Terms of Service

Last updated: May 4, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of Octavemerch (the "Service"), operated from Finland. By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years old to create an account. By signing up you confirm that you meet this requirement and that the information you provide is accurate.

2. Account types

Octavemerch offers two account types:

• Shopper accounts - free. Used to browse, save favourites, and place orders. You may also place an order as a guest without creating an account; an anonymous identifier is used solely to associate your cart with your payment session and to send you a receipt.
• Creator accounts - subscription. Used to create and sell merchandise via on-demand printing. Creator accounts require a real, verified email address; anonymous or guest checkout sessions cannot be used to publish merchandise.

3. Creator plans & billing

1. Creator accounts start on the Free plan automatically. The Free plan includes a public store page, the design studio, and up to 3 simultaneously published items chosen from the starter product menu that Octavemerch curates.
2. The Pro plan (€12 per month) removes the published-item limit and makes the entire product catalog available for publishing. Pro is billed monthly through Stripe and auto-renews until cancelled.
3. You can cancel Pro anytime from your account page. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid month; you keep Pro features until then.
4. When Pro lapses (cancellation or failed payment), your account returns to the Free plan. Your store and all previously published items remain live; publishing NEW items is subject to the Free plan limits until you upgrade again.
5. We do not offer pro-rated refunds for partial months. Statutory consumer rights under EU law are not affected.
6. Octavemerch may adjust which products are included in the Free plan starter menu. Items you have already published stay published even if their product later leaves the starter menu.
7. A Premium plan may be introduced in the future; its terms will be published before it becomes purchasable.
8. Prices are quoted in euros and exclude VAT or local sales taxes where applicable.

4. Order fulfilment, pricing & revenue split

Physical merchandise is produced and shipped on demand by our third-party print partner. When a fan buys an item, Octavemerch collects the customer payment, deducts the production and shipping cost charged by the print partner plus payment processing fees, and pays the remainder to the creator as their share. Creators set their own retail prices and earnings per sale are visible in the design wizard.

4.1 How the customer total is calculated

1. Item price. Set by the creator on each design and shown on the product page. This is the only component the creator can change.
2. Shipping. Quoted live from our print partner based on the destination address you enter at checkout. Different countries, weights, and carriers produce different shipping costs.
3. Tax or VAT. Quoted live from our print partner based on their jurisdiction and your destination. EU buyers will typically see VAT applied. Non-EU buyers may see no tax line.
4. Payment processing. Stripe’s card processing fee is built into the totals shown so the price you see is the price you pay; Octavemerch does not add a separate processing surcharge on top.

4.2 Why the total can change between sessions

Our print partner’s production rates, shipping rates, and the carrier they auto-select can change without notice as their network and pricing partners update. As a result, the same product may quote at slightly different totals on different days, in different regions, or for different variants (size, colour, sides printed). Any price shown earlier in the cart or on a product page is indicative. Only the figure displayed on the “Place order” button at the moment of click is binding.

4.3 Currency & conversion

All merchandise is priced and charged in US dollars (USD). If your card is denominated in another currency, your bank or card issuer will convert the amount at their prevailing rate and may add a foreign-transaction fee - we have no control over those rates or fees.

4.4 Binding price & address validity

By clicking “Place order” you confirm that you have reviewed the breakdown shown on screen (subtotal, shipping, tax, total) and accept it as the agreed price for that order. We do not change the order price after submission. If the address you provided turns out to be invalid or outside our print partner’s shipping coverage, we will contact you to either re-quote or refund the original charge.

4.5 Production & shipping times, print quality

Our print partner typically produces orders within 2 to 4 business days. Delivery times then depend on destination and carrier. Any dates shown at checkout are estimates, not guarantees. We use reasonable efforts to ensure print quality. Disputes about defective prints or shipping issues are handled through our support team and the print partner’s warranty terms (see Section 5).

4.6 Creator earnings & pricing structure

This section explains how the “you receive per sale” figure shown in the design wizard is calculated and what affects it. It is the operative description for how creators are paid on Octavemerch.

The creator sets the retail price. When you publish a design, you choose a sale price in EUR. That is what the customer is charged for the item itself. Shipping and any tax/VAT are added on top of that figure at checkout - they are paid by the customer, not deducted from your earnings.

What is deducted from the retail price before payout. Two things, in this order:

1. Production cost. The amount our third-party print partner (currently Gelato) charges Octavemerch to produce the item. This varies with size (4XL or 5XL cost more than S, M, or L), colour, sides printed, and the print technology used for that variant.
2. Payment processing. Stripe charges a per-transaction fee that varies with the customer’s card type and country (typically 1.5%–3.5% plus a small per-transaction component). Octavemerch reads the exact Stripe fee from Stripe’s API after each charge clears and deducts only that exact amount.

No platform cut. Octavemerch does not retain a per-sale margin. After production cost and the actual Stripe processing fee are deducted from the customer’s payment, the remainder is paid to the creator by bank transfer to the IBAN they register on their dashboard, in a monthly payout run. Octavemerch’s revenue model is the Creator subscription described in Section 3, not a slice of sales.

Monthly bank-transfer payouts. Creator earnings accrue in Octavemerch’s account as orders are fulfilled by our print partner. On or before the last business day of each calendar month, Octavemerch transfers the accrued balance (minus production cost and the actual Stripe processing fee on each sale) to the bank account the creator has registered in their dashboard. Creators must enter IBAN, BIC (where applicable), account-holder name, and country before payouts can be sent. SEPA-area creators receive the transfer in EUR; non-EU creators may receive equivalent currency via Wise or Revolut where Octavemerch supports the destination country. Minimum payout balance is €5; balances below that roll over to the next month.

Earnings shown in the design wizard are estimates. The wizard’s “you receive per sale” figure uses (a) the median size you offer and (b) an estimated Stripe processing fee, because the actual Stripe fee for any given sale cannot be known until that sale is processed. Each figure in the wizard is marked “(est)”. The amount actually transferred to your bank per sale may vary by approximately ±€0.30 depending on the customer’s card type and country. Detailed per-sale breakdowns showing the real Stripe fee, production cost, and your exact payout are visible in the Receipts section of your dashboard after each sale.

Two-sided designs. Printing on both sides roughly doubles the production cost; the wizard surfaces a notice when you have art on more than one side. Earnings on two-sided designs are correspondingly lower at the same retail price.

Refunds and chargebacks. If a sale is refunded (defective item, lost in transit, a successful chargeback initiated by the customer, or any other reason), the refunded amount is deducted from the creator’s accrued payout balance. If the refund reverses a sale that has already been paid out in a prior month, the deduction applies against subsequent months’ balances until the creator’s account is restored. Stripe’s dispute fee (where applicable) is absorbed by Octavemerch and not passed on to the creator. Reprints funded by Octavemerch under our quality/transit guarantee do not affect the creator’s share.

Currency. Creators set retail prices in their own currency. Fans see localised totals at checkout. Stripe handles any currency conversion automatically (typically 2% on cross-currency sales) and reports the exact amount Octavemerch receives. Creator payouts are sent in EUR by SEPA where available, or in the creator’s registered currency via Wise / Revolut for supported non-EU destinations. The wizard’s processing-fee estimate includes a buffer for typical conversion costs.

Until you register a payout account. Creators can still design products and build out their storefront without registering payout details. However, the public storefront will display “Available soon” instead of an Add-to-Cart button until valid payout details (IBAN, BIC where applicable, account-holder name, country) are entered on the dashboard. Fans cannot purchase merchandise from creators who have not yet registered payout details.

Subscription lapse. If your Creator subscription becomes inactive (cancelled, expired, or payment failed), new purchases of your merchandise are blocked at checkout. Sales already in progress finish processing normally. Reactivate your subscription to resume sales.

Tax responsibility. Creators are responsible for declaring their Octavemerch earnings to their own tax authority. Octavemerch sends each creator an annual summary of their payouts but does not deduct income tax at source and is not the merchant of record for tax-reporting purposes. Creators are responsible for VAT registration once they cross their country’s threshold.

Where this Section 4 conflicts with mandatory EU consumer rights (including the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU and your country’s implementation of it), those rights prevail.

5. Returns, refunds & the EU 14-day withdrawal exemption

Every item sold on Octavemerch is custom-printed on demand for the buyer. Under Article 16(c) of the EU Consumer Rights Directive, goods made to the consumer’s specifications or clearly personalised are exempt from the standard 14-day right of withdrawal. As a result we cannot accept returns for “changed my mind”, wrong-size, or wrong-color orders. Please double-check sizing and color choices on the product page before paying.

We do reprint or refund in full for:

• Defective or damaged items. Email support@octavemerch.com within 30 days of delivery with your order number, the name on the order, and clear photos of the issue. We’ll either reprint and reship at no charge, or refund the full amount to the original payment method.
• Lost in transit. If tracking shows your parcel hasn’t moved in 10+ business days, contact us; we’ll open a courier investigation and reprint or refund if it can’t be located.

Cancellations and refunds are possible only before production starts. Production typically begins within approximately 10 minutes of checkout. Once a print job has begun, the item has been made specifically for you and the order cannot be cancelled or refunded for any reason other than the defect, transit-loss, or fulfilment-failure cases listed above. This is a firm rule: no exceptions for change of mind, wrong size, or wrong colour after production has started.

This section summarises the policy. The full text lives at /support#returns and forms part of these Terms.

5.1 Sizing & colour accuracy

Sizing on Octavemerch follows the chart provided by our print partner for each garment style and brand. The chart is the authoritative reference. Because brand cuts vary, we strongly recommend reviewing the size chart on the product page before purchasing. We cannot accept returns based on fit alone (see Section 5 above).

Colours displayed on screen are an approximation. The exact shade printed depends on (a) the customer’s monitor, (b) the garment fabric and dye lot, and (c) the print technology used (DTG, DTF, embroidery). Slight differences between the on-screen mock-up and the finished item are normal and are not considered a defect. Defective output (clearly wrong colour, blurred print, off-centre placement, etc.) is covered by the reprint/refund policy in Section 5.

5.2 International shipping & customs duties

Our print partner ships internationally via partner carriers. The customer is the importer of record for any cross-border shipment. Where applicable, customs duties, import VAT, brokerage fees, or local taxes that arise on import are the responsibility of the receiving customer and are NOT included in the price paid at checkout. Refused parcels that incur return-to-sender costs are not eligible for a refund.

For shipments to the EU under the Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) scheme, EU VAT is collected at checkout and forwarded by our print partner to the relevant tax authority. In those cases no separate import VAT should be charged on delivery. If you are charged a duplicate VAT amount on an EU delivery, contact support@octavemerch.com with the carrier’s receipt and we will help reclaim it.

We may at our discretion decline to ship to addresses in countries subject to international sanctions, embargoes, or where our print partner has no fulfilment coverage. The order will be cancelled and refunded in full.

6. Creator content & intellectual property

• You retain ownership of all designs, artwork, names, and other content you upload ("Creator Content").
• You grant Octavemerch a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, reproduce, print, ship, and display your Creator Content for the sole purpose of operating the Service and fulfilling orders on your behalf.
• You confirm you own or have permission to use everything you upload, including logos, photos, fonts, and band names. You are responsible for any third-party rights claims.
• Octavemerch may remove Creator Content that violates these Terms, infringes third-party rights, or is reported as illegal or unsafe.

6.1 Reporting infringement (notice & takedown)

If you believe Creator Content on Octavemerch infringes your copyright, trademark, or other intellectual-property right, send a takedown notice to support@octavemerch.com with all of the following:

1. Your full legal name, postal address, email address, and phone number;
2. A description of the work or right you claim has been infringed (e.g. registered trademark, copyrighted artwork) with a registration number or evidence of ownership where applicable;
3. Direct URLs to the specific Octavemerch design pages, shop pages, or product images you allege are infringing;
4. A statement made in good faith that you believe the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorised by the rights holder, its agent, or the law;
5. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the rights holder or are authorised to act on the rights holder’s behalf;
6. Your physical or electronic signature.

On receipt of a substantively complete notice we will, at our discretion: (a) remove or disable access to the disputed Creator Content, (b) place the store on a Sales Pause under Section 9 pending review, and (c) notify the creator of the claim with a copy of the notice (with personal details redacted on request).

If you are an creator whose content has been removed under this procedure and you believe the removal was a mistake or covered by a valid exception (e.g. fair use, parody, your own original work), you may submit a counter-notice to the same address containing items 1, 3, 5, and 6 above plus a statement that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed in error. We will reinstate the content unless the original complainant initiates a legal action within 14 days.

Repeat infringers may have their accounts terminated under Section 10.

7. Acceptable use

You agree not to use the Service to upload, sell, distribute, or promote content or merchandise that:

• infringes any intellectual-property right (copyright, trademark, publicity, or otherwise), including unlicensed use of another creator’s name, logo, lyrics, or artwork;
• is defamatory, harassing, hateful, or incites discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any protected characteristic;
• depicts, promotes, or glorifies hate symbols, terrorism, organised hate groups, or violent extremism;
• sexualises minors, depicts child sexual abuse material, or contains non-consensual sexual content;
• depicts explicit pornography, sexually explicit imagery, or paraphilic content;
• promotes or depicts firearms, ammunition, explosives, weapons of any kind, or weapon accessories;
• promotes, depicts, or markets controlled substances, illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, cannabis or CBD products (regardless of local legality), tobacco, vape, or e-cigarette products, alcohol marketed to minors, or pharmaceuticals;
• promotes gambling, lotteries, sweepstakes, or get-rich-quick schemes;
• promotes multi-level marketing, pyramid schemes, or pseudo-investment instruments;
• promotes or facilitates the sale of counterfeit, replica, or stolen goods;
• promotes violence, self-harm, suicide, or illegal activity of any kind;
• contains malware, phishing material, or attempts to compromise the Service or its users;
• falls under any category listed on the Stripe Restricted Businesses page, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference because Octavemerch processes payments through Stripe and must comply with their platform rules.

You also agree not to attempt to circumvent our security, rate limits, or App Check protections.

Enforcement. If we determine that any of your content or merchandise breaches this section, we may, at our discretion and without notice: remove the content, cancel pending orders, pause your storefront, hold any earnings accrued from breaching sales pending review, reverse Stripe transfers, terminate your account, and (where required) report the breach to Stripe, our print partner, or law-enforcement authorities. We may also withhold payouts for completed sales of breaching merchandise to cover refunds, chargebacks, fines, or fees triggered by the breach.

Creators are responsible for verifying their own merchandise complies with this section before publishing. Octavemerch performs spot-check moderation but does not pre-screen every design.

8. Account verification & security

Email verification is required to publish merch. Anonymous (guest-checkout) sessions cannot create or modify Creator accounts, publish designs, or manage a band record - those actions require a verified email address or sign-in via a trusted identity provider (currently Google, Apple, GitHub, Microsoft). We may suspend accounts that fail repeated verification, exhibit fraudulent payment activity, or violate these Terms. You are responsible for keeping your password secure.

9. Sales pause

We may temporarily pause sales for an individual creator (a “Sales Pause”) without removing their account or designs - for example while we investigate a third-party rights claim, a payment dispute, or suspected misuse. During a Sales Pause:

• The creator’s designs remain visible on the public catalogue.
• The Add-to-Cart and checkout buttons for that creator are disabled.
• Other creators are unaffected.
• The creator retains access to their dashboard and may continue to edit drafts.

Sales Pauses are intended to be short-lived. We will lift the pause as soon as the issue is resolved, or convert it to a suspension or termination under Section 10 if it cannot be resolved.

10. Termination

You may delete your account at any time from your profile page. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, with or without notice depending on the severity. On termination, your published designs are removed from the public catalogue. You remain entitled to any earnings already accrued.

11. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, except those that cannot be excluded under EU consumer law. We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability, error-free operation, or specific sales outcomes.

12. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Octavemerch’s aggregate liability arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the greater of (a) the total fees you paid us in the twelve months preceding the claim, or (b) one hundred euros (€100). We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.

13. Governing law & disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of Finland, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. EU consumers retain access to mandatory consumer protections in their country of residence and to the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

14. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified by email or in-product notice at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use after the effective date means you accept the updated Terms.

15. Indemnification

You (the creator) agree to indemnify and hold harmless Octavemerch, its operator, and our print fulfilment partner from any claim, demand, loss, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: (a) Creator Content you uploaded that infringes a third party’s intellectual-property, privacy, or publicity rights; (b) your breach of these Terms; (c) tax obligations on your earnings that you are responsible for under Section 4.6. This obligation applies whether the claim is made directly against you or against Octavemerch on the basis of your Content.

Customers do not have an indemnification obligation toward Octavemerch under these Terms beyond their own breaches of Sections 5 (returns), 7 (acceptable use), and 8 (security).

16. Data protection & privacy

Octavemerch processes personal data (account email, addresses, payment metadata, design files, order history, and limited analytics) in line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our full Privacy Policy describes what we collect, why, how long we keep it, and your rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection.

By using Octavemerch you consent to the processing described in the Privacy Policy. To exercise any GDPR right, email support@octavemerch.com. We respond within 30 days as required by GDPR Art. 12.

Sub-processors currently include Google Firebase (hosting, auth, database), Stripe (payments), a third-party print fulfilment partner, and the email service we use for transactional notifications. Each operates under their own DPA with appropriate safeguards. The list is updated in the Privacy Policy.

17. Force majeure

Neither party is liable for delays or failures in performance caused by events outside their reasonable control, including but not limited to: failure of internet infrastructure, payment-processor outages, print-partner downtime, postal/courier disruption, natural disasters, war, riots, government action, sanctions, pandemics, or strikes. Where such an event prevents fulfilment for more than 30 days, either party may cancel the affected order(s) and refund any payment made.

18. Severability, entire agreement, assignment, no waiver

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a competent court, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent needed to make it enforceable, or struck if that is not possible. The remaining provisions stay in full force.

Entire agreement. These Terms (together with the Privacy Policy and the policies they reference at /support) are the entire agreement between you and Octavemerch regarding the Service and supersede any prior or contemporaneous communication.

Assignment. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. Octavemerch may assign these Terms to an affiliate or to a successor in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all our assets, with notice to you by email.

No waiver. Failure to enforce any right under these Terms is not a waiver of that right. A waiver of any breach is not a waiver of any subsequent breach.

Independent contractors. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship between Octavemerch and an creator. Each party acts as an independent contractor.

19. Contact

Questions about these Terms, legal/IP notices, and privacy / GDPR requests: support@octavemerch.com.

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