Terms of Service

Effective: 25 April 2026 · Last updated: 25 April 2026 · Version: 2.1 · View change log

1. About Budling and what we are not

Budling is a group gift registry platform for children. Registry owners (typically parents or guardians) create a list of desired gifts, savings goals, and experiences. Friends and family contribute toward those items. The Service is operated by Budling Technologies Ltd. ("Budling," "we," "us," "our").

What Budling is not:

• Not a bank, money transmitter, or deposit institution. All payment processing, money movement, and custody of funds in transit is performed by Stripe under Stripe's terms.
• Not a financial, tax, or investment advisor. Anything we say about 529 plans is general information, not personalised advice.
• Not a 529 plan administrator. When a registry routes funds to a 529 plan, that contribution is made by the parent through UGift (operated by Ascensus) or another 529-plan portal — we do not custody those funds.
• Not a retailer or merchant of record. We don't sell, ship, warehouse, or fulfil any physical product. Items shown on registries are descriptions of what the family hopes to buy with pooled contributions; the family makes the purchases.
• Not a charity or fundraising platform. Contributions are personal gifts to the registry owner, not tax-deductible donations.

2. Acceptance and changes

By creating an account, contributing to a registry, or otherwise using the Service, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be announced by email and on the Service at least 30 days before they take effect, except where a shorter notice period is required for legal, security, or fraud-prevention reasons. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance. Past versions are available in the change log below or by request.

3. Eligibility and accounts

• You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is greater) to create an account.
• You must provide accurate, current information when registering and keep it updated.
• The Service is currently available to users in the United States and United Kingdom. Contributors outside these regions may pay if their card is supported by Stripe; registry owners must reside in a supported region to receive payouts.
• You are responsible for safeguarding your password. Notify us immediately at trust@budling.com if you suspect unauthorised access.
• One person may operate multiple registries (e.g., one per child) but may not create multiple accounts to evade limits, suspensions, or fee structures.

4. Registry owners (parents and guardians)

If you create a registry, you confirm and agree that:

• You are the parent, legal guardian, or have the express permission of a parent or guardian of every child featured on a registry you create.
• Information you list about a child (first name, optional age, optional photo) is shared with reasonable judgment about the child's privacy. New registries are private by default; you control whether to share a link, list the registry in the public directory, or allow a photo in search results.
• You will use received contributions in good faith toward the gifts, experiences, or savings goals described on your registry. Minor reallocations among listed items are expected; using contributions for purposes wholly unrelated to the registry is a breach of these Terms.
• You will complete Stripe's identity verification ("Know Your Customer") before receiving payouts. This is required by financial regulation and is performed by Stripe, not by Budling.
• You will keep your connected Stripe account in good standing. If Stripe restricts or suspends your account, payouts will pause until you resolve it directly with Stripe.
• You are responsible for any taxes that may apply to gifts you receive in your jurisdiction. Budling does not provide tax advice; consult a qualified professional.

5. Contributors (gift givers)

If you contribute to a registry, you confirm and agree that:

• Your contribution is a personal gift to the registry owner, not a purchase of a specific product. Budling does not guarantee that any particular item will be purchased with your contribution.
• Contributions are non-refundable once a registry has been claimed and funds have been transferred to the registry owner, except where required by law, by your card issuer's chargeback rights, or by Budling's discretion in cases of suspected fraud.
• If the registry has not been claimed within 120 days, your contribution will be automatically refunded to your original payment method (see Section 7).
• The notes, photos, and videos you choose to attach to a gift will be visible to the registry owner. You retain ownership; you grant Budling a limited licence to store and display that content as needed to deliver the Service to the registry owner (see Section 10).
• You will not use contributions to launder funds, evade restrictions on your accounts, or otherwise abuse the Service.

6. Payments, fees, and the Stripe relationship

All payments on Budling are processed by Stripe Payments Company (in the US) or Stripe Payments UK Limited (in the UK) under Stripe's Connected Account Agreement and Stripe's privacy policy. By contributing or by accepting payouts, you also agree to Stripe's terms.

Currency: all contributions are processed in US dollars. Card issuers may apply currency conversion if your card is denominated in another currency.

What Budling charges

• Platform fee on contributions: $0. Budling does not take a percentage of any contribution. The full amount the contributor pays for the gift, less Stripe's processing fee, is delivered to the registry owner.
• Optional "Pay it forward" tip: at checkout, contributors may add a voluntary tip to support Budling. Tips are opt-in, capped at $10,000 per transaction, clearly labelled, and may be set to $0. Tips are revenue to Budling and are non-refundable except where required by law.
• Tips are voluntary contributions, not payment for service. Optional tips made to Budling at the time of giving are voluntary and do not constitute payment for any specific service or feature. Tips support Budling's general operations. Budling may, in the future, introduce subscription tiers, premium features, paid services, or other changes to its pricing model. Providing an optional tip does not entitle the contributor or registry owner to any guarantees regarding future pricing, feature availability, or continued access to any particular tier of service.

What Stripe charges

• Stripe charges its standard payment-processing fee on every transaction. This fee is paid by the contributor and is shown transparently in the order summary at checkout before payment.
• Stripe sets and may change its fee schedule. Current Stripe pricing is published at stripe.com/pricing.
• Stripe may also assess fees for chargebacks, currency conversion, instant payouts, or account verification — these are governed by your separate agreement with Stripe and are deducted from payouts to the registry owner where applicable.

Contribution amounts

Minimum contribution: $1.00. Maximum contribution per transaction: $100,000. We reserve the right to lower limits where required by anti-fraud or regulatory rules.

7. How we hold contributions for you (limited agency & trust)

This section explains the legal nature of contributions held in transit. It is the most important provision in these Terms for both registry owners and contributors, and it governs in case of any conflict with marketing or other materials.

Limited-agency appointment. By creating a registry on Budling, you (the registry owner) appoint Budling Technologies Ltd. as your limited agent for the sole and exclusive purpose of receiving contributions on your behalf and arranging for those contributions to be transmitted to you through Stripe. Budling acts only within the scope of this limited agency and has no authority to use, lend, invest, pledge, or otherwise dispose of contributions for any other purpose.

Funds held for your exclusive benefit. Contributions received by our payment processor (Stripe) are at all times held for the exclusive benefit of the registry owner (or, prior to a contribution being claimed, for the benefit of the contributor entitled to a refund under the 120-day rule). Such contributions do not constitute Budling's property, revenue, or general assets at any time. Budling does not have, and will not assert, any beneficial, security, or other proprietary interest in contributions in transit.

Bankruptcy-remote treatment. In the event of Budling's insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, dissolution, or similar proceeding, contributions held by Stripe for the benefit of registry owners or contributors remain the property of those owners and contributors, are held in trust for them, and shall not be available to Budling's creditors or be included in Budling's bankruptcy estate. Budling will direct Stripe to complete pending transfers to verified registry owners, and to refund unclaimed contributions to contributors, in accordance with these Terms and Stripe's terms.

No commingling. Contributions are never deposited into Budling's operating bank account. All contribution funds remain within Stripe's payment infrastructure and move only between Stripe accounts (the Budling platform Stripe account and the registry owner's connected Stripe Express account). Budling's operating revenue — limited to optional "Pay it forward" tips — is settled separately from contribution funds.

Out of scope. The limited agency described in this Section 7 does not extend to: (a) 529 contributions, which the registry owner makes directly through UGift or another 529-plan portal (see Section 10); (b) any peer-to-peer payments contributors choose to make outside the Service (e.g. Venmo, Zelle, cash); or (c) funds after they have been transferred to and received by the registry owner's connected Stripe account.

8. Payouts and the 120-day claim window

When a contribution is paid, the funds are held on the Budling platform Stripe account in our limited-agency capacity described in Section 7 until the registry owner has (a) created an account, (b) connected a Stripe Express account, and (c) completed Stripe's identity verification. Once those conditions are met, Budling instructs Stripe to transfer the contributions to the registry owner's connected Stripe account, and Stripe pays out from there to the bank account the owner has on file according to its standard payout schedule.

• Most contributions are transferred to a verified registry owner within 1–3 business days of being received.
• If the registry has not been claimed and verified within 120 days of the contribution date, Budling will automatically refund the contribution to the contributor's original payment method. We run this refund process daily.
• We may, at our discretion, attempt to contact the registry owner before refunds are issued, but the 120-day rule is automatic and does not require contributor action.
• Once funds have been transferred to a registry owner's connected Stripe account, the funds are owned and controlled by the registry owner. Budling is no longer able to recall or refund those funds; refunds at that point require the registry owner's cooperation or a chargeback through your card issuer.

9. Refunds, disputes, and chargebacks

Automatic refunds

Contributions to unclaimed registries are refunded after 120 days as described above. No action is required from you. The refund returns to the original payment method and typically settles within 5–10 business days, depending on your card issuer.

Voluntary refunds before claim

While funds are still held on the Budling platform, a contributor may request a refund by emailing hello@budling.com. We will process the refund within a reasonable time, generally within 5 business days, provided the funds have not yet been transferred to the registry owner.

Disputes after a registry has been claimed

Once funds have been transferred to a registry owner, Budling cannot unilaterally reverse the transfer. If you believe a registry is fraudulent, the registry owner has misused funds, or you did not authorise a payment, you may:

• Contact trust@budling.com with details — we will investigate and may suspend the registry, withhold future payouts, and assist law enforcement where appropriate;
• Initiate a chargeback through your card issuer. Chargebacks are governed by your card network's rules. Budling will share evidence with Stripe as required.

Tips

Optional tips paid to Budling are non-refundable except where required by law. Mistaken tips entered in error can usually be refunded if you contact us within 24 hours of payment.

10. 529 college savings and UGift

Budling helps families route a portion of contributions toward a child's 529 college savings plan. To be precise about how this works:

• Budling does not hold, manage, or invest 529 funds. We are not affiliated with, and do not represent, any 529 plan administrator.
• When a registry includes a 529 savings goal, the registry owner makes the actual deposit to their plan, typically via UGift 529 (operated by Ascensus) or by direct deposit through the chosen plan's portal.
• Investment performance, tax treatment, contribution limits, and qualified-withdrawal rules are governed entirely by the 529 plan you choose and applicable state and federal law. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
• Some 529 contributions may be eligible for state tax deductions; eligibility depends on the contributor's state of residence and the plan. Consult a qualified tax professional.

11. Your content (notes, photos, videos)

"Your Content" includes registry text, item descriptions, profile and registry photos, and any notes, photos, or videos you attach to a contribution.

• You own Your Content. We claim no ownership of anything you upload.
• You grant Budling a limited licence to host, store, reproduce, transmit, and display Your Content solely for the purpose of operating and providing the Service to you and the people you choose to share with. This licence ends when you delete the content, except for backups retained for a limited period as described in our Privacy Policy.
• We will not use photos, videos, or notes contributors attach to gifts for marketing, testimonials, advertising, or training of machine-learning systems.
• You are responsible for the legality of Your Content. Do not upload anything you do not have the right to share, and do not include other people's children in photos without their parents' permission.
• We may remove content that violates these Terms, applicable law, or another person's rights, with or without notice depending on the severity.

12. Prohibited uses

You may not, and may not permit others to:

• Use Budling to collect funds under false pretences, including registries for non-existent children, fabricated events, or causes outside the scope of a personal child's gift registry;
• Launder money, evade sanctions, or use the Service in violation of US, UK, or other applicable financial laws;
• Solicit donations for charities, political campaigns, businesses, medical fundraising, or any cause that is not a personal child's gift registry;
• Upload content that is illegal, sexually explicit, harassing, hateful, defamatory, infringing, or contains malware;
• Upload images of children other than your own (or those of children whose parents have given you express permission to do so);
• Scrape, reverse engineer, decompile, probe, or interfere with the Service or its underlying infrastructure;
• Use bots or automated tools to interact with the Service except for permitted, well-behaved crawlers respecting our robots.txt;
• Resell, redistribute, or build a competing service using data scraped from Budling;
• Impersonate any person or misrepresent your relationship to a child featured on a registry.

13. Suspension and termination

We may suspend or terminate your account or any registry at any time if we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms, posed a risk to other users, or violated applicable law. Where the breach is not severe, we will usually notify you and give you a reasonable opportunity to cure.

You may close your account at any time from your dashboard or by emailing hello@budling.com. If you close your account while contributions are still held on the platform, those contributions will be refunded to the contributors.

Sections that by their nature should survive termination — including ownership, content licences, fees already incurred, disclaimers, limitations of liability, indemnities, and dispute resolution — will survive.

14. Intellectual property

The Budling name, logo, sprout mark, the Service's design, code, copy, and all related materials are owned by Budling Technologies Ltd. and protected by intellectual property laws. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the Service in accordance with these Terms.

You may not use the Budling name or logo in any way that suggests endorsement or affiliation without our prior written permission.

Feedback: if you send us feedback or suggestions, you grant us a perpetual, royalty-free licence to use it without restriction.

15. Disclaimers and warranties

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, accuracy, or uninterrupted operation.

We do not warrant that any specific item on a registry will be purchased, that any contribution will result in any specific outcome, that any 529 deposit will be made, or that the Service will be free from errors, bugs, or interruptions.

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded — including, in the UK, liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or breach of statutory consumer rights.

16. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event will Budling, its officers, employees, or affiliates be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, goodwill, data, or anticipated savings, arising out of or related to your use of the Service.

Our total aggregate liability arising out of or related to these Terms or the Service will not exceed the greater of (a) the total tips you have paid to Budling in the 12 months preceding the claim, or (b) USD $100.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, in which case the foregoing limitations apply only to the extent permitted by law.

17. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Budling, its affiliates, and its personnel from any claim, demand, loss, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of (a) your breach of these Terms, (b) Your Content, (c) your misuse of contributions, (d) your violation of any law, or (e) your infringement of any third party's rights.

18. Dispute resolution and arbitration

Informal resolution first. Before filing any formal claim, we ask that you contact us at legal@budling.com and give us 30 days to resolve the issue. Most disputes can be resolved this way.

For users in the United States: any unresolved dispute will be settled by binding individual arbitration administered by JAMS under its Streamlined Arbitration Rules, in English, in the US state where you reside, except either party may bring (a) a small-claims action in their local court, or (b) a claim for injunctive relief to protect intellectual property. You and Budling each waive the right to a jury trial and to participate in a class action. You may opt out of arbitration by emailing legal@budling.com within 30 days of first agreeing to these Terms.

For users in the United Kingdom and elsewhere: the courts of England and Wales will have non-exclusive jurisdiction over disputes, except that consumers may also bring proceedings in the courts of their country of residence as required by mandatory consumer-protection law.

19. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, except that (i) for users resident in the United States, the Federal Arbitration Act and the laws of the State of Delaware govern the arbitration agreement and the substantive Terms respectively, without regard to conflict-of-law principles; and (ii) mandatory consumer-protection laws of your country of residence continue to apply where they cannot be contracted out of.

20. General provisions

• Entire agreement: these Terms, the Privacy Policy, and any policies linked from them constitute the entire agreement between you and Budling regarding the Service.
• Severability: if any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.
• No waiver: our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.
• Assignment: you may not assign these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, on notice to you.
• Force majeure: neither party is liable for failure to perform due to events beyond reasonable control.
• Notices: we may give notice to you by email to the address on your account or by posting on the Service. You may give notice to us at legal@budling.com.
• Relationship: except for the limited agency described in Section 7 (which exists for the sole purpose of receiving and transmitting contributions), nothing in these Terms creates a general agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship between you and Budling.

21. Contact

Budling Technologies Ltd.
General inquiries: hello@budling.com
Trust and safety: trust@budling.com
Privacy: privacy@budling.com
Legal notices: legal@budling.com

22. Change log

• Version 2.1 — 25 April 2026. Added Section 7 ("How we hold contributions for you — limited agency & trust") establishing Budling as the registry owner's limited agent solely for receiving and transmitting contributions; clarified that contributions held by Stripe are at all times for the exclusive benefit of registry owners (or contributors entitled to a refund), do not constitute Budling's property or revenue, are bankruptcy-remote in the event of Budling's insolvency, and are never commingled with Budling's operating funds. Updated the "Relationship" clause in General Provisions to be consistent with this limited agency. Renumbered subsequent sections.
• Version 2.0 — 24 April 2026. Comprehensive rewrite for accuracy: corrected the false "2.5% Budling fee" — Budling does not charge a percentage on contributions and the actual revenue model is the optional "Pay it forward" tip; clarified Stripe's role as the payments processor and money-movement provider; added precise 120-day auto-refund language; added the 529/UGift relationship in detail; expanded prohibited uses, content licence, dispute resolution (US arbitration vs UK courts), and limitation of liability; added a TL;DR summary and full table of contents.
• Version 1.0 — 14 April 2026. Initial Terms of Service.