Brand merchant agreement

1. Commission

Crescence retains 13% of the order subtotal on every fulfilled order as platform commission. Commission is calculated pre-tax and pre-shipping; the brand operator retains 87% of the subtotal plus 100% of shipping reimbursement (subject to § 4).

2. Payouts and hold periods

Payouts are issued via Stripe Connect 3 business days after order delivery confirmation. Crescence may extend the hold period when: (a) an active dispute exists, (b) an active refund window is open, (c) the brand operator has unresolved verification issues, or (d) fraud signals trigger Stripe Radar review. We notify the brand operator on any hold extension within 24 hours.

3. First-order credit

New offices receive a 50% credit on their first Crescence order (taper to 25% on second, 0% on third). The credit is absorbed by Crescence - the brand operator receives 87% of the FULL pre-credit subtotal. The credit is a Crescence marketing expense, never a deduction from your payout.

4. Chargeback responsibility

If a Buyer initiates a credit-card chargeback that succeeds, the disputed amount plus the issuer's fee is debited from the brand operator's next payout. Crescence will provide the evidence package we submitted to Stripe so the brand operator can challenge the issuer's decision. Where the brand operator can demonstrate fraud or buyer misrepresentation, Crescence will reimburse the chargeback fee at our discretion.

5. Product claims and labeling

The brand operator warrants that every product listed on Crescence: (a) accurately reflects ingredient and allergen content per FDA Big-9 (peanut, tree-nut, dairy, egg, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, sesame); (b) complies with FDA labeling requirements for the product category; (c) does not make health claims that lack substantiation; (d) is sold legally in each state the brand operator agrees to ship to.

Misrepresentation of allergen content is grounds for immediate product suspension and potential account termination.

6. Recalls

If the brand operator becomes aware of a safety issue requiring recall, the brand operator must notify Crescence within 24 hours by emailing safety@crescence.co with severity, affected lots, and the recall notice. Crescence will (a) notify every office that ordered the affected SKU within the lookback window, (b) suspend the affected SKUs from discovery, and (c) coordinate auto-refund offers for orders placed in the last 90 days. The brand operator is responsible for the recall economics - Crescence does not absorb refund costs in a recall.

7. Brand IP licensed to platform

The brand operator grants Crescence a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, reproduce, and distribute their brand marks, product photography, and product copy through the Service. The license terminates 90 days after the brand operator's account is closed, except for outstanding orders and historical pages that remain visible to past customers.

8. Indemnification

The brand operator agrees to indemnify and hold Crescence harmless from any claim arising out of: (a) products sold through Crescence, (b) brand operator's violation of FDA or state food-safety regulations, (c) brand operator's violation of intellectual property rights of any third party.

9. Audit rights

Crescence reserves the right to audit a brand operator's compliance with this BMA on reasonable notice (typically 5 business days), including review of certifications, ingredient sourcing, and labeling. Audits are conducted electronically where possible. Repeated audit failures are grounds for account termination.

10. Term and termination

The BMA is in effect for as long as the brand operator's Crescence account is active. Either party may terminate on 30 days' written notice; Crescence may terminate immediately for material breach or repeated AUP violations. Outstanding orders at the time of termination are honored; payouts complete on the normal schedule.

11. Contact

Brand operator questions: brands@crescence.co.