use a Third-Party Service, you will be responsible for reviewing, understanding and accepting the terms and conditions associated with its use. We expressly disclaim all responsibility and liability for your use of any Third-Party Service. Please also remember that when you use a Third-Party Service, our Privacy Policy is no longer in effect. Your use of a Third-Party Service, including those that have a link on our website, is subject to that Third-Party Service’s own terms of use and privacy policies.

5. Force Majeure

Neither party will be liable for any delays in processing or other nonperformance caused by telecommunications, utility, failures, or equipment failures; labor strife, riots, war, or terrorist attacks; nonperformance of our vendors or suppliers, fires or acts of nature; or any other event over which the respective party has no reasonable control. However, nothing in this section will affect or excuse your liabilities or your obligation to pay Fees, Fines, Disputes, Refunds, Reversals, or Returns under this Agreement.

6. Your Liability For Third-Party Claims Against Us

Without limiting, and in addition to, any other obligation that you may owe under this Agreement, you are at all times responsible for the acts, errors and omissions of your employees, contractors and agents, to the extent such persons are acting within the scope of their relationship with you.

You agree to defend BNI, our affiliates, and their respective employees, agents, and service providers (each a “BNI Entity”) against any claim, suit, demand, loss, liability, damage, action, or proceeding (each, a “Claim”) brought by a third party against a BNI Entity, and you agree to fully reimburse the BNI Entities for any Claims that results from: (i) your breach of any provision of this Agreement; (ii) any Fees, Fines, or any other liability we incur that results from your use of the Insurance Processing Services; (iii) negligent or willful misconduct of your employees, contractors, or agents; or (iv) contractual or other relationships between you and your Customers.

7. Representations and Warranties

By accepting the terms of this Agreement, you represent and warrant that: (a) you are eligible to register and use the Services and have the authority to execute and perform the obligations required by this Agreement; (b) any information you provide us about your business, products, or services is accurate and complete; (c) any Charges represent a Transaction for permitted products, services, describing the Transaction; (d) you will fulfill all of your obligations to Customers and will resolve all Disputes with them; (e) you will comply with all Laws applicable to your business and use of the Services; (f) your employees, contractors and agents will at all times act consistently with the terms of this Agreement; (g) you will not use BNI Services for personal, family or household purposes (except in the normal course of business); and (h) you will not use the Services, directly or indirectly, for any fraudulent or illegal undertaking, or in any manner that interferes with the normal operation of the Services.

8. No Warranties

WE PROVIDE THE SERVICES AND BNI IP “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”, WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY WARRANTIES OF TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NONINFRINGEMENT, OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF WARRANTY OR GUARANTEE. NO DATA, DOCUMENTATION OR ANY OTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED BY BNI OR OBTAINED BY YOU FROM OR THROUGH THE SERVICES – WHETHER FROM BNI OR ANOTHER BNI ENTITY, AND WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN – CREATES OR IMPLIES ANY WARRANTY FROM A BNI ENTITY TO YOU.
YOU AFFIRM THAT NO BNI ENTITY CONTROLS THE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES THAT YOU OFFER OR SELL OR THAT YOUR CUSTOMERS PURCHASE USING THE INSURANCE SERVICES. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE CANNOT GUARANTEE AND WE DISCLAIM ANY KNOWLEDGE THAT YOUR CUSTOMERS POSSESS THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE, OR WILL COMPLETE, ANY TRANSACTION.
THE BNI ENTITIES DISCLAIM ANY KNOWLEDGE OF, AND DO NOT GUARANTEE: (a) THE ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR CORRECTNESS OF ANY DATA PROVIDED THROUGH THE SERVICES; (b) THAT THE SERVICES WILL MEET YOUR SPECIFIC BUSINESS NEEDS OR REQUIREMENTS; (c) THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE AVAILABLE AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME OR LOCATION, OR WILL FUNCTION IN AN UNINTERRUPTED MANNER OR BE SECURE; (d) THAT BNI WILL CORRECT ANY DEFECTS OR ERRORS IN THE SERVICE, API, DOCUMENTATION, OR DATA; OR (e) THAT THE SERVICES ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL CODE. USE OF DATA YOU ACCESS OR DOWNLOAD THROUGH THE SERVICES IS DONE AT YOUR OWN RISK – YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR PROPERTY, LOSS OF DATA, OR ANY OTHER LOSS THAT RESULTS FROM SUCH ACCESS OR DOWNLOAD. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE BNI ENTITIES MAKE NO GUARANTEES TO YOU REGARDING TRANSACTION PROCESSING TIMES OR PAYOUT SCHEDULES.
NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OPERATES TO EXCLUDE, RESTRICT OR MODIFY THE APPLICATION OF ANY IMPLIED CONDITION, WARRANTY OR GUARANTEE, OR THE EXERCISE OF ANY RIGHT OR REMEDY, OR THE IMPOSITION OF ANY LIABILITY UNDER LAW WHERE TO DO SO WOULD: (A) CONTRAVENE THAT LAW; OR (B) CAUSE ANY TERM OF THIS AGREEMENT TO BE VOID.

9. Limitation of Liability

Under no circumstances will any BNI Entity be responsible or liable to you for any indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary damages resulting from your use or inability to use the Services or for the unavailability of the Services, for lost profits, personal injury, or property damage, or for any other damages arising out of, in connection with, or relating to this Agreement or your use of the Services, even if such damages are foreseeable, and whether or not you or the BNI Entities have been advised of the possibility of such damages. The BNI Entities are not liable, and deny responsibility for, any damages, harm, or losses to you arising from or relating to hacking, tampering, or other unauthorized access or use of the Services, your BNI Account, or Data, or your failure to use or implement anti-fraud measures, Security Controls, or any other data security measure. The BNI Entities further deny responsibility for all liability and damages to you or others caused by (a) your access or use of the Services inconsistent with the Documentation; (b) any unauthorized access of servers, infrastructure, or Data used in connection with the Services; (c) interruptions to or cessation of the Services; (d) any bugs, viruses, or other harmful code that may be transmitted to or through the Services; (e) any errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or losses in or to any Data provided to us; (f) third-party content provided by you; or (g) the defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of others.

You agree to limit any additional liability not disclaimed or denied by the BNI Entities under this Agreement to your direct and documented damages; and you further agree that under no circumstances will any such liability exceed in the aggregate the amount of Fees paid by you to BNI during the three-month period immediately preceding the event that gave rise to your claim for damages.

These limitations on our liability to you will apply regardless of the legal theory on which your claim is based, including contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability, or any other theory or basis.

We provide the Services from facilities in the United States. We do not claim, and we cannot guarantee that Services we provide from the United States are or will be appropriate or available for any other location or jurisdiction, comply with the Laws of any other location or jurisdiction, or comply with Laws governing export, import, or foreign use.

10. Responding to Legal Process

BNI may respond to and comply with any writ of attachment, lien, levy, subpoena, warrant, or other legal order (“Legal Process”) that we believe to be valid. We or any Insurance Provider (including, where applicable, the Insurance Acquirer) may deliver or hold any funds or, subject to the terms of our Privacy Policy, any Data as required under such Legal Process, even if you are receiving funds or Data on behalf of other parties. Where permitted by Law, we will make reasonable efforts to provide you Notice of such Legal Process by sending a copy to the email address we have on file for you. BNI is not responsible for any losses, whether direct or indirect, that you may incur as a result of our response or compliance with a Legal Process.

11. Dispute Resolution; Agreement to Arbitrate

A. Binding Arbitration: In the event that there is a dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating to statutory or common law claims, the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation or validity of any provision of this Agreement, and the determination of the scope or applicability of your agreement to arbitrate any dispute, claim or controversy originating from this Agreement, but specifically excluding any dispute principally related to either party’s intellectual property (which such dispute will be resolved in litigation before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California), will be determined by arbitration in San Francisco, California before a single arbitrator. The arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The Expedited Procedures of the American Arbitration Association’s Commercial Arbitration Rules will apply for cases in which no disclosed claim or counterclaim exceeds $75,000 (exclusive of interest, attorneys’ fees and arbitration fees and costs). Where no party’s claim exceeds $25,000 (exclusive of interest, attorneys’ fees and arbitration fees and costs), and in other cases in which the parties agree, Section E-6 of the Expedited Procedures of the American Arbitration Association’s Commercial Arbitration Rules will apply. The arbitrator will apply the substantive law of the State of California, exclusive of its conflict or choice of law rules. If the American Arbitration Association is no longer in business or refuses or declines to administer any dispute between the parties brought before it, either party may petition the United States District Court for the Northern District of California to appoint the arbitrator. Nothing in this paragraph will preclude the parties from seeking provisional remedies in aid of arbitration from a court of appropriate jurisdiction. The parties acknowledge that this Agreement evidences a transaction involving interstate commerce. Notwithstanding the provisions in this paragraph referencing applicable substantive law, the Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. §§ 1-16) will govern any arbitration conducted pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

Either party may commence arbitration by providing to the American Arbitration Association and the other party to the dispute a written demand for arbitration, setting forth the subject of the dispute and the relief requested.

B. Service of Process: Each party hereby irrevocably and unconditionally consents to service of process through personal service at their corporate headquarters, registered address, or primary address (for individuals or sole proprietors). Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to serve process in any other manner permitted by Law.

C. Class Waiver: To the fullest extent permitted by Law, each of the parties agrees that any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, whether in arbitration or in court, will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated or representative action. If for any reason a claim or dispute proceed in court rather than through arbitration, each party knowingly and irrevocably waives any right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated between the parties.

D. Provision of an Award: Subject to the limitations of liability identified in this Agreement, the appointed arbitrators may award monetary damages and any other remedies allowed by the laws of the State of California. In making a determination, the arbitrator will not have the authority to modify any term or provision of this Agreement. The arbitrator will deliver a reasoned written decision with respect to the dispute (the “Award”) to each party, who will promptly act in accordance with the Award. Any Award (including interim or final remedies) may be confirmed in or enforced by a state or federal court located in San Francisco, California. The decision of the arbitrator will be final and binding on the parties and will not be subject to appeal or review.

E. Fees: Each party will advance one-half of the fees and expenses of the arbitrators, the costs of the attendance of the arbitration reporter at the arbitration hearing, and the costs of the arbitration facility. In any arbitration arising out of or related to this Agreement, the arbitrators will award to the prevailing party, if any, the costs and attorneys’ fees reasonably incurred by the prevailing party in connection with those aspects of its claims or defenses on which it prevails, and any opposing awards of costs and legal fees awards will be offset.

F.Confidentiality: The parties will maintain the confidential nature of the arbitration proceeding, the hearing and the Award, except (i) as may be necessary to prepare for or conduct the arbitration hearing on the merits, (ii) in connection with a court application as contemplated above for a preliminary remedy, or confirmation of an Award or its enforcement, (iii) our disclosure of the Award in confidential settlement negotiations, or (iv) as otherwise required by applicable Laws. The parties, witnesses, and arbitrator will treat as confidential and will not disclose to any third person (other than witnesses or experts) any documentary or other evidence produced in any arbitration hereunder, except as required by Law or except if such evidence was obtained from the public domain or was otherwise obtained independently from the arbitration.

G.Conflict of Rules: In the case of a conflict between the provisions of this Section F.11.g and the rules governing arbitration identified in Section F.11.a, the provisions of this Section F.11.g will prevail. If any provision of this Agreement to arbitrate is held invalid or unenforceable, it will be so held to the minimum extent required by Law and all the other provisions will remain valid and enforceable.

12. Entire Agreement

This Agreement and all policies and procedures that are incorporated by reference constitute the entire agreement between you and BNI for provision and use of the Services. Except where expressly stated otherwise in a writing executed between you and BNI, this Agreement will prevail over any conflicting policy or agreement for the provision or use of the Services. This Agreement sets forth your exclusive remedies with respect to the Services. If any provision or portion of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable under Law, then it will be reformed and interpreted to accomplish the objectives of such provision to the greatest extent possible, and all remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

13. Cumulative Rights, Construction, Waiver

The rights and remedies of the parties under this Agreement are cumulative, and either party may enforce any of its rights or remedies under this Agreement, along with all other rights and remedies available to it at Law, in equity or under the Insurance Rules. No provision of this Agreement will be construed against any party on the basis of that party being the drafter. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the use of the term “including” or “such as” is not to be interpreted as limiting the generality of the text preceding the term. The failure of either party to enforce any provision of this Agreement will not constitute a waiver of that party’s rights to subsequently enforce the provision.

14. Termination

A. This Agreement is effective upon the date you first access or use the Services and continues until terminated by you or BNI. You may terminate this Agreement by closing your BNI Account at any time by opening the data tab in your account settings, selecting “close my account” and ceasing to use the Service. If you use the Services again or register for another BNI Account, you are consenting to this Agreement. We may terminate this Agreement or close your BNI Account at any time for any reason by providing you Notice. We may suspend your BNI Account and your ability to access funds in your BNI Account, or terminate this Agreement, if: (i) we determine in our sole discretion that you are ineligible for the Services because of fraud or credit risk, or any other risks associated with your BNI Account; (ii) you use the Services in a prohibited manner or otherwise do not comply with any of the provisions of this Agreement; (iii) any Law, Insurance Provider or Insurance Acquirer requires us to do so; or (iv) we are otherwise entitled to do so under this Agreement. An Insurance Provider or Insurance Acquirer may terminate your ability to accept its Insurance, at any time and for any reason, in which case you will no longer be able to accept the Insurance written pursuant to this Agreement.

B. . Termination does not immediately relieve you of all obligations incurred by you under this Agreement. Upon termination, you agree to (i) complete all pending Transactions, (ii) stop accepting new Transactions, and (iii) immediately remove all BNI and insurance network logos from your website (unless permitted under a separate license with the insurance network). Your continued or renewed use of the Services after all pending Transactions have been processed serves to renew your consent to the terms of this Agreement. If you terminate this Agreement, we will pay out any remaining funds owed to you in accordance with Section IV.

In addition, upon termination of this Agreement, you understand and agree that: (i) all licenses granted to you by BNI pursuant to this Agreement will end; (ii) we reserve the right (but have no obligation) to delete all of your information and account data stored on our servers; (iii) we will not be liable to you for compensation, reimbursement, damages or payments of any type related to your use of the Services; (iv) we will not be liable for any termination or suspension of the Services or deletion of your information or account data; and (v) you are still liable to us for any Fees or fines, or other financial obligation incurred by you, or through your use of the Services prior to termination.