Terms of Service
Last updated: September 12, 2026
Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using GroupUp, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the app. These terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and GroupUp. We recommend you read them carefully.
Description of Service
GroupUp is a social application that helps users discover places and live events, and plan activities with friends. Features include: • Discovering nearby places and live events through swiping • Creating and joining groups • Voting on places within groups • Messaging with group members • Saving favorite places and events • Pre-event dining coordination • Submitting ratings and written reviews for places • Submitting photos and place information through the Contributor Program • Earning and redeeming contributor credits for Premium access • Business account tools for venue owners
User Accounts
• You must provide accurate information when creating an account • You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and password • You must be at least 13 years old to use GroupUp • One person may not maintain multiple accounts • You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account • Notify us immediately at groupup.support@protonmail.com if you suspect unauthorized access to your account
Acceptable Use
You agree NOT to: • Use the app for any illegal purpose • Harass, abuse, threaten, or harm other users • Post offensive, defamatory, or harmful content • Submit false or misleading place reviews, ratings, or place information • Submit photos you did not take or do not have the rights to use • Submit photos taken at a location other than the place being described • Create multiple accounts to farm contributor credits • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the service or other accounts • Interfere with the proper functioning of the app • Use automated systems or bots to access the service • Impersonate others or misrepresent your affiliation • Use the app to send spam or unsolicited communications • Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the app • Organize or participate in coordinated vouching schemes to fraudulently earn contributor credits • Submit false or misleading identity, dietary, or accessibility tags for any venue
User Content
• You retain ownership of content you create, including messages, reviews, and submitted photos • By posting content, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, perpetual license to use, display, reproduce, modify, and distribute that content within the service and in promotional materials related to the service. Private group messages are licensed solely for the purpose of displaying them within the service and are not used in promotional materials. • For place photo submissions made through the Contributor Program, this license attaches at the time of submission and survives account deletion. For approved submissions, the license also survives any subsequent removal of the submission from the service. We will not use your name in connection with approved content after your account is deleted. • Posts you create that are associated with a place may appear in that place's public photo gallery within the app, visible to all GroupUp users regardless of group membership. If your account is set to private, your posts will not appear in place galleries. You can update your privacy setting at any time from Profile settings. • You are responsible for the accuracy and legality of content you post • We may remove content that violates these terms at any time without notice • Reviews must reflect genuine first-hand experiences from your direct personal visit to the establishment; fake or incentivized reviews are prohibited • GroupUp does not monitor group messages in real time and is not responsible for their content. Users are solely responsible for messages they send. • Group messages are part of the shared group conversation record and remain visible to group members after your account is deleted. If you wish to remove a specific message before deleting your account, you may do so from within the app.
Contributor Program
GroupUp allows users to submit photos and place information (hours, amenities, pricing, and more) for venues through our Contributor Program. By submitting a contribution: Photo Requirements • You confirm that all submitted photos were taken by you and that you own the copyright • You confirm that submitted photos were taken at or immediately outside the location being described • You grant GroupUp a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, perpetual license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your submitted photos within the service, in marketing materials, and in any medium now known or later developed • This photo license attaches at the time of submission and survives account deletion. For approved submissions, the license also survives any subsequent removal of the submission from the service. • Submitting photos you do not own, photos taken from the internet, or photos taken at a different location is strictly prohibited Place Information • You confirm that submitted place information (hours, amenities, pricing, etc.) is accurate to the best of your knowledge at the time of submission, and that you have not intentionally submitted false or misleading information • Place information is subject to community verification by other users through our vouch system • Intentionally submitting false place information to earn credits is prohibited • Organizing or participating in coordinated vouch schemes — where users agree to vouch for each other's submissions regardless of accuracy — is prohibited and may result in credit deductions and account restrictions Contributor Credits • Credits are awarded for approved submissions and verified community vouches • Credits have no cash value and are non-transferable • Credits cannot be sold, gifted, or exchanged for cash under any circumstances • Credits can be redeemed for Premium subscription access and other in-app rewards at our sole discretion • Credits may go negative if submitted content is flagged and found to be inaccurate, stolen, or in violation of these terms. Negative credits do not represent a monetary debt to GroupUp. • We reserve the right to adjust, forfeit, or cancel contributor credits at any time if misuse is detected • In the event of a significant credit clawback resulting from violations of these terms, GroupUp reserves the right to revoke any Premium access that was granted through credit redemption • All unused credits are forfeited upon account deletion and will not be refunded or compensated Violations and Enforcement • Submitting stolen or copyrighted photos: credit deduction of 200 pts per photo • Submitting materially false place information: credit deductions per affected field • Accounts reaching -300 credits may be flagged and restricted from the Contributor Program • Accounts reaching -1,000 credits may be permanently banned from the Contributor Program. Accounts permanently banned from the Contributor Program may also be subject to full account termination at our discretion. • Serious or repeated violations may result in account suspension or termination • All enforcement actions are logged and may be reviewed upon written request to groupup.support@protonmail.com within 30 days of the enforcement action. We will respond to review requests within 30 days. Content Review • All photo submissions are reviewed by GroupUp administrators before appearing in the app • We reserve the right to reject, edit descriptions of, or remove any submitted content at any time • Approved submissions may display your username as a contributor credit on the place listing unless you have opted out in settings
Ratings and Reviews
GroupUp allows users to submit star ratings and written reviews for places. By submitting a review: • You confirm the review reflects your honest, personal experience from a direct visit to the establishment • You agree your display name and rating may be visible to other users • You grant us the right to display your review on place cards within the app and otherwise use your review consistent with the license granted under User Content above • Reviews represent the opinions of individual users and do not reflect the views of GroupUp • We reserve the right to remove reviews that are abusive, spam, or violate these terms
Business Accounts
Business accounts allow venue owners to claim and manage their listings. By registering a business account: • You represent that you are authorized to act on behalf of the business • You agree not to submit false verification information • Promotional placement is subject to subscription fees and does not guarantee specific rankings or visibility • We reserve the right to revoke business verification if misuse is detected • Business subscriptions are billed through Stripe and governed by their payment terms • You are responsible for the accuracy of all information you submit for your listing
Subscriptions and Payments
Free Tier • Basic features with usage limitations • Includes advertisements served by Google AdMob Premium Subscription • Monthly Plan: $9.99/month • Annual Plan: $64.99/year ($5.42/month — save 48%) • All features unlocked, no advertisements • Extended limits on groups, favorites, swipe history, and more Business Subscriptions • Tiered plans for venue promotion and verified badge • Billed via Stripe; see in-app pricing for current rates User subscriptions are managed through Apple and automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Manage your subscription in iOS Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. We do not collect or store your payment card information. All App Store billing is handled directly by Apple. Business subscription billing is handled by Stripe. No Refunds All purchases are final. We do not issue refunds for partial subscription periods, unused credits, or changes to the service. For billing disputes, contact Apple Support for App Store purchases or groupup.support@protonmail.com for business subscriptions. Initiating a payment dispute or chargeback through Apple or Stripe constitutes your election of that remedy and waives your right to seek a separate direct refund from GroupUp for the same transaction. Duplicate recovery is not permitted.
Group Messaging
GroupUp provides in-app messaging within groups. By using this feature: • Other users may add you to groups. You may leave any group at any time from the group settings. • You are solely responsible for the content of messages you send • GroupUp does not monitor group messages in real time • We are not responsible for the content of messages sent by other users • We reserve the right to remove messages and terminate accounts that are reported to violate these terms • Do not share sensitive personal information (passwords, financial details, personal identification) in group messages
Third-Party Services
GroupUp integrates with third-party services to provide its features: • Apple — MapKit, StoreKit, push notifications • Supabase — database, authentication, and storage • Stripe — business subscription billing • Google AdMob — advertising (free tier) • Ticketmaster & SeatGeek — live event discovery • Viator & GetYourGuide — experience and activity listings • OpenTable — restaurant reservation links (opens external browser) Your use of these services is subject to their respective terms and privacy policies. GroupUp is not responsible for third-party content, conduct, or availability.
Place, Event, and Dietary Information
Place data is sourced from Apple MapKit and may be supplemented by user contributions or business owners. Event data is sourced from Ticketmaster and SeatGeek. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any place, event, or dietary information. Important: Dietary and allergen information displayed in the app (such as "gluten-free," "vegan," or "nut-free") is submitted by users or business owners and has not been independently verified by GroupUp. This information may be inaccurate or outdated. If you have a food allergy or dietary restriction, always verify directly with the venue before ordering or attending. GroupUp is not liable for any illness, injury, or adverse reaction arising from reliance on dietary information displayed in the app. Always verify details directly with the venue before attending any event or making a reservation.
DMCA and Copyright
GroupUp respects intellectual property rights and complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If you believe content on GroupUp infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to groupup.support@protonmail.com with: • A description of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed • The specific location of the infringing content within the app (e.g., place name, screenshot) • Your name, address, phone number, and email address • A statement that you have a good faith belief the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law • A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf • Your physical or electronic signature We will respond to valid DMCA notices promptly and remove infringing content. Repeat infringers will have their accounts terminated. Counter-Notice If you believe content was removed in error, you may submit a DMCA counter-notice to the same email address. We will forward it to the original complainant and restore the content within 10-14 business days unless a court order is obtained.
Disclaimer of Warranties
GroupUp is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not guarantee: • The accuracy of place, event, dietary, or experience information • Uninterrupted or error-free service • That the app will meet your specific requirements • That any defects will be corrected • That the service or servers are free of viruses or other harmful components To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim all warranties including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, GroupUp and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages — including loss of data, revenue, goodwill, or personal injury — arising from your use of or inability to use the service, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall GroupUp's total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising from or related to the service exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid to GroupUp in the twelve months preceding the claim, or (b) $50. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or limitation of liability, so some of the above may not apply to you.
Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless GroupUp and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses — including reasonable legal fees — arising out of or in any way connected with: • Your access to or use of the service • Your violation of these Terms of Service • Your violation of any third-party rights, including copyright, privacy, or other intellectual property rights • Any content you submit, post, or transmit through the service, including place submissions and photos • Any claim that your submitted content caused damage to a third party We reserve the right to assume exclusive control of the defense of any matter subject to indemnification by you, at your expense.
Dispute Resolution
Informal Resolution Before filing any formal legal action, you agree to first contact us in writing at groupup.support@protonmail.com describing the nature of your dispute and your requested resolution. We will have 30 days from our written acknowledgment of receipt to attempt to resolve the dispute informally. A dispute is not considered submitted for informal resolution until we have acknowledged receipt of your written notice. If we fail to acknowledge your written notice within 10 business days, the dispute shall be deemed submitted for informal resolution as of the date of your original email, and the 30-day resolution period shall begin at that time. Arbitration If informal resolution fails, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising from these terms or your use of GroupUp shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), rather than in court. Arbitration shall take place in Pennsylvania. If the requirement to arbitrate in Pennsylvania is found to be unenforceable in your jurisdiction, arbitration shall proceed in your jurisdiction or as otherwise determined by the arbitration administrator, and all remaining provisions of this arbitration agreement shall remain in full force and effect. Class Action Waiver You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration against GroupUp. You may only bring individual claims. Mass Arbitration If 25 or more claimants file substantially similar arbitration demands against GroupUp simultaneously or in a coordinated manner, the parties agree to coordinate those arbitrations as a batch proceeding under applicable AAA mass arbitration procedures. Individual claimants may be required to await resolution of earlier batches before their claim is heard. Exceptions Either party may seek emergency injunctive relief in court to prevent irreparable harm. Small claims court actions within jurisdictional limits are permitted. Limitation Period Any claim or cause of action arising from or related to these Terms of Service or your use of GroupUp must be filed within one (1) year after the date on which the claimant knew or reasonably should have known of the facts giving rise to the claim. Claims not filed within this period are permanently barred.
Termination
• You may delete your account at any time from Profile settings • We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, without notice • We may discontinue or modify the service at any time • Upon termination, your right to use the service ceases immediately • Contributor credits are forfeited upon account termination and will not be refunded or compensated • Sections of these terms that by their nature should survive termination — including indemnification, disclaimer of warranties, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution — will survive
Changes to Terms
We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes within the app and update the "Last updated" date. Continued use of the app after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. If you do not agree to the revised terms, please stop using the app and delete your account.
Governing Law
These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Subject to the arbitration agreement above, any disputes not resolved by arbitration shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Pennsylvania.
Severability
If any provision of these Terms of Service is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these terms will otherwise remain in full force and effect.
Entire Agreement
These Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and GroupUp regarding your use of the service and supersede all prior agreements, understandings, or representations, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter herein.
Waiver
Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms of Service shall not be considered a waiver of those rights. If any provision of these terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
Apple App Store — Additional Terms
If you downloaded GroupUp through the Apple App Store, the following additional terms apply: • These Terms of Service are between you and GroupUp only, not with Apple Inc. • Apple is not responsible for GroupUp or its content • Apple has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for GroupUp • In the event of any failure of GroupUp to conform to any applicable warranty, you may notify Apple and Apple will refund the purchase price (if any) to you. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no other warranty obligation with respect to GroupUp. • Apple is not responsible for addressing any claims relating to GroupUp or your use of it • Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms of Service, and upon your acceptance, Apple will have the right to enforce these terms against you as a third-party beneficiary
Contact
For questions about these Terms of Service: Email: groupup.support@protonmail.com