This summary is for convenience only. The numbered sections below are the binding terms.
This Master Services Agreement and Terms of Use ("Agreement") is between QStone Network, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company located in Cornelius, North Carolina ("QStone," "Company," "we," "us"), and the church or parish organization that accepts this Agreement ("Customer," "Church," "you"). This Agreement governs your access to and use of the Software and constitutes the Terms of Use for the Software. It takes effect when the Church accepts it electronically during onboarding, or on the date both parties sign it, whichever applies.
"Platform," "Software," or "POP" means QStone's Parish Operations Platform, including its web applications, administrative portals, and APIs. "Mobile App" means QStone's Parish Operations Platform applications published by QStone through third-party application marketplaces, including the Apple App Store and Google Play, under QStone's developer accounts. "Customer Content" means data, records, and materials the Church or its users submit to, or generate within, the Software, including member records, donation records, sacramental records, communications, calendar entries, and uploaded files. "Customer Brand" means the Church's name, logos, trademarks, service marks, colors, and other brand identifiers. "Parishioner" means an end user who uses the Software as a member or contact of the Church. "Payment Processor" means the third-party payment service (currently Stripe, Inc.) used to process Donations. "Donation" means a charitable contribution or other payment made through the Software to the Church.
QStone grants the Church a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, limited license to access and use the Software during the subscription term, solely for the Church's internal operations and parishioner services. The Church and its users may not: (a) resell, rent, or sublicense the Software; (b) copy, modify, or create derivative works of the Software; (c) reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive source code, except to the extent the law permits; (d) share access credentials with, or permit use by, anyone other than the Church's authorized users; or (e) use the Software to build a competing product.
The Church retains all ownership of Customer Content and the Customer Brand. Nothing in this Agreement transfers ownership of them to QStone.
The Church grants QStone a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, process, transmit, and display Customer Content and the Customer Brand solely as needed to provide, maintain, and improve the Software.
The Church specifically authorizes QStone to display the Customer Brand, including the Church's name and logo, within the Software and within the Mobile App. This includes parish listings, search and discovery features, themed parish profiles, generated emails and documents, and other features that present the Church to its parishioners. This authorization expressly includes QStone's display of the Customer Brand in mobile applications that QStone distributes through third-party application marketplaces, including the Apple App Store and Google Play, under QStone's own developer accounts.
The Church represents that it owns, or is properly licensed to use, the Customer Brand and Customer Content, and that QStone's authorized display of them under this Agreement does not infringe any third party's rights.
QStone may, but is not required to, display the Customer Brand, and will present it substantially as the Church provides it. The Church may update or withdraw brand assets through the Software, and QStone will reflect the change within a commercially reasonable time.
The person accepting this Agreement confirms that they are authorized to act for and bind the Church, that uploaded materials belong to the Church or are properly licensed, and that they have authority to connect payment processors and email systems. The Church is responsible for the accuracy of its data, for the conduct of its authorized users, and for compliance with the laws that apply to its operations.
6.1 Connected account model. The Software facilitates Donations through the Payment Processor using a connected account model. The Church opens and controls its own connected account.
6.2 Church is the recipient and merchant of record. Donations settle directly into the Church's connected account. The Church is the merchant of record and the recipient of all Donations. QStone does not take custody of, hold, or control Donation funds.
6.3 No custody of secret keys. QStone does not store the Church's payment-processor secret credentials. Processing occurs through QStone's authorized platform integration, not by the Church sharing its secret keys.
6.4 Platform fee. QStone may apply a platform fee to Donations as disclosed during onboarding. The platform fee may be zero and is configurable. Payment-processor fees are set by the Payment Processor.
6.5 Church responsibilities. The Church is responsible for keeping its connected account in good standing, for its own tax treatment and for issuing any donation or tax receipts to donors, for refunds and chargebacks, and for compliance with the Payment Processor's terms and applicable law. The Church represents that it is a bona fide religious or charitable organization eligible to receive the Donations it solicits.
6.6 Third-party terms. Use of the Payment Processor is subject to the Payment Processor's own agreements, which the Church accepts directly with that processor.
7.1 Sending on the Church's behalf. The Church authorizes QStone to send transactional and operational communications on the Church's behalf. By default, QStone sends from QStone's authenticated platform sending domain, presenting the Church's display name and the Church's reply-to address.
7.2 Church responsibilities. The Church is responsible for the content it configures, for ensuring it has the relationship or permission needed to contact its recipients, and for compliance with anti-spam and electronic-communication laws, including, in the United States, the CAN-SPAM Act.
7.3 Optional custom domain. The Church may later choose to send from its own verified domain. Additional setup and terms may apply.
8.1 Roles. As between the parties, the Church controls Customer Content, including the personal data of its parishioners, and QStone processes that content on the Church's behalf to provide the Software, as further described in the QStone Privacy Policy.
8.2 Security. QStone will use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect Customer Content. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and QStone does not guarantee absolute security.
8.3 Sensitive and minors' data. The Software may store sacramental records, prayer requests, household and member records, volunteer information, and records relating to minors. The Church is responsible for obtaining any consents required to collect and process this information, including consents related to minors, and for limiting access to its own authorized users.
8.4 Aggregated data. QStone may use de-identified, aggregated data that does not identify the Church or any individual to operate and improve the Software.
The Church owns Customer Content. During the term and for thirty (30) days after termination, the Church may request an export of Customer Content in a commonly used format. After that period, QStone may delete Customer Content, subject to retention required by law and to reasonable backup cycles.
QStone will provide support by email at info@qstonenetwork.com and will use commercially reasonable efforts to respond promptly. The Software may be unavailable during maintenance, updates, or events beyond QStone's reasonable control. QStone does not commit to a specific uptime level under this Agreement.
QStone owns and retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Software and the Mobile App, including their source code, APIs, user interfaces, designs, features, and all related intellectual property, and all improvements and derivative works. The Church receives only the limited license expressly granted in this Agreement and acquires no ownership of the Software or the Mobile App. Any feedback the Church provides may be used by QStone without obligation.
Subscription fees, billing frequency, and any platform fees are disclosed during onboarding. If the Church is on a no-cost or pilot tier, that will be identified during onboarding. Fees are due on the stated terms. Non-payment may result in suspension or termination after reasonable notice.
Each party represents that it has the authority to enter this Agreement. Except as expressly stated, the Software is provided "as is" and "as available," and QStone disclaims all implied warranties, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement, to the fullest extent the law permits.
To the maximum extent the law permits, neither party is liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits or lost data. QStone's total liability arising out of or related to this Agreement will not exceed the amounts the Church paid to QStone in the twelve (12) months before the event giving rise to the claim, or one hundred dollars ($100) if the Church is on a no-cost tier. These limits do not apply to a party's indemnification obligations or to liability that the law does not allow to be limited.
The Church will defend and indemnify QStone against third-party claims arising from the Customer Content, the Customer Brand, the Church's use of the Software, the Church's solicitation or handling of Donations, or the Church's violation of law or of this Agreement.
Each party will protect the other's non-public business information disclosed under this Agreement and use it only to perform under this Agreement. This does not apply to information that is public, independently developed, or rightfully received from a third party without a duty of confidentiality.
This Agreement begins on acceptance and continues for the subscription term, renewing as disclosed during onboarding unless either party gives notice. Either party may terminate for a material breach that is not cured within thirty (30) days of written notice. The Church may terminate for convenience effective at the end of the current term. On termination, the Church's access ends, the export and deletion terms in Section 9 apply, and accrued fees remain payable.
QStone may update this Agreement. QStone will give notice of material changes, for example by email or within the Software, and will record the version each Church accepted. Continued use of the Software after the effective date of an update constitutes acceptance of the updated Agreement.
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
This Agreement is the entire agreement on its subject and supersedes prior discussions. If any provision is unenforceable, the rest stays in effect. Neither party is liable for delays caused by events beyond its reasonable control. The Church may not assign this Agreement without QStone's consent; QStone may assign it in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. Notices are sent to the email addresses on file and, for QStone, to info@qstonenetwork.com.
The Church accepts this Agreement electronically during onboarding. By checking the boxes below and submitting, the authorized representative agrees on behalf of the Church:
With each acceptance, QStone records and stores: the agreement version, the date and time of acceptance, the IP address, and the name, email, and role of the accepting representative.
A church onboarded before the electronic flow is available may execute this Agreement by signature.